The Celtics big adjustment that stopped Embiid & Harden
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- čas přidán 13. 05. 2023
- How did the Celtics come back from a 3-2 deficit against Philadelphia? This detailed film breakdown & scouting report breaks down a massive Boston adjustment in Game 6 that changed the series, effectively shutting down 2023 NBA MVP Joel Embiid, James Harden and the 76ers offense.
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Ben Taylor is the author of Thinking Basketball, a Nylon Calculus contributor, creator of the Backpicks Top 40 series & host of the Thinking Basketball podcast.
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#ThinkingBasketball - Sport
Great to see Mazula making a legitimate adjustment in such a big spot as a rookie coach
Yes continue to start Robert
also worth noting that doc rivers was completely unable to respond. mazzulla made the adjustment in game 6 and by game 7 doc still didn’t have an answer.
Weird given how big coaching staffs are these days
@@nutella_willow getting out coached by a younger coach
Him and Darvin Ham for the Lakers are killing it
You mean to tell me we're already at 2 50+ point game 7s after 75 years of NONE???
Not to mention they’ve been the only game 7s of the entire playoffs so far. It’s insane that every single game 7 in this years playoffs has had a 50 point scorer
To be fair Jordan rarely had a game 7.
@@blowc1612 never had a game 4 against celtics
Relax, there is a 14 second shot clock now. They are forced to hurry up now. That's why you can never compare eras, rule changes. I hate this new flimzy bs.
there are more game 7s now, back in the day there were less series when there were less teams, and then also had best of 5 series for the first round for decades ... at one point i think there were even some best of 3 series ... not to mention the natural influx in scoring with the modern offense and various rule changes
You quick as hell my guy
FR
Same night upload is crazy lol
That's what she said
Fr wtf
This new basketball is El terrible...Embiid what happened to the patented Olajawon baseline fadeaways against the one on one defense, dummy
Timelord is super underrated because the celtics are deep as hell. I wonder if they zone the heat and force them to shoot 3 pointers. But the heat are so unpredictable and Spo will probably pull a buncha things out of his ass.
😂😂😂. Never have I been so offended by something I completely agree with
the Cs will be a real problem for the heat. real big, athletic defenders 1-5 and unlike the knicks they all have the talent to score if left open so doubling off anybody is begging to get 3'd on. honestly just a bad matchup for miami all around; spo's their only real advantage.
I think we need to load up on jimmy and force someone else to beat us bc they lacking talent offensively
Jimmy is good but they need 2 Jymmy to stop Boston
@@Celticsboy1920 especially since Herro is out. That's why Jimmy's so exhausted at the Knicks series and can't close at 5, they just double tean his ass. Herro's speed is really needed.
Turns out Embiid got abused in the pick and roll... absolute cinema😂
Sons are going to put jokic in a million pick n rolls😂😂😂😂😂😂
@@cyruswang9354 Heard it all year long😂
Cue the Curb Your Enthusiasm music.
@@cyruswang9354 😭😭😭
@@JuztBillz I mean.. is that not how they got swept last time?
I remembered earlier this season when ben did a video on the sixers beating the nuggets, because defensively they put tucker on jokic and allowed embiid to roam, which flustered jokic.
So it seems interesting that this defensive strat came back to haunt embiid, with horford checking him and williams roaming.
This also meant that doc never planned in advance for an opposing coach using his same defensive strategy on embiid.
"never planned in advance" should be Doc's epitaph.
The difference is that Horford is capable of defending Embiid 1 on 1, at least as well as can be done. PJ Tucker is strong but too short on his own for Jokic
Embiid is also too addicted to his mid-range Kevin Durant style jump shot, doesn't have any floater or hook shot around the rim, and doesn't have the awareness of playing between off-ball and on-ball. Great players should be able to figure out how to force double team and solve double team, Embiid still can't do it in a high level.
This is why I never got the Hakeem comparison Hakeem was a great mid-range shooter but his post-play is what allowed him to dominate. Embiid's overreliance on the shot and his inability to get to the basket other than to use bully ball severely limited his scoring @@glenn8886
PJ never stopped Jokic, he was just passive af back then in the 2nd half. He literally never tried to attack him. So it turns out that his wrist injury was fr fr those 2 times people claimed load management (before 76ers game and at the very end of the season).
Last time they played (2 months later), Jokic had:
25pts (8/11 FG, 9/11 FT)
17reb
12ast
2blk
Meanwhile, PJ had ALL ZEROs + 1 foul and was -23.
04:07 I never realized how difficult those pass could be for a pro and how short the timing is for a player to trigger his shot before the defense recover in those situations. I understand better why Jokic is a problem in those situations, he reacts quickly and his pass are fast and accurate.
Same for Lebron or Doncic but the casual always tell me « But that’s just a simple pass that even my grandma can make » lol. Passing and playmaking is the most underated part of the game because you actually have to understand and analyze the game to enjoy it, so the casual will always bend toward the Kobe/KD/Kawhi ect archetype because flashy scoring and 1 on 1 defense is easy to see, and that’s why a Draymond Green is so underated because his biggest strengths are team defense, off ball defense, communication, positioning, awareness and playmaking, he is also a great 1 on 1 defender and rim protector but because he is only 6’6 and use his positioning, timing, verticality ect instead’of being a 7ft lenghty shot blocker people think he isn’t great these things …
Passing is the best part of LeBrons game now. He doesn’t get the recognition for it from the casual fan because they aren’t fancy passes.
@@Anthonydu01630 nowadays draymond is just a bum but back then yeah the trip single was legendary
@@Anthonydu01630 Don't put Kobe on that list of flashy scorers and not solid passers. I'm talking ability not APG. You can replace him w/ someone like Tracy McGrady.
Pass was fine but PJ left his spot.
Actually poetic that Jokic got shit on by the internet for supposedly being vulnerable on defense to pnr. And yet Embiid ended the season getting targeted in the pnr until he visibly gave up
I mean he’s playing on a bum knee his pnr defense has actually been good in his career
I mean, Embiid is the much better shot blocker but he's still slow on his feet similar to Jokic.
@@stretch1681 he’s always “injured” during playoff time. Maybe he’s too fragile to be the best player on a championship team. Not to mention the fact we weren’t hearing anything about his knee when the sixers were winning
@@stretch1681never been out the 2nd round. Sixers haven’t been out the 2nd round in 22… wait now 23 years LMAO
@@stretch1681 he's atrocious on the ball and always has been. don't matter if he's on a bum knee or not.
After game six loss Embiid said, "I didn't even touch the ball in the last four minutes so what can I do?"
After game seven loss Embiid said, "me and harden can't do it by ourselves we need help."
I've never lost more respect for a player faster. Role players and bench showed up for game 7 it was Embiid and Harden who let everyone down and he took ZERO responsibility. Compare his response to Giannis "we are growing together and will get better, it's not a failure as much as a learning experience." Or even Durant "I take full responsibility I need to ingratiate myself in this team better and get used to their style."
Embiid has the physical tools but completely lacks the mental fortitude and leadership of guys like Jokic, LeBron and Butler. Unless something drastic happens I don't think he'll ever win a chip as the top guy.
Except that second quote is taken out of context,the full quote has him taking blame saying he has to get better as well as the entire team
@@theodoreroosevelt2214 no, the full quote makes it worse. He backtracks from saying he needs to get better to blaming the team.
@@aquatazer you mean saying the team needs to get better as a whole after saying that he’ll get better.That’s not backtracking or blaming
@@theodoreroosevelt2214 “I gotta be better and I will be better. That’s what I’ll focus on,” Embiid said. “All of us, we gotta come back and find ways to just keep improving and help the team. You can’t win alone. I can’t win alone. Me and James (Harden), we just can’t win alone. That’s why basketball is played five-on-five. We just need everybody to try to keep finding ways to get better and we’ll be fine.”
He shifts the blame to the team. That’s what he does. Why would he specify himself and Harden if he didn’t mean that the rest of the team are the ones who need to improve? You’re trying to defend him when it’s completely ludicrous. Giannis and Jokić never blame their team. They blame themselves. That’s what a real man does.
@@aquatazer I mean you are reaching for the heavens with this,you are looking for any way to hate.He’s literally saying that He and Harden can’t win alone,that’s it’s a team effort,that it takes a full team of 5 and not just two stars to win.Literally saying they need to improve as individuals and as a team,never excused himself from blame or shifted.
Joel MVPityd should fly to Denver and hand that MVP trophy to Jokic.
🤦♂️
Joel Fatiigue.
He's never been to Denver since 2019 season lmao
Laughing way too hard at those names. 😂😂😂
Definitely stealing.
As a jokic fan get over it
Can’t imagine what it would be like to watch a game with Ben, such good analysis
goodness man, it's not that serious Lol. He'd probably annoy you with the over analyzing over 45 minutes of basketball. come on now...
jeez thought you were talking about Ben Simmons there 😂
@@rickfelz7148 Honestly sounds enjoyable
@@rickfelz7148 Its that serious if you are a hardcore basketball fan and you want to understand everything about the game 🤷🏾♂️
@@rickfelz7148 I wouldn’t mind it I’m trying to be more in tune and understand the game more
Mazulla was WAY too slow to give Williams a bigger role. It shouldn't have taken till g6
That starting lineup struggled heavily in the regular season
This is why Celtic fans should worry because Spo is going to be like 5 steps ahead the entire series
@@davishoward7235 The regular season is different though. Not every team has a lame PJ Tucker to help off of. Also, Rob was working back from surgery most of the year.
