Pistons vs Brooklyn Nets

Game Breakdown

*SPECIAL SITUATIONS*

• Early on they are down 4 - 10 and JB takes a TO, can they immediately regain some momentum?

  • Nets press and Harris gets a layup

  • Force a TO (need to follow with a bucket, score-stop-score ATO would be a great start)

  • Ivey drive and dump off to Duren

  • Lucky stop (two missed Nets layups) and then Ivey finds Harris wide open for a C&S 3PA but missed

  • Johnson missed, Ivey again pressures in transition and finds Cade for wide open C&S 3PA but missed (Harris OREB putback)

  • Seems like they have weathered the early storm from the Nets (was a 9-2 run immediately coming ATO)

• Late 1st quarter now they are UP 20 - 14 and Nets take TO, can they keep the Nets from doing what they just did to them?

  • Had an action for Johnson but Cade defends it well…..and then they give up a backdoor (can’t stand this) that draws in defense and results in Johnson corner 3PM

  • ATO action is for Beasley 3PA, fouled and gets to the FT line

  • Clowney knocks down a 3P and Ivey matches, still up 5

  • Beasley gets up baseline backdoor layup to Williams, Beasley missed 3PA and then Schroder breaks down the defense again and hits Clowney in lane for a floater

  • Detroit not able to extend the lead

• Duren checks in and IMMEDIATELY gives up FT check out OREB (on a Claxton FT where you HAVE to be assuming a miss) that results in Schroder 3PM

  • Cade TO, Wilson tough layup, Cade missed layup, Claxton lob finish immediately follows this and Pistons are down 2 and have to take another timeout

  • ATO action for THJ 3PA

    • Would love to see some of these preset actions be for Cade/Ivey to get downhill in some capacity (fwiw, the next one is designed for Cade post up)

• How does an NBA player even feel comfortable traveling the way Claxton does at the end of the 2nd quarter?

  • Shouldn’t it feel COMPLETELY and UTTERLY unnatural to even do that?

• Mid 3rd Quarter - 65 - 69 - Force Nets TO and they need to come out of this timeout with more energy and go on a run RIGHT NOW to take control of the game (it’s not always about the 4th quarter and end of the game)

  • Force a TO, THJ 3PM, Thomas 2 FTM, Cade mid range pull up, Johnson 3P miss, Cade 3P miss, Thomas mid range make (keeping it tight but didn’t take control)

• Start of 4th Quarter they have the lead…can they extend? Keep the same and at least not give it up?

  • They do extend it a bit, even through the Stewart flagrant foul….now the challenge is not give it up after a Nets TO early 4th quarter….put this game away mid 4th by extending the lead instead of having to close a tight one late 4th quarter

    • Never REALLY go on a crazy run but never let Brooklyn get close and are able to coast down the stretch after some dagger buckets (specifically from Beasley)

Pistons - 106 - 92 W

• Cade, Ivey, THJ, Harris, Duren

  • This was a game they HAD to get and while it wasn’t super pretty, they found a way and got it done….especially after the performance Friday

  • 2nd worst 4th quarter point differential in the NBA coming into the game

  • This is a frontline of the Nets that I feel like Duren could really take advantage of offensively around the rim

    • OREB and Lob Finishes

    • Creates two extra possessions on the 2nd possession of the game

  • Really nice player movement on the first possession of the game with 2 backdoor cuts resulting in a layup

    • Essentially, the complete opposite on the first possession of the 2nd quarter

    • And I think we are starting to see the lack of offensive creativity that we heard might be the case when JB was hired

      • Weird thing is we saw some really positive signs during the preseason and first few games

    • 2nd quarter summarized by off target pass after off target pass

    • Cade-Duren Ball Screen Offensive Fouls HAS TO GET FIXED

      • Both should take some ownership, because I think both are at fault at times, and get it figured out

  • The defense has been pretty solid to start the game outside of the Johnson 3PMs and Schroder breaking down the defense for a stretch

    • 2nd quarter hasn’t been as good as they give up some timely OREBs to the Nets and fouling 90+ feet from the basket that result in FTs because Brooklyn is already in the bonus

      • Nets miss a TON of FTs in this game

    • Nice insight late 2nd quarter when they zoom in on JB during a FT, he is looking at Nets bench to get the call, hears it and then says it to an asst coach (who I assume then relays to the players what is coming)

    • In fairness, they have done a great job on the big 2 (Schroder and Thomas) but let Johnson REALLY get it going

    • 6:40 3rd is a GREAT example of team rebounding, Duren contests a shot at the 3P line, Ivey AND Cade make rotational box outs, secure the rebound and it leads to transition lob finish for Duren

    • They HAVE to stop giving up all of these backdoor cuts

• THJ on Cam Thomas is going to be VERY interesting to watch and see how he is able to hold up

  • In pretty significant foul trouble all game long

  • Attacks a closeout and finishes above the rim, okay

• DUREN has gotten pretty good at that lead drop pass on the DHO to get the handler a head start coming off

  • Sabonis is the best at this in the NBA

  • Has had two REALLY good short roll weak side reads and I am not sure he got an assist for either BUT they were very good plays from him

    • Has some other nice passes from the elbow OVER the defense to a backdoor cut

  • 5:30 2nd quarter is an AWESOME weak side rim protection

    • We have seen a few more of these from him this year

    • Back to back possessions!!!

