Looking at the breakdown of the game by play type, Boston ran somewhere in the neighborhood of 20-25 pick-and-roll sets, a significant number below their average. That’s notable in itself, but looking at the distribution of the Clippers’ defensive coverages in those possessions, one thing stands out:
The Clippers rarely trapped the ball-handler.
As you watch the possessions in sequence, you see the Clippers defense employ more hard hedges. They were much more concerned with patrolling passing lanes and backpedaling to make sure that the Celtics’ screeners were picked up on the roll. This strategy might have yielded a few more shots at the rim for Rajon Rondo (he had nine such opportunities), but overall the Celtics were much less active in the half-court than they normally are.
The Clippers have traditionally been a defensive squad that’s run a lot of perimeter traps at opposing ball-handlers. We can attribute some of that to a lack of defensive flexibility. The Clippers don’t have bigs you can switch onto smalls, though that should change once Blake Griffin is healthy.
I’m not an ideologue on pick-and-roll defense. Context is very important. Mike Woodson will tell you that Atlanta’s defense switches so readily because they have the personnel to do so, with versatility at the 2, 3 and 4 — to say nothing of a 1 you’d like to get off the ball as soon as possible. The Clippers, given their current personnel, would be foolish to switch a lot of PNRs. But if you have guys who can guard multiple positions, it makes sense to show that look to defenses at strategic moments.
I can’t help but wonder if last night’s defensive success against Boston might have shined a new light on how the Clippers can continue to improve defensively. They’ve never been a horrible defensive pick-and-roll team, but they also have the capacity to get better.
UPDATE: In speaking to Mike Dunleavy today, he mentioned that the help off the perimeter (from Tony Allen’s man) played a big role in the Clippers’ ability to defend Boston’s pick-and-rolls Sunday evening. The video certainly confirms this.
31 Responses
If only they would incorporate more pick and roll in their own offensive scheme. Great point though.
Posted on December 28th, 2009 at 3:09 pm
I think there were certain instances where the hedger…hedged for too long and that got them in trouble. When you hedge, in my opinion, you don’t want to hedge that far out and stay out for that long…it makes you susceptible to a pass inside…especially with a good passing PG like Rondo or Eddie House….Like jgroove said, i’d love to see some pick and rolls more with Eric Gordon and Camby/Kaman/B.Griffin.
Posted on December 28th, 2009 at 3:39 pm
I don’t think what worked against Celtics would work against another team. Clippers play straight-up game just like Celtics. No drama. No hard fouls. No fake attempts to induce offensive fouls. I think Celtics are disciplined team just like Clippers.
Under Dunleavy Clippers have cultivated some good habits. It should continue and rise
to next level without any illusions.
Posted on December 28th, 2009 at 4:02 pm
Baron’s last second winning shot overshadowed even camouflaged The Dunleavy patented
last second tactical move. Yes! Once again the legendary Clipper coach inserted his secret weopon into the game. You know what I mean the same move he used a few years ago to help the Clippers blow their chance to move ahead in the playoffs. Of course you watch him and you know he’d do the same thing every single game. Reach down the bench for the coldest player sitting there and insert him into the pivotal moment of the game. This time it was actually an acclaimed sharpshooter although on the roster a guy he rarely even allows to get up from his seat to adjust his shorts – Steve Novack. No I’m not picking on Steve because as he’s shown if he’s warm and in the rhythm he’s a very dangerous three point artist. If he’s warm and in the rhythm he’s the right guy for the slot. But Dunleavy likes him cold. He loves pulling a guy who hasn’t seen a second in the game, off the bench and put him into the make the shot or we lose moment, it the Dunleavy Classic and it’s the reason Dunleavy should have been fired years ago. But no we have to wait and see how it goes when Blake Griffin actually plays an NBA game and we have to wait until Camby comes back any wait for anyone who gets injured in the meantime to get healthy so that Sterling can judge Dunleavy’s ability with the full team he assembled on the floor. WTF.
Drizzy Reply:
December 28th, 2009 at 8:55 pm
man, can’t you enjoy a win. And Lawler even said how Novak told him that it was actually Novak that asks Dunleavy to let him in the game at crunch time. Novak is confident in his shooting and Dunleavy is confident that Novak can make it without being on the court.
Rrrrandom Reply:
December 29th, 2009 at 12:42 am
The play was set up for Davis. Novak was in just to be a decoy. I would hope that Dunleavy would never write up a play for a cold Novak, but you never know.
Posted on December 28th, 2009 at 8:20 pm
Win over Celts looks a little less shiny now with the Warriors beating them as well tonight…and check out the Kings with a real coach, now 14-16 and there is only 1 player in their starting lineup who might start in the Clipper lineup and that’s Cassipi over Thornton and thats close. Beat the Nugs tonight w/o Martin and Tyreke Evans.
rmb Reply:
December 29th, 2009 at 10:10 am
Warriors are run & gun team and Celtics weren’t ready for that after hard fought game against Clips. Looks like Clips sucked-up their energy reservoir they badly needed to finish their road show.
And GSW won against Phoenix as well. Sacramento poses real threat to Clippers hopes.