The series only went to G7 because Harden somehow hit a late 3 in both G1 and G4 while trailing. Series could have been easily been done in 5
@@underpressure07140 should have been done in 5. it just should have never been CLOSE to 7 games.
For a dominant Center who just won an MVP, Embiid sure needs a lot of help to get anything done out there...if the play is broken up, he hardly ever improvises successfully. Always looks stunned and helpless. Against decent defense, you can't just give him the ball to get a bucket like you can with MANY other players, not just Superstars
he’s such a bum😂
Fake MVP... Despicable what happened. Like a concerted PR campaign against the real mvp based in his skin color
How far did jokic get with his mvps?
🤦♂️
@@izeahcedeno2091 Jokic always show up in the playoffs and carry his team regardless if he's missing his 2nd and 3rd options either due to injury or simply them having bad games. Even during the year that Jokic was swept, he's dominating.
The real MVP would never allow this to happen 😤
Not against the Celtics
@@chasst7556it’s funny because we have 40%+ shooter off the bench with a quick trigger that doc didn’t use in the corner at all. Granted he’s bad defensively but that wasn’t the problem, the offense was.
#facts
@Chas St embiid is a flopper...
funny because Jokic lost in round 1 last year as the "real MVP".
Why wouldn't Harden shoot floaters when he was let into the paint, he was beyond passive and kicking out every single time. I couldn't stop shaking my head watching this.
It's so true bro, he was visibly scared to shoot the ball and passed up great scoring opportunities over and over and over again, I honestly believe he was scared of embarrassing himself and psychologically crumbled under the pressure of this game 7. It's too bad, he was a monster in games 1 and 4 and was excellent in game 5 as well
IMO it was out of spite. He saw Embiid calling for the ball and said "fuck it, you can go out like that". I don't think he liked playing with Embiid tbh.
....because trying to take a floater over Rob Williams is fucking stupid when there are wide open shooters in the corner from the defense collapsing on Harden?
Howbout people just hit their shots when an open look is created for you lol
Great to see some of the greatest game 7 performances in these playoffs like Curry's 50 point masterpiece and Tatum's 51 point explosion
CURRY 50 point wasnt great...
and both curry and tatum can have a great game then 4 horrible games...
dont forget TATUM was trash all the other games
and curry was trash 4 games as well
@@onlyfacts3178 ok so? What does that have to do with his comment?
@@raffskid857 if you read the 1st comment then you would know it....he was the one talking about CURRY
@@onlyfacts3178 how is 50 pt game 7 that was the highest point total in a game 7 not great lmfao
@@onlyfacts3178A 50 point game 7 will always be great. Its literally the highest scoring total in a game 7 history. What are you on to?😂
as a Denver fan, Embiid getting torched in the PnR all game gave me so much satisfaction
Once again I can say the only trust i have in the process is 2nd round exits
Embiid missing hook shots Jokic makes in his sleep and unable to make difficult passes that Joker makes look effortless. Let's not forget how effective the Suns' pick and roll was against Jokic. Joker is the true MVP
Bro that’s Joel biggest problem, he’s too skilled, when he just need a jump hook and a drop step
God it’s so good to see Williams back. He’s so dominant man. Glad he was able to bounce back from his injury earlier. That’s a quality center right there.
So happy I stumbled on this channel. It's unbelievable how much I have learned from these videos
This is a very intelligent review and critique of the series. Great video.
Not a big celtics watcher, but i feel like i always see the celts unstoppable when they have Williams playing the 5.
When he's healthy they are unstoppable. TimeLord is like Golbert but good at perimeter defense and has good hands/passing/catching on offense.
Only limits the spacing on the floor because he doesn't have a jump shot. Hence why mazzulla has preferred using larger guards who can defend with Horford's postup play and perimeter shooting skills
@@Goisis88 Depends on some lineups but he's a very serviceable rim runner/lob finisher. Due plays above the rim so gets easy points off those and putbacks. What may have also prompted Mazzula to play smaller was knowing Horford can handle Embiid 1v1. The screen game changed things however because Embiid could win those situations and just get to the hoop easy. But with Time Lord helping in the back line it def deterred Embiid from attacking the basket.
Embiid has a blind spot in the high post that Jokic doesn’t have. He never sees the left side corner 3 defender. He should be catching the ball in the high post, and immediately watching to see which off ball defenders shuffle away from their man so you know who’s coming when you put the ball on the floor and make your move.
He gets too many blindside steals and misses wide open corner 3 passes. You have to treat that high post catch like it’s a QB surveying the defense presnap.
heh good comparison on the QB. Howie Roseman def not watching those Sixers games wondering if he can get Embiid under center for the Eagles. But Sean Payton watching those Nuggets game probably wonders how the Broncos would look if he can get Jokic for one year hitting passes between the numbers.
