Brian Sevald/National Basketball Association via Getty Images, NBAE
Pistons V Celtics
NBAE
Detroit Can’t Go Where They Want With An Offense Like This
10:28 in the third quarter, Cade and Jalen Duren run a dribble handoff into a pick and roll, that then is immediately snuffed out when four Boston defenders are all circled around Cade. Tatum and Paul George got completely off their assignments of John Collins and Ausar Thompson to circle Cade, and why wouldn’t they. Detroit has no other threats.
Everyone down to Duren, Ausar, and even Javonte Green lack the needed creation from outside of the painted area to be seen as a threat. Now with Tobias Harris gone as well, plays like that feel like a showing of what Cade will have to be burdened with all season. No one else in that starting lineup can be trusted enough 20 feet away from the rim to be seen as a worry by the defense. The only way it seems that Detroit can find any sort of offense removed from Cade is the same action of Duren screening for whatever ball handler and hoping that someone gets up on them to lead to an open man.
This version of Detroit’s offense feels like a one step forward, two steps back idea. Though they improved their shooting, those shooters can’t create the threes for themselves. They got rid of Tobias Harris for John Collins, now they have no other person outside of the paint to be afraid of. Everything that Detroit made as an improvement simultaneously made something else deteriorate.
Even with a win at home, that was more so due to Boston’s inability to generate any kind of offensive rhythm in the second half. A win is a win, but this feels like another year of Cade vs everyone.
Should We Worry About Tatum?
Though Tatum made some shots that more than likely would go in more often than not, he just looks off. On the ball, compared to Paul George who felt completely comfortable, Tatum felt sluggish and not in control for a lot of this game.Outside of the and-1 earlier in the game, Tatum seemingly lacked the burst needed to be a true threat at the rim. For a player of Tatum’s caliber, even with the burst being an issue, a bigger one was his near inability to go to the rim or even try to draw more contact (Only one free throw attempt early in the first) is unusual for a player like Tatum.
Coming off the Achilles and a quicker ramp up for Tatum means that he will need time to get into something closer to pre-Achilles, but the things that made Tatum such a threat feel no longer as prevalent. His jumpshooting feels completely lost, his playmaking doesn’t feel as sharp, and the only thing that feels somewhat the same is his defensive impact.
Even though Tatum’s game is more skill instead of pure athleticism, Boston has to worry if the Tatum before the Achilles is more of a distant memory.
Knicks V Sixers
I guess the basketball gods took out their anger against Jalen Brunson and New York for a disappointing SNL episode on the most important night in New York since June. Ring Night. Following months of celebrations and constant cheers about Jalen Brunson being New York’s doctor, mechanic, and engineer was followed up with a disappointing showing in Madison Square. As a whole, despite a decent first half, New York never seemed to be in control the same way they felt for so long during their playoff run. Now the focus moves from New York, New York to Philadelphia’s statement as a real threat to the title race.
Philadelphia Showed Why They Should Be Feared
Somehow the biggest weakness of Philadelphia tonight was their offense far more than their defense.What makes it even worrying for opposing teams is they still won handily despite a poor shooting night. For nearly the entire second half, Philadelphia was in complete control. Their defense especially was on perfect display. The combination of Jaylen Brown and VJ Edgecombe as point-of-attack defenders combined with a revitalized Embiid on defense ruined any chance of another comeback from New York.
Offensively, a lot of this game was defined by getting comfortable. LeBron quickly took his role as the veteran quarterback running the show and after taking a while to gel, Jaylen Brown completely took over the third quarter. Combine that with Maxey continuing to be the closest basketball comparison to Road-Runner, Philadelphia feels closer to understanding their roles quicker than anyone would’ve thought. Now if they start making threes, Edgecombe and Embiid find their groove offensively, and the almighty health gods bless Philadelphia, not a lot of teams look prepared to stop this team.
New York’s Bench Is The Real Momentum Swing
Though Jalen Brunson and OG Anunoby’s late game heroics took the headlines, almost all of New York’s signature moments from last year started with the bench. Jordan Clarkson’s Christmas day performance that helped complete a comeback on Christmas Day, Landry Shamet’s game one performance against Cleveland, and Alvarado’s contribution to New York’s 29-point comeback, New York’s best starts with the reserves.