Slax Reply:
December 29th, 2009 at 11:56 am
Well if it makes you fell any better the Lakers got blown out by the Suns last night as well.
rmb Reply:
December 29th, 2009 at 3:29 pm
Exactly.
Clips didn’t fall into Suns trap and expend their energy for a sure loss. Instead they gave early without a fight(Sorry, ESPN) to come back home to deal with the Celts.
But Kobe tried to win and gave up after the 3rd. Normally he doesn’t even after the game’s over.
Posted on December 28th, 2009 at 9:42 pm
The Celtics ran fewer pick and rolls because Pierce was out. He utilizes the most picks on the team, with a frequency that it is actually a bit annoying. My theory (I’m not sure anyone will be interested since this is a Clippers blog) is that the Celtics don’t think Pierce can beat his man off the dribble in isolations based on last year when he appeared sluggish all season. However that has not been the case this year as his first step has largely returned after a long offseason of rest and no knee injury to rest but they still set picks for him all the time. Anyway, so Piece uses the most screens on the Celtics and him being out meant a lot less screens. But I’m not sure the Clippers strategy of hedging off screens, in effect laying off the ball handler and covering the screener, would be effective duplicated against other teams. Most ball handlers are not as poor an outside shooter as Rondo is so the strategy would either be different or have a different effectiveness.
What I would have liked the Celtics to have done is have Ray Allen handle the ball more. The ball is in Rondo’s hands all the time (even with Pierce but especially more with out him). He is very good using screens, unselfish and unpredictable. But alas the Celtics seem to think Ray is mostly good only running off picks or shooting threes in transition.
Kevin Arnovitz Reply:
December 29th, 2009 at 8:15 am
Would be interested to see Allen’s catch-and-shoot vs. off-the-bounce TS numbers.
Posted on December 29th, 2009 at 2:01 am
Loved the W!!!! So much fun at Staples on Sunday, most fun I can remember in a couple of seasons!! BUT the situation with Dunleavy remains the same: he cannot motivate his team, he has poor leadership skills and over analyses every situation. He lacks a feel for the flow and rythm of the game. It is frustrating watching him and it is frustrating playing for him. A win over Boston (who outplayed us in most facets of the game, but couldn’t find the net) does not change those fundamental problems and we need to move on. Let’s bring an inspired team on the floor and see what happens – John Lucas can do that. Either way, it can’t be any worse than where we are now, having several less talented teams in front of us in the standings… Playoffs are still within reach, but won’t be for long unless we play as inspired ball as our oppponents!
Newtybar Reply:
December 29th, 2009 at 11:23 am
Blame the coach for bad substitutions, rotations, poor plays…
…but motivation falls on the players responsibility.
This whole paragraph is basically about motivation….
Posted on December 29th, 2009 at 8:53 am
So funny seeing everyone lobby for Lucas who hasn’t won anywhere, this is a coach with a .401 lifetime winning percentage, in other words he is DUNCEleavy…..broaden the horizons, stop thinking retreads….think fresh blood, the great coaches were nobodies before someone took a chance. Adelman before he went to Sacto, D’Antoni before Phoenix, McMillian before Sonics, damn JAckson before Bulls….none had a track record and all succeeded, and I guarantee their fan bases weren’t clamoring for any of those guys before they were hired.
tb Reply:
December 29th, 2009 at 10:41 am
Hey Fomerly, I don’t disagree with your basic premise. However, from my perspective, hoping for a complete change of the guards, while perhaps ideal as you point out, seems somewhat unlikely given Sterlings tight cost controls and Dunleavy’s high salary. Asking for Lucas is a zero cost proposal, but in my opinion an improvement over status quo. If we could get Sam Cassell as a newbie or Avery Johnson (whose style should work well with our pieces) as new head coaches we are even better off, but for now I would settle for Lucas who appears to have the ears of several of our key players…
Newtybar Reply:
December 29th, 2009 at 11:20 am
Avery Johnson? You must be joking.
tb Reply:
December 29th, 2009 at 9:26 pm
Nope, I like him for us. Who do you like?
Posted on December 29th, 2009 at 9:46 am
off the subject but check out Zach Randolph averaging 28 pts 18 rebounds in the Grizzlies last 5 games.
avonhun Reply:
December 29th, 2009 at 4:26 pm
and even with those averages I’m glad he is no longer on the team.
Slax Reply:
December 29th, 2009 at 4:30 pm
Ditto it would definitely mess with the development of Griffin in the long run. Still I’m impressed with the Grizz who I thought would be bottom feeders this season.
Posted on December 29th, 2009 at 12:04 pm
Getting rid of MD would be a bad omen for the 2010 free agency derby. We ain’t gonna win a championship with this squad – maybe only a playoff round or two. We need to get a very good free agent to have a chance. Nobody but MD in the history of the Clips has had the ear of DTS as he has. He has the most power of any Clipper coach or GM. Lobbying for him to go away now on the eve of the 2010 free agency bonanza is outrageously short-sighted and ignores decades of Clipper management history.
Just wait until after the 2010 summer is over before you start up the fire MD chants. If he lands another top-level free agent like he landed Baron, you gotta give him his due and ride out the 2010-2011 season. With that level of talent, if healthy, he could put this team in the finals. He almost did it with Portland and almost did it with the Clips 4 years ago. Believe it or not, the Clips long-term forturnes have been changing for the better under MD.
Slax Reply:
December 29th, 2009 at 8:22 pm
Good points! Jerdog I suspect you’ve been a fan prior to the Odom, Maggette, Brand, and Miles crop or the Nacion bandwagoners of 05′ 06′. Am I right?
tb Reply:
December 30th, 2009 at 8:52 am
Jerdog, if I understand your logic correctly, your argument is: “Only MDsr can get DTS to open his wallet and without MDsr we go back to the lousy cheap Clips of the past”. If that logic is true, then why would anybody decent sign here knowing MDsr has only 1 yr left after they sign and that after MDsr is gone DTS will no longer match contracts or resign our promising young nucleus. No star free agent will sign with the Clips unless they believe DTS has “changed” and wants to win, irrespective of whether MDsr is here or not.
To turn your argument upside down, I would argue that by eliminating MDsr as head coach, DTS can show the world and any doubters, such as yourself, that he personally wants to win and that he personally is behind spending money to setup the franchise to win in the future. That should induce sceptical free agents stars to sign and improve our chances with a solid team and a solid coach.
If I misunderstood your argument, and that your argument is that MDsr is the best coach for the job (not the best GM, just coach), then ignore everything I just said.
bongstradamus Reply:
December 30th, 2009 at 4:12 pm
DTS is a businessman. Next offseason is a buyers market. Just look at some of the trades happening, people want to shed salary and are loathe to overpay talent. I dont think Dunleavy will have anything to do with DTS opening his wallet, the market will favor teams with cash reserves who make bids. The best thing we have going for us is that we’ll have money available to outbid other teams.
Posted on December 29th, 2009 at 5:24 pm
So true , yet so sad
Posted on December 29th, 2009 at 6:46 pm
Thanks, Slax. Been a fan since November of 1989 when they traded Danny Ferry’s rights for Ron Harper and Danny Manning returned from ACL rehab. Things were going great then until Harper blew out his knee two months later and was never the same player again.
2010 could be the most important year in Clipper history. Unlikely, but what if……
Such dreams can only become real with MD at the helm. Otherwise, these dreams will be pure fantasies.
Posted on December 29th, 2009 at 9:38 pm
Actually Jerdog we are more or less at the same place we have been in the past sir. 1 winning season in 7 years is most certainly following the pattern of Clipper culture. We have not changed the culture! pretty soon it will be 1 playoff birth every 10 years then it will be exactly like us.
Are you really saying that MD is like this god who will make our free agent dreams come true. Since he has been here which free agent has actually want to come here besides Baron davis that is worth a hollerin hoot?
Exactly
Posted on December 30th, 2009 at 12:45 am
Actually, MD, after unsuccessfully trying to sign Kobe and Agent Zero, got Cat Mobley to sign n 2005. Mobley was instrumental in convincing Sam I Am to come here (I believe he had a no-trade clause in his contract). A year or so earlier, MD was able to convince DTS to match the contract offers on restricted free agents Elton Brand and Corey Maggette. Now, if MD didn’t get DTS to match offers on Corey and Elton, didn’t get Cat, and Cat didn’t convince Sam to come here, would there ever have been a 2005-2006 run? If there wasn’t that run, would there be as many people here on this blog? Probably not. Name one or more times that the Clippers signed a notable free agent or re-signed a really good player with an expiring contract prior to MD. That’s right. Count em up……..
The fact is that the Clippers are well positioned to compete with the top teams in the years to come. They have good cap space for next year in a very important year for free agency, the TWolves # 1 Pick within the next 2 1/2 years (which is looking better and better and came about by MD’s trade with MN) and they have a few, really good young players under contract for the next few years (Gordon, Kaman, Griffin, DJ). They also have a top tier point guard under a long term contract who is now starting to produce along the lines we had hoped when the Clippers first signed him – courtesy again of MD.
I know everyone looks at the Ws and Ls, and they should. But you also can’t win a championship with average talent. The general talent level of the Clips has been rising under MD, as has the approach to get that talent. They are now serious players in the free agency market and never have been before. Making good trades, getting good lotto picks, and signing a top-level free agent will pay off one of these days.
Posted on December 30th, 2009 at 4:16 pm
Well positioned to compete? LOL are we competing? NO. Talk all you want about the moves that Dunleavy has made but if we are still losing then it really don’t matter. Heck Mike could get Lebron but if we still lose does it matter? NO this league is about W’s and L’s
Takes more then talent to win. Takes a GM who gets the RIGHT peices and a coach who can integrate them the RIGHT way. So far Dunleavy has failed in both aspects.
Posted on December 30th, 2009 at 9:44 pm
btw I wasn’t even a fan until 07 and I am still here aren’t I? Like i said 1/7 =we suck
Posted on December 30th, 2009 at 9:45 pm
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