This channel is so good - the depth and approchability of analysis is really way ahead of the major sports news outlets.
The passing clips you showed really put in stark relief how much better Jokic is as a passer than Embiid. Has he improved as a passer? Yes, but he's still not a good passer. A number of those passes are VERY open to the point that if Jokic saw them it would be wide open 3s for those guys every single time, right in their shooting pocket.
Yeah Jokic is the better passer and the Denver system runs off of cuts and off ball movement to further showcase that. Doc did nothing to help Joel get a rhythm against all the bodies he was seeing
@@stretch1681 Sure. But I think (casual) people often get it twisted. The reason Denver's system works is because Jokic is a generational passer, not because "the system" chooses to showcase it. He's Tom Brady/Peyton Manning/Joe Montana level as an orchestrator.
Part of the lack of help for Joel against bodies is also on Joel himself though. He wants to settle for 15-18 foot fades. He wants to pop for 3s. This is especially true when he plays defenders who can be physical with him, which they can be much more so in the playoffs (which is part of why his percentages and points go down every year in the playoffs). Doc can scheme things (not saying he did) to help - but Embiid also has to force the issue more. And Embiid can be schemed against as well BECAUSE people know he still doesnt successfully punish double teams / shrinking the floor. He has a bad feel for that stuff - not as bad as it used to be, but he's still a turnover machine in the playoffs when people show him a crowd. All that makes him easier to scheme around defensively.
Really enjoyed this one!! You and Get GOODER at Basketball are my favorite for sure!
funny people said embiid was better than jokic and that jokic would get picked apart in the playoffs by ball handlers yet that hasn't happened to jokic but it did for embiid.
People also said Trae Young > Luka Doncic for a moment 🤣🤣
Who knew the lineup that destroyed the league last year was still good
😂
It sucked in the regular season
@@davishoward7235 cap
@@GurtonBuster07 it had a -12 net rating…
@@davishoward7235 lol who cares about regular season performance when you suck big time at post season 😂
It felt so good seeing Embiid and Harden FINALLY get slowed down.. Lotta credit to Joe.
Get that hate out your heart weirdo
Good paint protection has been a theme with the last two series
The closing line "for the 5th time in 7 seasons" gave me chills. Man these are the good years for Celtics fans. As much as people like to say they "have to get a ring", this is what success looks like.
It's nice to see this team being successful with 4 of the starting 5 came from draft picks. Not buying a championship like Lakers did and the warriors
I saw a source from the Celtics reported the players actually were begging/asking for Joe to use the starting line up from last season. So kudos to Joe on not being stuck in his ways and being flexible in his coaching
You could tell from the way they responded to reporters Smart, Al were very happy Rob got to start. Everyone and their momma know how that starting 5 was dominant last year only Mazulla didn't know because of his morbid obsession with spacing and shooting 3s
@@brightBoss i think mazzulla's doing a great job as a rookie coach. he's younger than al horford, so obviously he's going to fuck up at times, but overall he's stepped up really well.
What it tells me is that the Celtics roster is capable of coaching themselves to an extent. Jaylen Brown also took over the assignment of guarding Harden when Smart was banged up out of their own camaraderie
@@falconhoward4032 yh they've been together for years they know what works and what doesn't
@@falconhoward4032 If you think of it that has been in the making even under the Brad Stevens coaching days. Smart, Horford and the Jays have been thrown into the playoff fire way before they were making runs at the ECF. Though as a unit they have only logged more time together in recent years. Plus well coached playoff teams leave some problem solving to their players. I've seen Poppovich approach his guys in the huddle and clearly tell em 'I got no answer. Figure it out for now'.
Better late than never. Really glad to see Mazula understand what changes could impact winning and give his team the best chance. I wish he used this against Atlanta, the same issues arose in that series. Horford kept getting attacked and kept giving up easy threes cuz he has to sagg off to keep up with any ball handler like Young, Maxey and Harden. Problem is all those guys can hit shots with half the space Horford was giving them for free. Even worse was he wasnt making it up on the offensive end. Im not sure why they werent playing Williams more (maybe injury prevention, fatigue or something) but I know their record when he plays and more spefically, plays a bunch of minutes, their record is insanely good. I think Horford should never be the primary big on the floor, I think hes a bit too much of a liability in a playoffs where switching and attacking weak matchups in those switches is what every team is doing. I know Horford does a lot of good in a lot of other places, but I think the opportunity cost of not playing Williams 30 mins a night is too much. I dont know if the Horford/Williams lineup will work against Miami, Denver or LA (if Boston even gets that far) but again, glad Mazulla was able to find the right solution. Last year Williams was so important in Boston having a top 3 defense. He got a defense team nomination for a reason. Again, I dont know why he had less minutes this year (again, assuming injuries/preventing injuries, minutes restriction or Mazula trying to make the team his vs Udoka) but hes a starting center and deserses 30 a night if he can handle it. I think Horford should be the secondary big on this team, and I think Grant Williams deserves a bit more tick too. He always brings energy and hustle, even if he ends up fouling more than he should or making a poor decision here or there. Hes a energy guy that gives it his all and defends like his career depends on it. I think a small part could be that his contract is up and they might be keeping him out to get a better price. Thats a bit of a conspiracy theory on my part, but I still think hes important to winning. But then again, theres a reason Im not a coach lol.
