Cs now 5th in opponents points per 100 possessions. People have noted the Cs defensive improvement - in particular, they using double-teams pretty effectively from my viewpoint. DOBOBS must be wondering what he could have done defensively if he didn't have to regularly play folks like KW, Waters, Edwards, less mobile GW (etc.).
The last play in particular is really, as Forsberg put it, a "master class." Note that while Curry's motion is probably not the main option, Smart stays with him. Of bigger importance, JT and JB execute the Green/Harris switch flawlessly, and then Al recognizes that Embiid has put a really good pick on JB so he picks up Harris. JB does a very good job of bodying up Embiid while - and this is super important - keeps ball pressure on Harris so he can't even begin to look for the mismatch. Note that JT is in the perfect spot to pinch Harris and still be able to get back to Green AND that TL is also keeping an eye on the Embiid/JB battle.
When Harris drives, he can't turn the corner and is doubled by JT. Maybe the better pass is to Green but that's a hard play to make and if he makes it, you tip your cap. But Niang also looks open and against most mere mortals he probably would have had an open look but when Harris starts to pass, TL reacts, takes one step, and gets to Niang without fouling him with 00.1 on the clock - think about that, TL takes one step out of the key and he can block Niang's corner 3P.
Very well done. Didn't see a lot of this last year.
View: https://twitter.com/NBCSCeltics/status/1466240805258018817?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw