How Could The Celtics Be SO BAD At This?

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Coach Nick identified the key area that enabled the Heat to outlast the Celtics in Game 7 - as their zone defense continued to stymie Boston's attack - and they never figured out how to run offense against it.
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[@dboii9741]

It was actually baffling to me how Boston didn’t even try to run a simple old school floppy with either brown or Tatum running off a screen😂

[@kennedyc133]

whats a floppy?

[@cybertrex5649]

Smart blowing one of the heat players to get a foul 💀💀💀

[@jihadijohn9408]

@@kennedyc133 One passer up top + a shooter under the basket + stagger screen (2 guys) on the left block + single screen on the right block = Floppy The shooter under the basket have the option to come off the stagger screen on one side or the single screen on the other

[@donlon2579]

Because they dont look at other players shooting except tatum and brown, deception wont work if they literary doesnt care to the other 3😂😂😅

[@LEXRAPS]

Celtics spread the floor too much. That’s why that zone works against them so much. They need to run plays that loads either sides to open the opposite.

[@grandmaster137]

Coach Spo is a genius, directing his players and strategizing while Joe is a bystander watching passively clueless. The Heat are well prepared and studied everything about the Celtics gameplay.

[@TheOnlyDTM]

what gameplan 🤣 shoot threes and turn the ball over? play no defense and complain to the refs after every call or noncall?

[@Meyna86]

Yeah, that's the thing. Spoelstra is actively engaged. I remember in the regular season he stepped onto the court and pushed Herro into position on an offensive possession. He is fully aware of the situation at all times.

[@sharkansas_]

@@TheOnlyDTM you don’t know ball

[@imurpapa8120]

how is he a genius for giving up wide open threes that should go in 42 percent of the time? Celtics just choked

[@dpakj989]

@@imurpapa8120 Who was taking those threes?

[@igotclampsonhof6288]

Heat better not let the Celtics win game 8

[@MDHDH-iy7nm]

dont worry, jimmys got them in Games 4 5 and 6, it wont even get to 7

[@ratcomedy]

@@MDHDH-iy7nm Jayson Tatum will never win a ring

[@andrewcard4671]

@@ratcomedyhow’s it feel that ur hating on a team with 17 banners 😂 u mad so u keep hating

[@unholydonuts]

Lakers vs Celtics finals in Cancun.

[@Holocoasterr]

​@@andrewcard4671 your team won one (1) since colorized television invented

[@nindschagaming]

Never seen a team play against a zone without interior game

[@GrantSweatshirt]

They got Al horford 💀

[@gauravagochiya4218]

@@GrantSweatshirtThat’s ELITE SHARPSHOOTER Al Horford to you

[@gavrielmusheyev141]

⁠​⁠​⁠​⁠@@gauravagochiya4218 that’s ELITE SHARPSHOOTER TIMEOUT GUY Al Horford to you

[@immortalkidz]

@@gauravagochiya4218 Bro that's hilarious

[@TechRambles]

The Celtics have had issues against zone even going back to when Brad Stevens was coaching. It's been infuriating as a fan.

[@zoulzopan]

That 7 game series of Boston vs Raptors in 2020 was a much better display of adjustments. I believe thinking basketball has a video on it

[@ch.illmatic]

Biggest issue with Brad imo was the loss of his voice in the locker room, so many chemistry issues with those brad Stevens teams. He himself was an excellent tactician though

[@chillax9184]

@@ch.illmatic yas. Hoping Joe could learn from Brad’s tactics. That’s what Joe is lacking a lot right now. The ability to make timely adjustments and making plays out of a timeout. I noticed that all the plays Celtics run out of timeout were horrible

[@MrE_]

Bring back ime udoka

[@duanedoldrum7570]

It’s not just the Celtics though, more like the entire league. JJ Reddick got this one spot on. Teams just aren’t designed to play for the zone simply because no one really plays it because of it’s many glaring weaknesses. It’s simply just a seasoning you add, not a mainstay formula. Because of that fact, Heat are just taking advantage of it being able to master the zone because they realized no one’s prepared for the zone.

[@Kickingit06]

Horford was given open 14 footers all day against the zone. But the elite shooter couldn't take advantage.

[@mjkittredge]

he's too passive. He's still got it but he has to want it. Being a facilitator for his teammates all game when they are struggling. Sometimes you have to be a little selfish and get your own

[@RiM2540]

The problem is his coach only wants 3s and layups. And only the 2 “superstars” can take ridiculously tough 2’s. Even though Horford has easy 2’s all day. I think Horford could literally average 20 if he would a few steps in and take 2’s, and post up

[@Kickingit06]

@@mjkittredge He just hasn't built that part of his game. Watch, he needs a set shot.