Putting Timelord in that starting lineup was game changing.
These are the best basketball analysis videos, hands down. Thank you.
adjustment was remembering the other team had Game 7 Doc Rivers as coach
Emboid is not an MVp Caliber type of player… should have been Jokic
Doc Rivers had to have been the Celtics most valuable player
Once a Celtic, always a Celtic.
'The 76ers were very successful with Harden-Embiid pick and rolls against their smaller lineup."
*Laughs in Jokic and Murray*
This is why I love rim protectors. Robert Williams III and Al horford, plus Jason tatum and Jalen brown and Marcus smart.
Great defensive lineup.
You need to have a plan if a team decides to attack a rim protector, making him leave his spot and force him to guard the perimeter or a corner 3pt shooter.
That’s something Rudy Gobert gets flamed. He was not the problem.
robert has always been one of my favorite players. so underrated!
Just imagine if 76ers actually had the quality of a MVP in their roster
This is the beauty of the playoffs I can't wait to see the chessmatch between Spoelstra and Mazulla
bro was quick as hell with dropping this video lmao
Great video, the spacing is "off" but its by design. Doc Rivers, Brett Brown, you name it, this Philadelphia team seems to always have either two in same corner or one in the corner plus one in the dunker spot on the same side. Especially when Embiid is posting up, that side is cleared out. So there's no double team coming from empty side corner, but there's no easy outlet either when the double comes from the weak side, unless someone is cutting to the basket or relocating on the perimeter. I know Brett Brown has defended this bad spacing as being by design in interviews, but the fact that its still here (even with him gone and Ben Simmons not on the team) and still a problem, is a massive red flag.
I didn’t know that if that’s the case then that’s worse cause the Celtics blew it up while having the guards dig down from the weak side when Joel tried to counter Williams help. What was Joel supposed to do with that especially if guys are bricking shots
Could be a limitation of Embiid honestly, and we saw it this game-I think his dribbling isn't the tightest and he's not great at fending off a defender on that weak side so both coaches have intentionally cleared out his corner like that.
Also why is Embiid so in love with those fadeaway shots. You're the goddamn MVP against 50 year old Al Horford, literally pound the ball to the hoop and force double teams
He can't consistently pass out of them. One of his biggest weaknesses is he goes slow. He wants to survey everything but against an intelligent defense like Boston they can time up those doubles and strip him so he opts for that fadeaway so if the double comes he can shoot over it.
He really needs to study Shaq. Get deep post position and flash then you can get the ball and go quick. To your point, he needs to play like he's 7' 280 and not like he's Kobe Bryant. But that's not really his game. As Ben has said, he's a 7' wing. And that's how he wants to play.
@@michaelahurti appreciate real breakdowns like these , I seem to be the only Jokic and embiid enjoyer around , it’s all hate no real analysis 😂
That’s why Hakeem called him soft and called jokic “the one”
@Michael Hurt he's hurt. His explosion and lift weren't there this series. He was not able to be a dynamic scorer, so he could only depend on pnps, face ups, and rolls mostly open lanes. That's why they could get away with Marcus Smart as the low man.
@@congeee he didn't.
I love your videos so much. So informative and in-depth. Thank you.
44.5% from the field in this series from the MVP.
All the while Jokic has been averaging in playoffs:
1. 54.9% fgs
2. 30.1 points
3. 9.7 assists
4. 12.8 rebounds
5. 47.5% from three
Everyone should know who the real MVP is by now. No contest here.
Celtics showed championship grit out there, especially Tatum late in game 6.
awesome video, looking forward to more
Absolutely spot on! I posted a comment on one of the nba insta posts saying the same thing! Taking away that pocket pass was huge! Disrupted that entire pick n roll game!
In the name of all Nuggets fans, thank you for at least mentioning MVPs stelar PnR defense...
Ben’s the GOAT analyst and it’s not even close. And shout out to my guy Cody
Please come out with merch. I've been a fan for a while and would love some! Keep dropping that heat! 🔥
Thank you for finally discussing the Celtics after what has seemed like forever since you last did so. Really well thought out analysis here, your experience definitely shows and I've learned at least a few things for sure.