  • Some more defensive disruption to start the 3rd quarter!

    • On ball deflection and steal and then chases the play in transition for the OREB putback dunk

    • How about the defensive playmaking tonight!!! Would be huge development if he can make this consistent

• IVEY unable to convert on back to back open C&S wing 3PAs off Cade-Duren PnR where they collapsed the defense

  • These are the ones I feel like he has knocked down thus far

    • Knocks down the 3rd attempt he gets

  • Then shows some really nice process on a Beasley drive and kick, Ivey turns it down and drives to the lane and then dumps off to Beasley for a little baseline floater

    • 7:20 3rd is another one where he attacks the closeout and then turns down the floater to get Duren a dunk

    • 5:45 3rd turns down his own 3PA for a one more pass to THJ for a 3PM

  • He has pressured the rim relentlessly in the first 6 minutes

    • 6:20 2nd quarter shows the continue needed for growth with the how on target his passing in….Beasley should still making it but the pass takes him 4-5 feet to his right

  • STOP PLAYING FOR FOULS/CONTACT

    • Play to score and then play through the contact if you get it

  • Finally gets the matchup with Thomas where we can really see how he would fare and back to back possessions does a great job

  • Has saved 2 different possessions in the 2nd quarter where Detroit turned it over initially and then he immediately made a hustle play to regain the possession

• CADE has 3 awesome passes/reads in the first 90 seconds and doesn’t have an assist to show for any of them

  • Just a touch too far off Johnson on back to back plays and gives up two 3PMs from the corner

  • HUGE 3PM make when they are down 7 mid 2nd quarter and shot clock is running down

  • Feel like he has bailed them out a few times late in the shot clock

    • Continues here late in the game

  • Nasty mid post shoulder shimmy and baseline reverse finish

    • Mid post baby hook to put the final nail in the coffin after the Beasley 3PM

• HARRIS jumper is so flat and consistently missing short right now

  • There we go!! Gets it a little higher over the contest and knocks it down

  • Great hustle play for OREB that gets Beasley a second 3PA and he knocks it down

  • GET RID OF THE LONG, DRAWN OUT MID POST ISOLATIONS

    • Of course, he makes two of them late in the 3rd….make it three

    • AND in fairness, back to back possessions late he draws two and creates wide open 3PA (Beasley make is probably the dagger)

• BEASLEY comes in, takes the Thomas matchup and immediately forces a TO

  • Struggling from the 3P line though

  • Bail out 3PM at 9:30 4th deep in the corner was HUGE though

    • And then dagger 3PM from the same corner 

• STEW posting up a MISMATCH on a switch after ball screen are posts up I am here for

  • Essentially, getting fouled out of this game by Claxton (3 fouls on the same shot attempt from him)

  • And then does foul out on a silly flagrant foul that hopefully does not swing the game

    • Fortunately, it does not

• FONTECCHIO continues to be a complete non factor

  • Corner C&S 3PM in transition right after I type this….LOVE this attempt and make right after a miss…just C&S, C&S, C&S

• HOLLAND doesn’t look like he will get any 2nd half minutes

  • Have to assume his minutes go to 0 if/when Ausar gets back

Nets

• Schroder, Thomas, Johnson, DFS, Simmons

  • Their offensive flow and movement is non existent right now

  • I do like how they pickup full court defensively

    • There have been some possessions where it has cut into the shot clock for the Pistons

• JOHNSON take the Cade matchup for the Nets, will be interested to see how he is able to hold up….was a little surprised it was him

  • Back to back 3PMs from the corner, all 3 makes so far from the corner

  • He has 20 in the first half and really been there offense as Schroder and Thomas haven’t really got it going yet

    • Scoring slows way down in the 2nd half for him

• SIMMONS can still drive transition offense

  • And really pass the ball

  • Still doesn’t look like he has any interest trying to score it though

• SCHRODER with the between legs pocket bounce pass to the rolling big

• THOMAS creates SO MUCH separation with that step back

  • Along with being able to simply MAKE really, really TOUGH shots

  • MULTIPLE insane makes in the 2nd half from the mid range

• WILSON has made some tough buckets off the bounce

  • Giving them 8 points a game