[@mjkittredge]

@@Kickingit06 I think AL is perfectly capable of hitting mid range set shots. Any shooter who can make 3s at a high percentage can make 2s. It's just that he defers too much.

[@silenthero2795]

There's a channel called "Film Sessions" that lambasted poor defense in this series When the Heat going to the zone, Smart could just do a back cut for an open layup/kick out but instead he simply waited outside the 3 point line to jack up a poor shot. Don't let me get started on why Celtics players don't sprint to get better positions but rather just jog as if there's no sense of urgency even when down by double digits.

[@thunderb00m]

Overall the amount the blunders smart has made are not worth whatever value he bring. Should have traded him years ago.

[@theking-ss]

Give spo and the heat all the credit they earned and deserve

[@bballbreakdown]

Absolutely

[@alexayala3264]

@@AS-lj7jethis is a whim but perhaps the position less basketball mindset of Tatum not replacing Horford for those awful screens is proof that the hey are stuck in their heads

[@ndnd7614]

heat gonna smoke nuggets out with the nuggets lack of defence.

[@thebiggestgamer]

@@ndnd7614 Huh? How can you say this?

[@bonkersdonkers7381]

@@ndnd7614 that zone will not work on the nuggets. Jokic is not al horford and he will feast on the short roll, Jamal pick and roll.

[@Reningale]

felt like this series was a perfect demonstration of how important a good coach is to a championship contender. So many casual takes over the past few years about how guys like Kerr and Popovic are only considered good bc they had a good team. Yet here, Boston was clearly a better team on paper, but Spo completely outcoached Mazzulla and thus miami took the win.

[@loicthiant7448]

Kerr has basically all his homework done for him . The foundation/identity of the team was made by Mark jackson the bench of GSW was elite and their defense was top tier . Kerr arrived in the place and put all his experience and knowledge of being with the 2 best coaches in NBA history Popovich and Phil Jackson at the service of the team . But where Kerr was smart is that he knew how to surround himself with a well rounded team of assistants . But in this year run the loss of Mike Brown for the defensive coaching clearly screw them in the long run . And Kerr like popovich can be stuborn asf like why did he put Kuminga in the dog house against the Lakers ??? Why WHY ????????????????????

[@goldmo2427]

Kerr was getting exposed several times and warriors fans don’t like him .. also pop had a all star and hasn’t done anything for years while Ty lue had his team without all stars in playoffs 🤷‍♂️so idk like yea coaches are nice but I think some are overrated

[@bonystickmanking1250]

​@@goldmo2427 pop ain't overrated

[@lilruse]

Brown and Tatum rarely ran action off each other all season, which is the ultimate indictment of “Court side seats” Mazulla

[@jamesevangelista6460]

Al Horford not taking advantage of the mismatches is head scratching to be honest. When the heat went small I expected to attack the paint smh but instead they kept jacking up 3s

[@joecesh]

I think because of Ball security. He knows he's old, and too much post up can attract him double team then a turnover

[@jamesevangelista6460]

@@joecesh nah I think it's just becuase of his play style. He had gabe vincent guard him multiple times in the first qtr when they switch he's not even looking to seal his man.

[@kuruptzZz]

Boston just seemed determined to die by the three

[@zepoxohr]

Because he flinches when he sees Jimmy Butler

[@jamesevangelista6460]

@@kuruptzZz sad to say it's the modern NBA it's like a 3 vs 2 fastbreak and then the offense takes a 3 pointer instead a 2

[@mrpogz]

Conclusion: beating the Zone is more of a coach job. They should find someone better than Mazzulla.

[@Treadston3]

One of the best ways to beat zone defense is with dribble penetration in order to collapse the defense and kick out for open 3s, which happens to be what Celtics really love doing. The problem is the Celtics run their offense through 2 stars who inexplicably forget how to dribble when they get shaded to the left (GSW exploited this last year in the Finals & Heat proved it again) leading to a stupid amount of turnovers. They need a real and reliable PG, which I thought was what Malcolm Brogdon was brought in to do, but this goes back to what you said, a coaching issue and also probably a bit of a personnel issue as well.

[@crazyheropenguin]

Let him be the coach and gain experience, he clearly brought them this far

[@tirosc]

@@crazyheropenguin they reached this stage under 3 coaches. It’s not the coaches that brought them there. It’s the players getting there regardless of the coach. They only reached the finals last year thanks to Tatum and Brown having consistent performance, something that this year’s celtics couldn’t do.

