From the jump, the Boston Celtics were outmatched on Wednesday night. There was a different energy to the Atlanta Hawks than the one they brought to the table just nine days prior.
The tables had completely turned. On January 17, the Celtics were on fire from three. On Wednesday, the Hawks were. Boston went from being in sync defensively to getting diced up. From free-flowing offense to muddy slog.
1. The defensive difference
Nine days ago, Atlanta brought Onyeka Okongwu up to the level in the pick-and-roll. They wanted to pressure Jaylen Brown and Boston’s other ball-handlers, and they tried to use Okongwu to do so.
Neemias Queta played the pick-and-roll beautifully, slipping into the middle of the floor and finding easy kick-outs to the corners. But on Wednesday, the Hawks got Dyson Daniels back.
Daniels wasn’t active in the first meeting between these two teams, and he changed everything.
“They didn’t help from the corners as much,” Joe Mazzulla said post-game. “They kind of kept it more two-on-two in the pick-and-roll. And obviously, they added another layer of Dyson Daniels, who brings another thing there. So, they were much different in their defensive scheme than they were in game one.”
Not having Queta hurt Boston. His screening was sorely missed. But even when Luka Garza and Amari Williams set screens, the Hawks helped from different places. And Daniels’ presence meant they could help less in general.
Just look at this play. Atlanta’s defenders are firmly planted in the corners because Okongwu doesn’t fully commit to helping at the level of the screen. Because he doesn’t have to.
Daniels fights so hard to get around the screen that not only does Okongwu get to sink down to guard Garza, but he also forces Hauser into a two instead of a three.
Boston gets two points out of the play because Hauser riffed, but this is a solid depiction of Atlanta’s defensive switch-up.
2. The Dyson Daniels difference
And the Celtics weren’t afraid to share their thoughts on Daniels’ presence.
“Daniels himself is a game-wrecker,” said Hauser. “He’s really good at pressuring the ball. He’s got great hands, getting stealsm and [in] passing lanes and all that. So, just him alone changes the game.”
“I thought he was great tonight,” Brown said of Daniels. “Even though we weren’t our best offensively, he blew through all screens, he was active, and yeah, he came to play. So credit to them.”
3. Baylor Scheierman minutes
By far the biggest positive from Wednesday night was the time Baylor Scheierman spent on the basketball court. He was an absolute joy to watch.
From the very moment he stepped onto the hardwood, he made a difference.
Though his first two shots spiraled out of the basket in comedic fashion, he stayed engaged. Scheierman drew a charge, ripped the ball from Luke Kennard, and was a playmaker when needed.
And even when Okongwu pulled him down in transition, Scheierman got up, riled up the TD Garden crowd, and went back to the bench smiling.
All of the little things Scheierman did added up to a positive impact, and he flipped the game on its head late in the third quarter.
4. Why didn’t the Celtics roll with Scheierman?
So, if Scheierman was so effective in the third quarter, why did Mazzulla decide to move away from the small-ball lineup he was helping lead?
“To me, it was decent defensively,” Mazzulla explained. ‘Kind of got it to 11 maybe at the end of the quarter? But on the offensive end, we weren’t generating great advantages. Luka’s obviously a great screener, and he’s played well for us. And so I thought, ‘Okay, we got it back to 11.’
“We were running some stuff that we hadn’t ran in a while because we haven’t played the small lineup since maybe beginning of December or somewhere around there. So, really, just get back, Payton, Jaylen coming back into the game. Let’s get back to some of our play calls there and be able to execute. But that group did a good job trying to get us back into it.”
The small-ball lineup that hustled hard and defended well did not hold up on offense. They shot just 1-of-7 from three-point range, and even though they went 7-of-15 from the floor, the shots they did make weren’t good looks.
Of their seven field goals, six came with less than five seconds left on the shot clock. They were desperation drives that ended in tough buckets. Boston needed its regular offense to work. It just didn’t on Wednesday night.
5. Anfernee Simons keeps improving
For a guy who came into the year with a tough defensive reputation, what Anfernee Simons has done this season is nothing short of incredible.
Look at the hustle and anticipation of Simons on this play. He ran all the way back in transition, found the Hawks’ best open pass, and nabbed a steal. Great stuff.
Before Scheierman got rolling in the third, Garza’s offensive rebounding production was the only thing keeping Boston afloat.
He nabbed five offensive boards on Wednesday night (as did Jordan Walsh), and his positioning was absolutely beautiful. Time after time, he weaseled his way into the paint to put himself in position to snag boards.
And each and every time, the Hawks failed to stop him.
Garza was a machine, especially in the first half.