This was the first playoff game I got to watch live here in the UK, and the stagnation of the 6ers offense was wild. I don't think I saw a single set play all game. I feel like they desperately needed another answer that wasn't pick and roll or post up. Why not sprinkle in some spain pick and roll with Maxey, or double drag screens, or pin downs for Harris to curl to the rim? Frustrating.
Various reasons really. Doc as a coach always sucked at adjustments. But also this roster feels as limited as the Embiid and Harden. Maxey got speed and some handles but he never threatened the Celtics defense. Tucker outside of taking corner 3 point shots doesn't do much either so he's just passing the ball. Harris on offense also doesn't threaten the Celtics defense and he can be passive as well. At least with the Celtics in the series all 5 guys in the lineup can take calculated aggressive moves with the ball to the basket.
MVP should have been Joker.
very good analysis, keep up the good work
Anyone else think that these playoffs have been amazing from Play -In to Conference?
Every single team in the playoffs actually beat someone qualifying them to be there, and every single team is in form.
this bouta be fun.
If Jokic and embid switched. This would not work. Real MVP robbed
It still would’ve grant Williams guards jokic with rob at the back. It has worked really well before
"They forced Embiid to make tough passes if he was going to get around this defense and he couldnt."
*Laughs in Jokic*
Nice Channel and series breakdown - looking forward to the next great series. Boston really made a statement in the last 2 games, that they can come up from behind. That's really important for the next series against a really strong heat team.
Great video!
It’s funny cause I was talking to friends after Game 5 wondering why Joe didn’t go back to the 2 big lineup seeing as it was so effective last year. And behold for Game 6 they made the adjustment. Shout out the coaching staff
Wonder if Brad had anything to do with it.... Joe has great assistants too.... he needs coaching just as much as the players do!
Helps that harden looked terrified to try a layup
Felt the same. Endless drive and kicks, was weird.
Which is weird. Because he had a dunk (not even a layup) early on.
What a great video man
Wild to see Embiid miss open passes in many of these clips. I feel like this defense really works because Embiid doesn't read the floor that well.
If Harden had more of a scorers mindset in these last two games, they could have blown this strategy up but he was thinking pass every time.
I was hoping he was just doing it to throw em off then he would start shooting. But his hands never stopped shaking so he never did.
When embid was out, harden was a a shooter... I agree if he was shooting, they might have won this
he cant score for shit consistently anymore. its like 50/50 on any given night if hes gonna have half decent burst to get by a defender and then hes gotta overcome the struggle of his lift on shots being cooked to finish a layup on top of that
He basically had two games where he was classic James Harden, and the other five he was Ben Simmons
That reminds me of a certain someone who used to play for the Sixers in the same exact position.
I said immediately after game 5 that Tatum had 0 killer instinct. It was his worst flaw. I know I wasn't the only one who thought it. I was pleasantly surprised to be proven wrong. He's playing with bad intentions currently, and I've never seen that out of him.
i'm a Celtics fan and i thought the same, always felt like in games where we HAD to win that it was Brown who performed instead of Tatum.
Have you only started watching Tatum in the playoffs this year? Dude showed up with it last year as well. Granted with a lot more turnovers especially in the Finals but he is so much more comfy scoring how he wants this season. If anything he's become less indecisive about how the attack the basket and is willing to be physical drawing his mismatches. Him hunting Embiid through screen switches was huge because it was taking away the shot blocker from the basket. So Celtics had the green light to attack the basket whenever they wanted.
amazing content !!!
The best analysis I have heard....Many thanks.
was never an Embiid fan. he's Ewing 2.0, though a more whiny version. good luck on winning next year with Harden, if he stays
Shaq, Hakeem, Ewing and Robinson never had problems scoring against a non all star double team, especially one without a 7 foot center.
You say that as if being an all star means anything when it comes to your actual skill😂
@@Anthony-ez2qb it does all stars are better than normal players that's why they are all stars😂
Because they got in the post and got in the paint, Embiid is relying on fadeaways when he really doesn’t have to, he’s fallen in love with them
@@zod548 Patrick Ewing shot fadeaways. Shaq is a Unicorn. Hakeem didn't wi until his early 30s
@@andysawyer647 Ewing didn’t win at all, not sure if anyone wants that, but I understand your take and appreciate it
Just watched game. One of Lakers nuggets and the Lakers did this to joker late with hachimura and Davis. Great analysis and help me see what they were doing, appreciate you!
Great Breakdown!
This scheme wouldn't work against the real MVP Jokic, who would pass Celtics to death. Embiid is still too one dimensional to win big in the playoffs where teams can zoom in on your weakness.