[@crazyheropenguin]

@@tirosc then keep changing coaches and getting beat in the ECF

[@freebeats6875]

its more about execution , everyone knows how to beat a zone in the nba , Cutz post pass , kick out swing drive shoot. celtics dont execute

[@LouieOcean2]

Ever since the mavs destroyed the heat with a a zone defense in the finals Spoelstra been slowly mastering it

[@21Kolb]

why do you have my pfp?????????

[@LouieOcean2]

@@21Kolb this pic goes so hard feel free to screenshot that’s why

[@21Kolb]

@@LouieOcean2 lol i found it on google and was like yeahhhh this shit hard

[@zay222True]

That Celtics literally had no growth from last season

[@alexthai5223]

In fact, I think they actually regressed and took a few steps back

[@chomosuke0720]

​@@alexthai5223 If only they could shoot some step backs instead

[@bonkersdonkers7381]

They have no identity. They’re pretending to be the warriors with the 3 point shooting, but can’t replicate it.

[@CleanMusicLover229]

@@chomosuke0720 No, they need a system.

[@CleanMusicLover229]

@@bonkersdonkers7381 The difference is the Warriors actually run sets... Celtics don't

[@theking-ss]

South Florida we are dominating NHL and the NBA let's get it done

[@kjhakfha]

What’s even more inexplicable is that it was the same way back in 2020! You’d have thought they would have made learning how to attack the zone a priority after that but 3 years later they’ve learnt nothing!

[@siralexanderkotf]

Great explanation coach. It’s really insightful seeing a film breakdown explaining why we see what we see in this stagnant offense.

[@rotten_banana_]

That Tatum screen & release, leading to a wide open mid range jumper, is a beauty. Why couldn't they have done that more? When they play zone, don't just shoot corner threes, attack the space between the two defensive lines!

[@softwhiteund3rarm0r]

Keep it up nick. You're my favorite channel for nuanced takes and coaching analysis. Wish you had some longer content to binge but I'm not complaining. Thanks for what you do.

[@RuinAngel]

Celtics not hitting the open threes Heat zone gave up allowed the Heat to comfortably clog up the lane, help on drives, and watch the Celtics bricks one shot after another.

[@FlatTopJR]

your best vid this season. i been watching the heat’s fluid every zone to man defense since the bubble & it is damn impressive. the coaching & communication that goes into such defense is admired.

[@Michael-vw4cg]

I feel robbed that we didn’t get a competitive game 7

[@MiddleClassNaPobre]

why? Tatum injured? 😂 its not even competetive since boston overall shot poorly on 3s…

[@Michael-vw4cg]

@@MiddleClassNaPobre lmfao I don’t even know what you’re trying to say here lil bro 😂

[@the.seagull.35]

I felt the same. But on the other hand... Herro was out for the whole series. Celtics barely ever threatened after the 1Q. Nobody else stepped up once Tatum was gone. It was like they knew it was already over so they gave up trying.

[@rhubarb1073]

same. Games 1-3 and especially 3 felt like the Cs weren't even trying. Then miraculously they show up for 4-6, hype as hell, just for game 7 to feel like watching game 3 again. Boring.

[@MiddleClassNaPobre]

@@Michael-vw4cg my bad, I dont understand what im saying as well. 😅 maybe I was drunk af.

[@wanderingsoul2909]

Good Video Coach ! Shows how Mazulla failed to attack the zone ( rookie mistake ? ). Since Horford setting the screen and rolling into the lane for entry passes didn't work ( he can't shoot over Bam ), then why didn't they let Brown or Tatum be the roll guy to put a dynamic scorer into the paint ? Obviously Spoelstra knew how to outsmart Mazulla.

[@bballbreakdown]

It was truly amazing that they didn’t get Tatum in that spot multiple times a game

[@CleanMusicLover229]

They did in games 4 and 5.

[@456MrPeople]

Makes it even more puzzling why not in game 7.

[@papifuego5273]

The Celtics are an example of talent not working hard. And im a C's fan.

[@mjkittredge]

Exactly. More than an Xs and Os problem, it's a heart and hustle problem, a lack of passion, desire, fire. They have two dynamic players who can create their own offense, a top 20 player in Brown and a top 5 player in Tatum. If they play their best and really go for it, nobody on the Heat can truly guard them. But they refused to learn from their mistakes. Brown being a turnover machine and Tatum being passive. Running their offense from the perimeter instead of post catches or drives. Mindlessly passing the ball around the perimeter with no plan, no cutting, no screening, forcing a bad contested shot at the end of the shot clock. Over and over again. Leaving opposing players who are hot wide open. Again and again. It's mind boggling how they played so great all year then turned into emo choke artists this series. They worked so hard to get there just to throw it all away. The ultimate blame comes down to Tatum and Brown. You are the stars, the superior talent. You have to bring it every night. Like Wilt, like Kareem, like Bird, like Jordan, like Kobe, like James, like Steph. THEY step up in the most important moments, they bring their A game. They want it bad, they are the best in the world and they know it. They have that championship swagger, that massive confidence, that ultimate belief in themselves. These Celtics wilt under pressure. Because their mental game is weak. They have all the physical attributes and basketball skills they need. But it's useless if it's not paired with heart and hustle.