The best parts of this game for New York was built around the people backing up Brunson and KAT. Early in the game, Drummond’s performance in the first half felt invaluable to New York having a chance to win this game. Now in the long run, having players like Drummond, Alvarado, and Shamet being the difference between a good team to a contender is a worry, but for New York it’s incredibly important for them to keep their level of impact throughout the entire game. Because as the bench’s impact lessened, so did New York’s control on this game. Though the shooting as a whole from both sides was nothing to write home about, New York needs their bench to be the real difference-makers.
This game showed that while Brunson and KAT are the showstoppers for New York, this team's chances to win a title start and end with how their bench performs.
Is Embiid’s Offensive Performance A Quick Fix or A Greater Problem?
Joel Embiid was sloppy. Following a preseason filled with questionable turnovers continued into his debut next to LeBron and the new-look Sixers. Besides the more than questionable three-point shooting, especially the late time three with under 20 seconds left, Embiid feels lost.
In the process (no pun intended) of Tyrese Maxey, Jaylen Brown, and LeBron understanding how they fit in this offense, Embiid seems to be lost in the cog when it comes to his role. Against New York, LeBron role as the quarterback,plus Maxey and Brown quickly took the roles as go-to scorers for Philly, despite his success defensively, Embiid felt stuck between two roles. During last season, despite Maxey’s emergence, Philadelphia still ran through Embiid whenever he played, but now, this team that started around Embiid thinks of him like an afterthought.
If Philly and Embiid want to find a proper way for Embiid to impact this team in a real way, it feels as if a mixture of his threat to get to the line combined with taking over the floor should make him someone opposing teams will still keep an eye on, but now Philly needs that in spurts. In the meantime, Embiid needs to rely more on his ability as rebounder and as a high-level defender like he was against KAT and Drummond to really make an impact to this new-look Sixers.
Spurs V Thunder
NBAE
Despite San Antonio’s loss to New York in June, they are very much on a high. Beating OKC the way they did last season felt like a statement of what became routine. But Oklahoma City gave them a Jared McCain sized punch in the mouth.
For San Antonio despite their past few games being a collective reality check to Wemby and co., this loss feels like an even bigger showing of the issue holding this team back: youth.
Wemby Caring Too Much Has Hurt More Than Helped
In San Antonio’s season-defining victory against OKC to reach the finals last season, Wemby like most of that season was very emotional in his feelings towards the win. Though the emotion in a moment like that is perfectly fine, the way it manifests on the court seems to be hurting Wembanyama and San Antonio as a whole.
Since his debut in the NBA, constant praise has been showered at Victor Wembanyama for his constant high energy. The problem is that this high energy is hurting his ability to make an even bigger impact.In this game and at times against New York, Wemby is in panic mode, trying to do too much. While on defense, this helps with his alien-like play. When you add that aspect with him bringing the ball up and being the best offensive option for San Antonio, it causes the same exhaustion that made San Antonio lose to New York.
Along with that, when he is emotional and everything is going well San Antonio can latch onto that as the momentum grows. But with the way Chet was on defense and Wemby’s overall shooting woes, the emotion that makes him so loveable can hurt the team more than help. When Wemby is struggling shooting, as an already hyper-emotional player, it can come together to not only throw him off, but San Antonio as a whole.
Coach Mitch Johnson and Wembanyama have to find some way to balance the chaotic nature that comes with Wemby’s game with a level of patience that helps this team maintain control on offense.
Oklahoma’s Offense Might Be Reaching New Heights
Now, I doubt that Jared McCain will not shoot like that every game, but Oklahoma City’s offense against San Antonio looked the best since their championship run. The group of Ajay Mitchell, who didn’t even have a great game shooting-wise, J-Dub looking his best and healthiest since the Finals, and Jared McCain came together to give Shai his best supporting cast in this contending era of OKC.
If Oklahoma City can keep the defensive dominance that they’ve shown in the past three seasons and in this game especially against a rival San Antonio team (I would bet my money proudly they maintain that defense), OKC looks like an even better squad than the team that has made at least the final-four the last two seasons.