It aslo look like embid it not good enough post player to even try agasint this defensive
They play Rob on Jokic more and scheme around differently the last 2 seasons
If you watch Celtics verse nuggets games the last couple of seasons it still works on jokic
*Stopping the “whine until you get the MVP”
Doc raising the floor but lowering the ceiling is a great way of describing it
The goat basketball yotuber uploads instantly. You gotta love it!!
This goes to show that even if Ben Simmons took threes in Philly they still would have doubled Embiid or at least sagged off Simmons because he isn't a shooter, shooter. Same with PJ tucker, he even got it going early and Celtics were more than fine with it lol. Better than Embiid or Harden getting what they want inside.
Great comment
I got to thinking what the Sixers are missing in their playoff roster and that is certainly one of the talents they don't have is a high volume/accurate 3-ball shooter. Granted the Nuggets are a different approach to roster construction overall but in general he's got money making tools who are great cutters (MPJ, Murray, Gordon who is a bonus for being an lob finisher) with MPJ who is more comfy hitting his 7 3FG attempts in the regular season on 41.1% accuracy. Murray is dangerous on a heat check with his 6.6 3FG attempts on 39% accuracy plus he can get buckets anywhere else. Sixers are just too stagnant with their role players especially when Harden or Embiid struggle for their buckets.
@@t4d0W Yeah I feel like their 2019 roster was the closest they had to a competent roster around Embiid. His two man game with JJ Reddick was phenomenal and then they had Jimmy Butler who will always have the energy or effort Harden consistently lacks has every other night. The only issue was teams doubling off Simmons onto Embiid for free. If they traded Simmons for depth and a playmaker who can shoot, so they could run the new playmaker, JJ, Butler, Tobias and Embiid. With decent depth. That roster 100% makes a ECF if not multiple finals appearances imo.
As inconsistent as JT has been in these playoffs, both rounds 1 and 2 my biggest criticism of Boston has been Mazulla and his inability to adjust and game plan his defense in these playoffs.
As a Celtics fan, this game was a huge relief and a restoration of my confidence in this team! Big props to Joe Ma for getting this team settled and making the changes needed for (what I've long thought would be) Boston's biggest challenge in this year's playoffs. ❤
Definitely was a confidence booster
Big worry now is that he won't be able to keep up with Spo and will do too little too late. Game 1 is lowkey a must win. If they give the Heat early confidence they're going down 0-2 just like 2020.
@@geordiejones5618 I fully agree, the heat was the LAST team I thought had a chance to face the Celtics any time during the regular season, but we're about five seasons into Jimmy Buckets' playoff reign of terror, and if he drops a 40+ pt night in game one or two I have a feeling we're cooked. We'll be left dealing with Spo AND Jimmy Jordan at the same time, I think it could be too much.
@@geordiejones5618 Uh watch the heat/Celtics ECF series last year. JT still kept up with the scoring and that was against a healthier Heat squad. If anything the Heat has to put away the Celtics in 5/6 games. THey cannot out grind this Celtics group in the long run when they got more stable scoring, can match the defensive intensity and Tatum/Brown can easily get 50+ points on this Heat defense.
There were very few videos of yours this season, i realized that i was totally counting on your channel to follow the game when i totally forgot about it.
Thanks for the hustle ben
Does this mean that timelord could indeed freeze the process?
I think the issue is Embiid bails out the defense waaaaay too often. Instead of playing like Giannis and get the ball at the 3 pt line and then drive, Embiid needs to get on the low block and get Horford in foul trouble.
Horford is way too experienced to get in foul trouble. He can play straight up without fouling.
@@bpdmf2798 and if he plays straight up Embiid will avg 30 on him 😂😂😂 experience is irrelevant when youre bigger stronger and more skilled. Embiid bailed him out these last 2 games. Simple
Don't come here talking about Embiid averaging 30 when he played like a bench warmer. Nobody gives a crap about buts and ifs
@@poetryofcinema6957 go read my initial comment before typing. I pointed out the adjustment that needs to be made and how that adjustment allows Embiid more flexibility in his game. But u wanna come on here and jump right to the result and not actually analyze the game.
I think Embiid is bigger than Joel realises 💯
Nice to see Rob's impact. Highlights online always focused on the offense.
That was a great analysis!
I had been saying for weeks that the Celtics NEEDED to step up the defense back to an elite level to win the Finals, and it looks like it has finally arrived
What a great take. They needed defense! You should be the new coach wow. Insightful.
@@congeee bet you're fun at parties
@@congeee clown
@@mattpassos5689 Matt is a little girls name
@@mattpassos5689 nuggets are gonna win it all anyway, Celtics will drop the ball like last year
The problem is Embiid thinks he's Hakeem Olajuwon when he should be playing more like Shaq.