[@FoulLine]

I Hope Joe Mazzulla watches this video

[@natekong3596]

People were quick to blame Brown for the Celtic's collapse but as this video demonstrates it's Horford who couldn't handle responsibility as the facilitator. The Heats can't run this zone against the Nuggets tho, because it's going to be Jokic who's in the middle instead of Horford and he will destroy Bam every single time.

[@RiM2540]

It’s the lack of attacking the basket and drinking the koolaid like the rest of the league and shooting way too many 3’s

[@oskarbitterlin5152]

Crazy how Robinson looked Like a good Defender at times im the series especially in the Zone even blocked Tatum in isolation once in Game 7

[@ActionXander]

He blocked Brown on a step back three I couldn't believe it

[@joecesh]

that's why I'm holding Mazzulla accountable. whole series, they almost had no adjustments and relied on the star power. now Tatum and Brogdon got hurt, it was a blowout

[@mjkittredge]

it's on Tatum and Brown even more. They are superstar players in this league. If they play their best basketball there is nobody on the Heat who can guard them. They were passive, turned the ball over way too much, didn't play with heart or passion.

[@joecesh]

@@mjkittredge never said they were not responsible, both disappeared on Game 7. But for a coach to never have a solution for zone defense for the whole series, seeing the stars struggle yet hesitate to draw up a play to help the team score, that says a lot. Also with the usage of Bigs, Boston had Kornet and Muscala. They’re now better than Bam but surely better than Zellerbans would’ve helped with minutes especially to rest Old Al. He had resources, yet failed to incorporate them.

[@mjkittredge]

@@joecesh That's also true. I agree with everything you say. Thing is, you can't coach effort. If the two stars don't get pumped for this opportunity and bring their A game all the Xs and Os and substitutions won't matter. It starts and ends with a teams star players. When they play their best it creates numerous opportunities for their teammates and inspires them to play better.

[@jfmgunner]

You might think an organization like the Celtics would never allow a group of coaches to be in charge who could not solve a simple zone but that seems to be what happened. There was no veteran hired to help them against basically the best coach in the league and it was a young and inexperienced staff. This simple oversight cost them a trip to the finals. If a Vogel or someone similar is not brought in these problems will continue. This team is led by two young stars and they are incredible but need guidance to get to a ring. No matter how talented, guys don't win rings without a solid, astute leader as the coach. It's not Tatum's job to set up the entire offense, he has enough on his plate as the superstar on the team.

[@NN-ge2wf]

Idk man, coaching for the Cs wasn't stellar or nothing, but it is tough to say the stars have no responsibility in this when the two can't seem to dribble a ball to save their lives. They are professionals about to get the max, and they still need a coach to tell them how to not bounce the ball off their damn feet? Nah, I can't pin that one on Mazulla.

[@dpakj989]

@@NN-ge2wf Those turnovers are actually on Mazulla. If you watch the Celtics play against the zone, they literally just all stand there, there isn't any direction there is no movement and there are no openings. That puts a ton pressure on the stars to generate something out of nothing which can induce these mistakes.

[@NN-ge2wf]

@dpakj989 My guy, the two stars were turnover machines last year too, under a completely different coach. You can't just blame everything on Mazulla, at some point it's on Tatum and Brown. It's OK to say that they are bad at some things.

[@zerocal76]

​@@NN-ge2wf 😅😅 he's blaming the coach for turnovers from the players IN THE GAME

[@darnarxz]

@@dpakj989 That's nuts. Brown can't dribble when he goes left. 2 years in a row his turnovers have costed the celtics.

[@chinmitten]

Last season, Ime used Tatum as the screener a ton. It was great to see.. the Celtics didn’t really struggle with zone (for once) with him. Celtics just don’t run any sort of real offense with mazzulla other than hoping they get hot

[@jkranites]

Because it's not a zone per say, but an amoeba zone defense. They mix in man with it

[@bballbreakdown]

I use the Ameoba.. love it since it’s so aggressive

[@jmdoza3938]

Why so? 🤔

[@eugeneflynn7435]

Excellent analysis! Your breakdowns are first rate.

