For Nets head coach Jacque Vaughn, a soccer analogy finest explains his staff’s defensive technique, a technique that has paved the way in which for the Nets to win three straight video games and 4 of their final 5 with Sunday’s win over the Utah Jazz.
In soccer, there’s the run and the go, and a very good protection can take away one and make the opposite as troublesome as attainable.
The Nets are selecting from a comparable set of poisons: They are taking away a staff’s No. 1 scoring choice and forcing opponents to win with the remainder of their roster.
The technique was on full show because the Nets stumped All-Star ahead Lauri Markkenen, who mustered simply 23 factors on 8-of-21 capturing from the sector in his first sport again after lacking two with a hand damage, three factors shy of his season common.
“You know going into the game that number one dude, he knows how to score. He’s done it before probably and he can probably continue to do it again,” head coach Jacque Vaughn mentioned postgame. “Those dudes who bring it every night, they can bring it every night; so we want to get that ball out of their hands.”
Long earlier than Utah rallied again from down 23 to lose on the buzzer, the Nets smothered Markkanen, sending double groups on publish touches and placing a physique and a protracted arm in entrance of each shot. Markkanen began the sport capturing 4-of-11 from the sector. He made solely certainly one of his eight makes an attempt from downtown and turned the ball over twice.
It’s the fourth time in as many victories the Nets have neutralized an opponent’s main scoring choice.
They held Trae Young to 3-of-12 capturing within the victory over the Hawks, restricted budding star Jalen Green to a 9-of-21 capturing evening within the win towards the Rockets, and saved perennial All-Star Jimmy Butler off the foul line and below 20 factors in a victory over the Heat that moved the Nets forward of Miami within the Eastern Conference standings.
And it’s the fourth time in the identical stretch the Nets have allowed the opponent’s second choice to erupt for a giant scoring evening, as effectively.
While Markkanen struggled from the sector on Sunday, for instance, Talen Horton-Tucker erupted for game-high 32 factors on 25 shot makes an attempt. When Young couldn’t purchase the Hawks a basket, Atlanta’s No. 2 choice, Dejounte Murray, scored a team-high 21 factors on Friday. Green solely mustered 14 factors for the Rockets towards the Nets, however No. 2 choice Kevin Porter Jr. poured in 31.
And despite the fact that the Nets beat the Heat by 29 and held Butler to a low-scoring evening, they nonetheless gave up 23 factors apiece to each Tyler Herro and Max Strus.
“Sometimes we go into a night and Trae Young is not going to get off, or Lauri Markkanen is not going to get off, and we’re hoping that we can use the other guys on the floor,” Vaughn mentioned after the victory over the Jazz on Sunday. “If a secondary man has a very good sport, then we’ve to reside with a few of the penalties. I simply assume over the course of the sport, there’s some dudes who’re constructed to make pictures. Some aren’t.
“We’re hoping that it tries to make those other guys make plays that they aren’t used to making, and then you ask can they make those plays over and over again?” he continued. “Maybe one off they can, but are they built to do that thing over and over again from the first quarter to the fourth quarter?”
The Nets are prepared to reside and die by an opponent’s second choice. It’s not all the time attainable given the dominant nature of some stars’ affect.
For instance, Nikola Jokic hung a triple double on the Nets, Domantas Sabonis put up 24 factors and 21 rebounds, Donovan Mitchell had back-to-back 31-point video games, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander put up 35 factors of his personal.
Those 4 stars accounted for 5 of the Nets’ final six losses. Some stars are going to get theirs it doesn’t matter what.
“I think ideally we want to try to get the ball out of the hands of guys who are designed to make plays. Usually you want to do a good job on first and second option,” Spencer Dinwiddie mentioned postgame. “[Horton-Tucker’s big scoring night is] actually us not doing the second half to be trustworthy.
“I was going to mispronounce foreign names and I don’t want to do it: (Kelly) Olynyk, (Juan) Toscanno-Anderson, Kris Dunn, (Simone) Fontecchio. You want them beating you.”
In the loss to the Nuggets, nonetheless, Michael Porter Jr. posted a game-high 28 factors and Jamal Murray added 25 of his personal. Gilgeous-Alexander’s 35 factors harm extra when Josh Giddey places up a triple double and Lugentz Dort hits six threes.
Dinwiddie mentioned the Nets have been fortunate to beat the Jazz on Sunday. Just two video games prior, Vaughn mentioned Brooklyn was “pretty lucky” to beat a Rockets staff with the NBA’s second-worst report.
Vaughn’s defensive technique is working, however there may be nonetheless room for enchancment. Horton-Tucker almost willed the Jazz again from down huge by himself on Sunday. The Jazz have been additionally lacking their true second choice — vaunted scorer Jordan Clarkson (dislocated finger) — which implies it was their true third choice, Horton-Tucker, who erupted for 32 factors on Friday.
“We’ve just gotta better defensively on both one and two options because a lot of teams, both their one and two are really good, even that three as well,” Mikal Bridges mentioned postgame. “So we’ve just gotta be better. I think defensively we did a good job on Lauri, but Talen had it going early. We’ve just gotta be mindful that’s it’s not just one person but also everyone else.”
For now, the technique is working to Brooklyn’s benefit.
With Sunday’s victory, the Nets have moved a full two video games forward of the Heat and maintain a agency grip on the Eastern Conference’s sixth seed. Both the Nets and Heat have 4 video games left on the schedule, and each have a date with Joel Embiid and the Philadelphia 76ers. Assuming each lose to the championship-contending Sixers, one win for the Nets and one loss for the Heat ought to lock-in a playoff berth for Brooklyn.
Starting middle Nic Claxton mentioned the staff is eyeing the standings.
“We know where we are,” he mentioned. “We know every game is extremely important so just taking it game by game.”
The early returns for the Nets’ defensive technique has been optimistic. If it holds up the remainder of the season, Brooklyn will make the playoffs — the place that scheme might have some re-jiggering to deal with Embiid and the 76ers, who’re all however locked into the third seed.
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Source: www.bostonherald.com