Don’t disrespect Hakeem! He would bang just like the rest, Joel think he Kevin Love‼️😂
@@AreYouFNQRAZII 😭😭
The only problem is that Shaq dominated when illegal defense was still a thing (so no helpside allowed).
@@maartenvz They reinstated zone defense & did away with illegal defense violations to stop Shaq.
@@maartenvz Spoiler - it didn’t work. Shaq won two more championships after the rule changes while getting triple teamed from the opening tip.
🔥 🔥 🔥 Great content
Excellent pick ups
You know why i love rooting for Jokic? Because hes never bad like even if he plays under his standards once it will never happen in 2 games in a row or 3 games in a row. Hes never had a bad series and any given game you can be sure hel atleast be relativly effecienct and not turn the ball over too much
Yeah fr. He never has a bad game, just some games he doesn't go for 30/10/10 which is the standard set for him. Even games when he goes like 18/12/5 he's still efficient af like you said
completely agree
The Celtics really have become the model of consistency. A scandal like Udoka's fallout would have ended any other team, but Ainge and Stevens have built a top tier roster, and they had a coach like Mazzulla who was capable to step up and lead the charge. Celtics/Nuggets should be an excellent chess match.
It’ll be the Lakers and the Heat in the Finals.
They're like the 2000s Pistons
@@damarideadass8305 I hope so. All 4 bubble teams retaking the Conference Finals and the Lakers getting another chip would be amazing. All the haters can't say 2020 was a fluke anymore.
As fun as that would be, it's going to be Nuggets vs Celtics, with Jokic getting his championship and Finals MVP.
@@sharifbrown3567 The teams aren't the same though, Jokic has help now with no injuries, the heat have different role players (and Bam was injured), and the Celtics flipped Kemba for Horford and brought in White and Brogdon. Whatever happens 3 years later doesn't change 3 years ago. The stars are the same, but health and like 40% of the players are different. Also, nugs will smoke LA.
Great content
Loved your analysis. To the point and very concise. Celtics needed that adjustment. #18.
Now you see why Embiid isn't the mvp. These types of defenses do not work on Jokic. He is always ready to stretch out and find a guy and his guys know they will get a ball so they rotate much more than Phili, since there's a 90% chance Embiid will spend the ball after getting it.
If this doesn't work on Jokic, something else will. There is no player in the history of Basketball that us actually unguardable.
@@kritav1111 The most dangerous types of players are the ones that can score at will and always find a free man if the defense overcommits on them. Lebron, Jokic, Luka. Defenses have no answer for them individually (talking about prime Lebron not current), they just hope to beat the rest of their team.
@@kritav1111 Lebron, MJ, Kareem, Shaq, Curry, prime healthy Kawhi, prime KD or even Giannis… All these players were unguardable, and it’s not because some of them had 2-3 bad series in their whole career that they weren’t unguardable, they just played bad, it happens they aren’t robot.
And of course sometimes they will struggle more against some type of defense because every player have weaknesses, but you can’t stop these guy if they are in a good day, you can just slow them down just like the Lakers did with Curry, or the Celtics with Giannis last season… They still had an insane impact and were arguably the best player of the serie (You can argue AD was better than Curry but imo he wasn’t because he wasn’t as consistent), but against a defense who can « expose » their weaknesses, in the case of Curry it’s making him play on ball like a traditional point guard and targeting him on defense to make him spend all his energy, and in the case of Giannis it’s sagging from him and daring him to shoot and form a wall, but you need special players to do that, for Curry you need a Big like AD who can switch on quick perimeter players like him+ high IQ defenders to execute the game plan and stay focus all game long+ Big strong scorer/playmaker like Lebron who can hunt him and create missmatch to make him spend his energy on defense, and in the case of Giannis you just need a team who can match his size and athleticism like the Celtics with Rob Williams, Al Horford, Tatum, Brown and Smart, every players on that starting 5 is huge and even their bench players lik Grant Williams are built like football players ..
U should worry about Davis exposing Jokič once again not Boston Celtics
you say that but Jokic has yet to face an elite defense these playoffs. Celtics catered there entire defense to slowing down Joel. Jokic has been amazing but now he's got to see AD.
The MVP trophy is carrying bad luck apparently in the last years
Great analysis
Think of the mental aspect that had on Embiid and Harden: Embiid already has trouble against Horford. Now, he also has to worry about his shot getting sent back by Williams. Harden was already getting pestered by Boston's perimeter guys. Now, his passing lane to Embiid is covered, and Williams is there to deter his drive. Combine that with the Sixers' offense relying on them and Doc's lack of adjustment, it all was too much to overcome. Before the series, I said that the Celtics were too well-equipped to handle anything the Sixers wanted to do on both sides of the ball. Games 2, 3, and 7 were proof.