[@taylorhines589]

Boston played no defense. I have never seen such a lopsided affair of open shots and layups for the heat vs every celtics attempt being contested well. And offensively they seemed to have no real game plan. I can't tell you how many times I saw them run a screen that ends up with a better defender on the ball handler after the switch. Mazzula needs to go. Too inexperienced

[@Michael-vw4cg]

When you let Duncan get layups you know you’re not playing good defense 😂

[@maxmeier532]

@@Michael-vw4cg Duncan is a quick 6'7 guy who can shoot 3s all day long, so the fact that sometimes he gets a drive is a statistical fact regardless of defense.

[@maxlin7208]

@@maxmeier532 he improved, just to add to what you already stated

[@kaleb324]

@@Michael-vw4cgthe tone of your comment comes from him being a 3 point specialist… that’s exactly why he’s getting the layups.

[@zoulzopan]

Before 2023 I don't I have ever seen Duncan Robinson do a cut to the basket let alone dribble for more than 2 steps. The defense didn't cover him and he also improved his game alot.

[@michaelcioce3227]

lol at the blatent carry at 3:53

[@TheBasketballInvestigator]

Been saying this last year: Celtics need an actual PG who can create easy shots for his teammates, a quick PG who has elite penetration abilities - you need different pieces against different opponents and the lack of a consistent penetrator hurts them because Jatum/Brown are methodical guys in the playoffs, not blow-by guys. Smart is obviously not that guy. Brogdon is also more like a 2-guard.

[@tbsbloodheist8986]

Facts. They should have realized that last year. Smart is overrated, has improved over the years but they need a real pg.

[@mjkittredge]

yeah they had that in Kyrie and Kemba Walker. But both of them were A) injured all the time and B) had massive attitude problems. If they had managed to stay healthy and check their egos we'd have a much more dynamic Celtics offense. But lightning quick super skillful point guards don't grow on trees. JB and Tatum can be blow-by guys but they need to come off screens or get the ball in the high post and spin to the basket. If they do that I don't see how anyone in the NBA can successfully guard them. They defeat themselves by being passive and overly focused on the perimeter, forcing too many 3s. Tatum was getting to the line so much when he drove.

[@user-gm5gc1be4w]

I’ve been saying this over reliance on threes and the team’s inability to take advantage of the paint and midrange was a big reason they lost the finals last year too. Tatum kept getting clamped by Wiggins because he kept looking to get a three instead of attacking close outs and gaps. Tatum would get by his man then take a stepback, sidestep or just extra dribbles in order to get behind the 3 point which resulted in the defender catching up and contesting the shot. The Celtics coaching need someone in there to preach to the team to look for the mid range and zone gaps cuz this 3 point stuff ain’t cutting it

[@noconsent]

Definitely a nice mix of Heat knowing exactly what to do, and how to do it; And the Celtics being completely lost on offensive coordination. Not a good mix when the games matter this much.

[@Jeff_2x]

Marcus Smart and Jaylen Brown said “Don’t let us win game 8” so we’ll see if Boston gets better

[@calebbraswell9109]

These are just basic basketball strategies that I’ve learned since middle school/JV. Was there no one in the organization who could speak up and figure something out?

[@Jwww.]

Love your videos coach. Hypothetical question here, do you reckon you could coach an NBA team if you were Givne the opportunity to?

[@anergomezmirasolain1800]

It wasn't only againts Miami. In the series againts Phila, the 76ers stop the Boston's offense and they get eliminated because of there few answers on offense

[@deandrepage1048]

3-Out 2-In Shallow Cut Offense. 👍 Dribble-At the wing player (Marcus Smart) to force the wing player to loop uptop, then swing to opposite wing (Jaylen Brown). Smart set the Pindown Screen for a Top of Key 3-pointer by Al Horford.

[@VentDeux]

3:50 Carried to Cancun

[@nightpandas7178]

The short answer to this is that the Celtics play analytics ball and don't value the midrange game. They chose to be stubborn even though the zone defeats that offense

[@noonevincecarterfan]

Great insight! How could no one of the (likely well paid) "experts" TNT or ESPN come to this conclusion about the zone?!

[@guillermobalassanian2364]

Zone defense is something Europeans and South American players have definitely faced during their formative years. I think Jokic will know exactly how to exploit the zone weaknesses (which it has plenty). The Heat will be far more selective about when to use the zone, and will eventually throw in some mixed defense (box-1; triangle-2)

[@ApEsXiT]

Amazing breakdown! Top Tier content!

