Boston vs. the blitz

The first time I ever heard of the Blitz was in November 2010 on How I Met Your Mother. In the TV show, the Blitz is "a curse that results in the victim missing epic, and sometimes miraculous, occurrences. The effect is so strong that the victim's absence is sometimes thought to be the very cause of the epic events." However, today we won't be talking about the iconic episode "Blitzgiving"—we are going to talk about the Celtics ' offense.

After two games against Nikola Jokic's Denver Nuggets, we have a good sample size of actions where the Celtics ran pick-and-rolls against the 2023 champions. Why is this interesting? Well, last year, the Celtics weren't a big pick-and-roll team, mostly because Kristaps Porzingis isn't often used in these types of actions. However, with Luke Kornet starting so far this season, the Celtics have been running more ball screens compared to last year's matchups with Denver. And more ball screens against Denver means more blitzes.

The Nuggets have been using this pick-and-roll coverage for the last few years. Essentially, right after the screen, they send two defenders (Jokic and the player guarding the ball-handler) to trap the ball-handler and disrupt the offense. Meanwhile, the three remaining defenders rotate to slow down the offense while Jokic recovers. Sometimes, instead of a blitz, they simply "show"—meaning Jokic doesn't attack the ball-handler aggressively, but instead blocks the driving lane while the other defender fights over the screen.

So today, what we will be looking at is how the Celtics attacked the Denver Nuggets' defensive coverage with Kornet as the roll man. From all these actions, I noticed one thing: Luke Kornet is a great short-roll player. He moves well, reads the defense, and knows where to pass the ball. This is crucial against blitz coverage since Kornet often receives the ball in a 4-vs-3 situation. Here a couple of examples with basic handoff actions:

Short Action

The first tactic is using the Short Action. Short Action is a three-man play where, instead of passing the ball to the roll man in a pick-and-roll, the ball-handler passes it to a third player on the strong side of the court. This third player then acts as an intermediary, transferring the ball to the roll man. It's a good way to beat the Blitz or the Show because you're avoiding the trap by involving a third player.

Multiple Screens (Spain/Stagger)

Speaking of a third player, you can also use two screeners. Below are two examples. The first is a Spain pick-and-roll with Sam Hauser screening the defender assigned to the roll man. The second is a Double Drag, or 77, often used by the Dallas Mavericks . In this action, you can also see a great cut by Jaylen Brown, who creates confusion in the defense.

Empty Side Action

As a two-man game, you can clear a corner and run a side pick-and-roll—this is also called Empty Side since the side you're starting the play on is empty. This works well against the Blitz because it complicates defensive rotations behind the two defenders pressuring the ball. With an empty corner, the defensive rotation becomes less natural compared to when the screen is set in the middle of the court. In this play, the confusion allows Pritchard to drive, kick, relocate, and get open shots.

On The Run

One play that stood out to me was the one below because it's similar to two previous Celtics clutch shots. It's called On The Run and can work very well against an aggressive defensive coverage like the Blitz.

Flex Gut Exit:

Last but not least, Bill Sy noticed the Celtics ran the same play for Jaylen Brown on two consecutive possessions. It's called Flex Gut Exit, and Bill provides all the details you need in a great already available on CelticsBlog .

If I missed a play or made any mistakes in the play naming, please drop a comment and share your wisdom with us.