10 takeaways from a developmental loss to the Magic

#1 – Sharing the rock

With only 12 unassisted field goals made, it is safe to say that the ball was moving last night. Without any of the starters, the Stay Ready group had an opportunity to shine together as a team. With connectors like Luke Kornet, and shooters like Payton Pritchard or Sam Hauser—who like to move with and without the ball—the ball was moving to find the open man.

Pritchard was very good at cutting after passing the ball to a center. Both Kornet and Neemias Queta were able to find him following a pass-and-go action, where Pritchard cut into open space.

The favorite for the Sixth Man of the Year award was on both sides of the passing game, as he scored off assists but also delivered 10 assists himself. In transition, or when the defense collapsed on him, he was able to find Queta or Kornet at the rim, giving the ball back.

But if the ball was moving so well, it’s because the Celtics’ coaching staff’s playbook was on full display.

#2 – Off-ball movement

The coaching staff made sure the Stay Ready group was in the game to learn and build habits within the Celtics’ offensive system. In the play below for example, the five-man unit consists of JD Davison, Drew Peterson, Neemias Queta, Jordan Walsh, and Sam Hauser. A rather unusual lineup, but the play call has been used before by the Celtics. It’s a double drag screen followed by a stagger action.

So, at first, you have two screens for the ball handler—the double drag. Cole Anthony goes under the screen, there’s no switch, so not much of a gap is created.

But the real action starts right after. As Davison dribbles to the right, he gives space for Hauser to use two off-ball screens from the same players. Indeed, as soon as Walsh and Queta finish screening for Davison, they run to Hauser to set two more screens—this time off-ball—the stagger action.

Because of Hauser’s gravity, this draws three defenders onto him, leaving Walsh open for three and giving space for Queta to roll to the rim.

Unfortunately, the shot was missed—and it wasn’t the only one.

#3 – 18% from deep

Despite great ball and body movement, as observed above, the Celtics weren’t able to convert these opportunities into points. They shot 7-for-40 from three, leading to the worst offensive performance across all teams this season. Per Cleaning the Glass, the Celtics last night had the worst:

Offensive rating in a game this season
Half-court offense in a game this season
Three-point percentage in a game this season

That’s frustrating, because the process looked good, but the results just weren’t there. Of course, a win wasn’t expected given the roster, and Orlando is a strong defensive team, but it shows the gap between the starters and the rest of the roster.

#4 – Defensive mix

The Orlando Magic started their game by targeting Payton Pritchard on defense, looking to score over him with Franz Wagner and Paolo Banchero. To protect him and strengthen the defense, the Celtics’ coaching staff adjusted well by mixing zone and individual defense across various possessions.

The zone defense is very effective at slowing down the start of a possession, as it often takes away the drive and puts pressure on the ball handler. Also, because the defensive shell is different in zone, the offense can be thrown off by the unusual positioning of the defenders.

However, once the offense starts moving, switching back to individual defense can serve as a second obstacle—forcing the offense to reset the possession, as no gaps have been created.

#5 – Zoom actions

We looked at the double drag and stagger actions earlier, but I wanted to dive deeper into the various zoom actions the Celtics ran last night—and how they could help unlock even more from Baylor Scheierman.

A zoom action is pretty basic: a player starts from one side without the ball and runs toward it. As he runs, he uses a first screen, called a pindown, and then a second screen—a handoff—from the player with the ball. Often, the first screen is set by a shooter, and the second by a roller. Example below: Sam Hauser sets the first screen and Luke Kornet the second.

Because the defense doesn’t want to leave Hauser open from three, that forces Baylor’s defender to go behind both screens. Since Scheierman arrives with speed and control, he can drive as KCP tries to recover. With Kornet rolling, the driving lane stays open, and Baylor scoops it in.

However, if, like below, Kornet’s defender stays high, Scheierman can find the center at the rim with a nice dish.

These actions are simple yet highly effective for unlocking a player’s potential. Many developing players are tested with these actions because they offer freedom of movement without the ball, but also require strong play-reading and court mapping skills to make the best decision.

#6 – A lot of screens

I don’t have the tracking numbers for the screens set by the Celtics, but it felt like they were constantly trying to free up teammates. Here’s an example with three on-ball screens—pretty unusual.

Looking at the stats from NBA.com, Boston scored 19 points from screen assists—twice as many as the Orlando Magic, despite scoring only 76 points. Teamwork truly makes the dream work.

#7 – Luke Kornet two-way impact

The Celtics lost by 20 points but had a positive net rating with Luke Kornet on the floor for 26 minutes. That means they lost by 22 points in the 22 minutes he was on the bench.

On offense, Kornet was able to make smart decisions with the ball, set efficient screens, and offer great verticality at the rim to compensate for the lack of spacing.

On defense, whether in the double-big lineup or by himself, he was able to protect the rim and provide great help when his teammates needed it. Maybe the Celtics could’ve had a chance to win if he played more, but I think they’d rather keep him at 20 minutes to keep him fresh for the playoffs.

#8 – Scheierman is the real deal

Baylor played 36 minutes last night, and despite missing a lot of threes, it was another great opportunity to analyze the player he could become. Earlier, we looked at how zoom actions can unlock some of his potential—but there’s more to his game, on both ends of the floor.

In the example above, Scheierman starts at the top of the zone, then rotates smartly to contain the drive and contest the shot. Off the miss, he quickly moves into offense and drills a three.

For a rookie, he is very patient and smart with his moves and drives. He knows how to manipulate defenders and when to slow down to get the best layup opportunity.

The fact that he’s more than just a shooter makes him very valuable. On drives, he continues to show a viable handle and the strength to finish through contact.

Still wondering how his role will evolve, but he feels like the 10th-best player in the rotation after Sam Hauser.

#9 – The Neemias Queta Experience

On the other hand, it’s hard to draw clear conclusions about Neemias’ game—or his season, even. The energy is always there, the will to give everything and impact the game is obvious. But the execution isn’t always reliable. There are flashes that make you wonder why he hasn’t become more of a vertical threat or a passing hub from the slot.

And then, there are plays where you wonder what’s happening with his court mapping. Queta is still developing, but the basketball IQ gap between him and Kornet felt obvious last night.

Nonetheless, the defense was great when they were both on the floor. He’s been excellent at switching onto smaller players, which makes him very useful in a tall-ball approach.

#10 – Zero ball from the G-League MVP

I was very excited to see JD Davison play meaningful minutes after becoming the G-League MVP, and I enjoyed it a lot. Yes, the shot didn’t go in, but the process was there. His handle is strong, and he was able to get to his spots or find himself open off-ball.

After scoring 0 points last night, it can only go up—and I’m sure it will. Two more games left to play against Charlotte, and JD should be able to show why he was the MVP on the big stage.