[@stefanx5470]

I think more than anything, they lost to the Heat as a result of a colossal coaching failure. I can't imagine they would have the same outcome had they retained Udoka as the head coach. And this also means Brand Stevens must bear some blame as well.

[@agadc]

Mizula's postgame7 interview sounds familiar like the doctor when he loses. Cant take accountability, We missed threes bla bla, dude are you even watching clips properly or you just cant really create plays. And dude Horford aint even looking at the rim when he catches it in the paint against the zone, lame

[@CautiousKieran]

@@agadc Missing three's is defs a big factor. No team should miss those corner 3s. But like. When that isn working, try something else? Run some fucking plays? His lack of adjustment, game awareness, kinda fed into the poor mindset C's got into after missing what Heat were giving them. And that happened through the series, when momentum was bad, or Tatum was struggling. Do you run screens on top to try and get into some action? Nah jus put it all on Tatum and Brown's shoulders to iso. Fuck running plays.

[@puidemare2337]

It's all that you said and the lack of ball movement will always stifle smooth execution. I just don't understand why they moved away from what was being done in games 4-5. There was constant ball movement which resulted in better shot selections. So tired of watching iso-ball and 3s. There is no flow or poetry to the game anymore. Why teams/coaches don't emphasize ball movement is mind boggling. If they paid attention to the Spurs last championship play style, they'd be champs too.

[@stefanx5470]

@@CautiousKieran That's what I found to be just mind boggling... There really seemed to be a lack of team playing, the C's plays were so stagnant and one dimensional. I guess when it comes to zone defense, the C's coaching staff all forgot how to do their jobs. It's gotta be frustrating to be a Celtics fan like this.

[@maxmeier532]

between Tatum, Brown, White, Smart and when healthy Brogdon (6th man of the year), plus size and defense from Horford and Timelord, you would think that especially after running this team twice, they'd be able to adjust with or without a great coach. I guess they dont have a guy who got "it". Not an alpha dog, but a guy who leads and carries the team to get em going or keep them going. A Jimmy Butler type.

[@vh2712]

The difference will Jokic in the middle and he'll destroy that zone defense with MPJ hitting the 3pt or Gordon getting a lob from Jokic from the free throw line.

[@jixseyloportacion9177]

That Bam in and out of the paint is amazing. Not even looking.

[@reallydoe2052]

Never give heat real credit

[@matthewmclellan4727]

Would like to see a break down with the nuggets against this zone when it comes to it. I think they’ll do a much better job knocking down corner threes. Also vid mentioned that bam could handle horfords drive a few times not sure if he’ll be able to do the same against jokic

[@awesomeninja234]

Can you please give your prediction for the Heat Nuggets series?

[@sonofedis]

Joe mazulla looks like the type of person to thrash every single thing inside his house if he's having a bad day

[@pmtoner9852]

great analysis , the music is a little loud

[@aminmoozarmi8848]

They were doing the 2-2-1 Full-court zone defense after the Celtics time out and back to 1-1-3(AKA 2-3 with a pressure on the ball)

[@DeanGl]

Should have never fired Udoka. They had a championship caliber team with a coach mentored by Pop. They could've ran it back but no.

[@cappy2282]

Nuggets licking their chops

[@erix4erix]

Thanks

[@pipohemm8726]

Things I would have expected consistently: 1. Tatum at the high post 2. Rob Williams in the dunker spot or an athlete like Jaylen when he is off the floor 3. Surround them with 3 shooters 4. Cut, cut, cut

[@Turk6417]

This team is so frustrating to watch and I hope Brad makes a coaching change. zero excuse to watch that mess and do nothing. Congrats to the Heat tho.

[@user-dj4wf8so8t]

3:50 nice multiple carries by smart on consecutive dribbles

[@cena515]

I cannot see how zone will trouble nuggets with murray, KCP and MPJ spread out waiting for open 3s.

[@jasonmoukala8909]

Who says that’s why they’ll use

[@eyebelieve3]

To answer your question, they have a manager who thinks it’s a good idea to continue with tactics that don’t work and to change nothing.

[@Gamer-ri2gu]

What's up with the music coach?

[@Unstoppable_97]

If they move the ball it’s easy to beat the zone cause they gonna be scrambling everywhere and eventually it’s gonna open up shot and the would get tired

[@Sparky6string]

With Denver's team passing I can see interior opportunities once Bam commits to the slasher.

