The Nets have taken away the run and the cross, however have misplaced Games 1 and a couple of of their first-round playoff matchup in opposition to the Philadelphia 76ers on particular groups.
And they’re OK with that.
Nets head coach Jacque Vaughn likes to make use of a soccer analogy to explain his defensive sport plan in opposition to a stacked Sixers group headlined by presumptive league Most Valuable Player Joel Embiid and former MVP James Harden.
Embiid and Harden — particularly the injury the duo does on the foul line — are the run and the cross. Philadelphia’s complementary gamers are the particular groups.
And the returns have been constructive: Embiid hasn’t come near his season common in opposition to the Nets this sequence regardless of dominating them in regular-season play over time. And after Harden pelted the Nets for seven threes in Brooklyn’s 20-point loss in Game 1 in Philly, the Nets held him to simply 3-of-13 taking pictures from the sector and two-of-eight taking pictures from behind the arc for eight factors.
Both of these video games, nonetheless, resulted in losses: Tobias Harris scored no less than 20 factors in each Games 1 and a couple of, and when the Nets determined to remove the cross — restrict Harden after his explosive outing in Game 1 — Tyrese Maxey exploded for 33 factors and 6 threes.
Death by particular groups.
The solely method to remove Embiid is to ship a couple of participant at him. He’s simply that good and that dominant of a participant in opposition to a Nets group with out a sizable huge man as well.
Yet doing that opens Brooklyn as much as tertiary offensive gamers getting open seems, and the scrambling protection that it takes to shut out on these gamers leaves the Nets — an already poor rebounding group — vulnerable to getting beat on the boards.
As a outcome, Vaughn’s sport plan has sparked a nationally-televised dialog: If the Nets are dropping to Philadelphia’s third and fourth choices, is it value making an attempt to change issues up?
Is it value taking away the particular groups and letting the Sixers run the ball as an alternative?
Is it value enjoying Embiid straight up and making him rating 50 factors if they will maintain Philly’s different gamers in examine?
“That was a big part of our film session yesterday, which was backed up by analytics and stats of what we’ve been able to accomplish as a group, what we decided on that we were going to try to take away, and what has it produced,” Vaughn mentioned forward of tipoff in Game 3 in opposition to the Sixers at Barclays Center on Thursday. “And then, we really called it a reality check of our expectations.”
The Nets have achieved precedence No. 1, a lot that Sixers head coach Doc Rivers appeared pissed off with the dearth of journeys to the road for each Embiid and Harden up to now within the first spherical. Embiid averaged 10 of his 33.7 factors per sport on the foul line throughout the common season, and Harden — who averaged 6.7 journeys to the foul line per sport throughout the season — didn’t try a free throw in any respect by way of Games 1 and a couple of.
“They’re doing a pretty good job of trying to show their hands. I don’t want to sound like I’m campaigning, but I am,” Rivers mentioned forward of tipoff on Thursday. “James and Joel do lead the league in terms of missed calls in terms of fouls. They get fouled the most.”
After two video games, the defensive philosophy hasn’t gained a sport — but it surely has come shut. The Nets misplaced, 96-84, in Game 2 however chalked that loss as much as a poor evening taking pictures from behind the arc. They imagine the basketball gods shall be extra type in entrance of their very own residence followers at Barclays Center after two powerful street losses in Philadelphia.
“So we come into the series: Did we want to limit Harden and Embiid’s free throws? Well we’ve done that,” Vaughn mentioned on Thursday. “Both of them are taking pictures underneath their season common, so we’ve executed that with self-discipline and sport plan. Joel’s capability to attain. We know he can do this. The first sport, they made pictures.
“The second game, we kept them under 100 points, so really pointing out to the group and giving them a reality check of what we’ve been able to accomplish. There’s some things we can control, can’t control, and we’re gonna try to influence some things also.”
The factor in regards to the Sixers, nonetheless, is that they’re not a one trick pony. There are 4 gamers in that beginning 5 who can erupt for an enormous scoring evening. Rivers defined simply how tough it may be to maintain a group with a number of ball-handling choices in examine — which is the duty the Nets face in the event that they’re going to face an opportunity on this sequence already down 0-2.
“The more guys each team has, the more difficult it is to take away a key guy,” he mentioned. “When you focus on that guy, and they move the ball, and they have guys that can put it on the floor and make plays, it makes it difficult for your defense.”
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Source: www.bostonherald.com