[@injusticeanywherethreatens4810]

The Celtics actually played Robert Williams nearly the same minutes in the 2022 and 2023 ECF despite him being the best offensive llayer against Adebayo during the series and the best defender aganst Jimmy's midrange game. Udoka's decisions to add extra passes, early passes and movement to get easier lobs for Williams which he could get over Adebayo due to Adebayo's lack of size is a key difference the Celtics made in 2022 that they just ... magicslly forgot in 2023 lol. Also movement tends to destroy zone defense since the zoners have no idea where you'll end up so either they follow you and give the enemy a free drive with a free throw or they dont follow you and now you're wide open for a corner three. Why they chose not to run that same movement based offense with a ton of passaing again in '23? I'll probably never know.

[@averma32]

As long as shots don't fall defence gets all the credit. But when they do fall no one can do anything.

[@wannabelikegzus]

"Attack the seams" is something I knew back in middle school.

[@BeDoHave2012]

Love your videos brother. But please turn down the volume of the background music. It's so distracting it takes away from your quality content. 😎

[@GuySmithSmoke]

The Heat avoided the biggest embarrassment. Pat Riley...heads would roll...

[@frederickdelius1106]

It was just crazy how theyd give up half way through those games. A team that was known for thier threes(and had success) than anyone else. And just quit once they were down 15.

[@copperbeckville1853]

Great. Unfortunately for the Heat, the Nuggets annihilated zone defenses this year racking up 1.17 pts per possession against zone which wasn't just the best in the NBA, but one of the best all-time. All these games can turn into blowouts even if the Nuggets shoot poorly. So the play-in #8 seeded Heat better have another gimmick up their sleeve.

[@aminmoozarmi8848]

02’:27” It hasn't changed to the m2m defense because it already is. The rule is: we are defending like a Zone but defenders must guard the players who are in their area. Bam is responsible for covering the paint also high-post when he doesn’t have anyone in the low-post. 02’:40” Kyle should cover the corner, 2 players on the ball 🤦🏻‍♂️ 07’:10” No low post again so Bam should come up to cover the high post. Also, you can see the bad communication on the pick to switch on the ball. 09’:12” Again, Bam doesn’t have anyone in the low-post.

[@tastiertomcat0812]

I remember the Celtics struggling with the zone back in 2020 also I wonder why it’s still an issue to this day you’d think they’d be used to it by now but I guess not

[@mjkittredge]

The way they initiate their offense works very well in the regular season but gets exposed in the playoffs. They need more screens, cutting, drives and post catches. They're all standing around on the perimeter playing hot potato then forcing a bad shot as the clock winds down.

[@repentXreptar]

will this Heat zone works against Nuggets good off-ball movement?

[@shangojackson60]

We should've known this team wont go far with Mazzulla when marcus said their offense is pretty random

[@gullintanni]

I think the Celtics need another capable big man to compete forms title. They should probably trade a few assets for one if they can't sign anyone in the off-season. They could draft an upperclassman like Trayce Jackson-Davis or Kobe Brown as their age would gel with this young core.

[@treychapo1898]

This video make that Celtics series L even more infuriating and I’m not even a C’s fan jus expected to watch way better basketball leading to the finals

[@mjkittredge]

As a lifelong Celtics fan it's even more infuriating. Instead of learning the lessons from last years finals run they've regressed. They have no identity, no heart, no passion, no sense of urgency, no leadership. All that talent, played so well over the regular season just to collapse like this vs an inferior team. JT and JB need to step up, at the end of the day stars are supposed to be leaders and rise to the occasion. They should have been pumped beyond belief at the opportunity to get back to the finals but instead they looked like a couple of listless emo teens. Their mental game is weak, fix that and nobody can stop them. They need to look at the nastiest champions who ever played this game, Bird, Jordan, Shaq, Kobe, James etc - those guys brought it every night with a vengeance! JB and JT have the NBA bodies and the skillsets, but they are lacking the passion, the fire, the NASTY! they are a bunch of soft hearted doe eyed choir boys, sweeter than bake sales.

[@conjunto505]

One side had a coach the other side had Jethro Bodine

[@SDesWriter]

Maybe the first part is a problem because the Celtics use one man to walk the ball up and no one else is even looking in case he gets in trouble. Their problem with the zone is that they always try to use one pass (or just a guy beating his man one-on-one) to get the shot they want. A better team would use the pick & roll or a motion offense to force the defense into positions they're not comfortable in and at least sometimes would get an open man just on bad switches. You need a passer at the free throw line to distribute the ball and the Celtics don't have that. On top of everything they tried to use the dribble to beat the zone and none of them are good ball handlers (MAYBE Smart). That's why you get Brown with 8 turnovers which by itself is enough to have turned the game around. The Celtics have bad coaching that just let's them play playground ball and hope they can overwhelm the defense with their awesomeness. It's a stupid philosophy and puts enormous strain on their offense to hit very difficult long jumpers while defended. Good luck in the finals against an infinitely better coached team.

[@eddyschilling]

Can you please use the dramatic music again?

[@WarrantChen]

Zone defense really was Bostons downfall when the 3's weren't hitting. If Boston just hit high percentage shots this would have been over.

[@ISATGDuh]

still lakers in 9

[@francescofrosolini4637]

no background music gag? sad... 😔

[@jamsjars9505]

Can ya crank your BG music down or crank your mic up? They ain't supposed to be roughly at the same level. Dang lol.

[@woutakasinistra]

This is as much on the coaches as it is on the players. Boston went back to their no-ball movement - not-agressive driving playing mode, which resulted in a lot of iso 3's. They're unbeatable when driving and kicking for 3's, in rhythm. What I just don't understand, is that they seemed so lost against the zone. That's on the coaches but also on the players for not attacking of coming up with solutions; they were just being passive and standing around. The clip at 8:30 says it all for me; look at the horrendous spacing. Boston is a team that will be good and bad, and the zone brought out the worst in them, because they're not a great off-the-ball moving team. They rely on driving and kicking instead of motion offense or off the ball movement (like the Warriors for example do a lot of). To me, this shows that especially Brown, but also Smart and Horford aren't as tactically skilled as you should be to be a champion. Even Tatum on a bad ankle can be added to the list. Derrick White was the only player playing his heart out and trying to beat the zone. Great job by Spo, he's such a great coach. Boston clearly is the better team than Miami, yet Spo led his team to the Finals. Wondering though if the zone will be effective against the nuggets, who are better at off the ball moving, have Jokic and Murray as great passers and a great coach. Also don't think Bam can stop Jokic while Gordon can stop Jimmy and KCP can lock down Vincent. To me, the Nuggets are heavily favoured, but then again, Spo can defy the odds. Anyway, amazing run by Miami.

[@VoltaDoMar]

do the celtics even have an offensive system or philosophy? I couldn't identify one in this series, other than iso their two All Stars on the perimeter

[@omnivorous65]

I wonder what the offense would look like when the pass into the zone finds Jokic as a target and not Horford. Good luck with a zone against Jokic. Cannot be stopped by any Miami defender 1:1, the help will leave someone open and Jokic will find that man or a cutter. If Miami finds a way to stop or significantly slow down the Denver offensive game, Spoelstra should get Coach of the Year on general principle for the next three years running.

[@frizzyrascal1493]

Coach, what about all those moving screens thou? They don't even call a lot of these

[@2MrTenebris]

The Miami Heat are the real life example of a team takeover, you can just feel the passion in their games. I love Jimmy Butler for that reason, no matter what you know that in the playoffs he's going to go after you with everything he has. The rest of the heat do the same.

[@shyxlo4727]

it was baffling how boston never just put tatum at the elbow of the zone, and just have him flash to the strong side. once you have a wing there that can put pressure on the zone, you can collapse it from the inside and force it to shift. tatum as an initiator would've forced bam to have to come off of horford, if he does there's a passing opening. if bam stays home, then tatum has a mid range pull up. instead, boston had horford playing that role and it was clear he just didn't have the legs and ballhandling to be effective there; mad no sense whatsoever. boston just kept taking contested 3's, which is exactly what any team running a zone wants you to do. not having a single answer to a 2-3 shifting zone, knowing that it's at the top of the scouting report for miami is absolutely asinine. they knew they were gonna face it, yet never properly prepared themselves for it.

[@Linkx16]

Lol as a life long Heat fan it’s feels great that you were wrong

[@metahand7188]

I think some coach in South East Asia is very happy with the Miami Heat defense.

[@_morgoth_]

But did the Celtics learn how to drive left?

[@tzaMc]

Bam is the key to all these defensive schemes. That's why spo will always defend bam's impact in the game even when he is shooting poorly on the other side of the court. His impact don't show in the box score (where casuals only look at).

[@Squarehead_305]

People gotta stop hating on mazzulla bro. Im a heat fan and still know mazzulla has a lot to learn but this firing of coaches is like the heat waiving Jimmy Butler after his 14 pt per game performance in the playoffs.

[@mjkittredge]

I think moving Mazulla back to assistant coach and hiring an experienced head coach might be a better answer. He did well coaching in the regular season but got exposed in the playoffs.

[@kryptochroniconolite7301]

Coach can u go back to the original theme.... and just keep this one to use as an alternative? - an OG fan

[@josephstieb9826]

One takeaway is that they need someone besides Smart. Makes no sense to be playing a 3 point heavy offense with Smart as a wing guy who is likely to get these looks.