3 keys for the Boston Celtics tonight against the Nets

Containing the pick-and-roll

The Brooklyn Nets are one of the most pick-and-roll heavy offenses in the NBA as currently constructed. Spencer Dinwiddie–the de facto starting point guard in Kyrie Irving’s absence–is fifth in the league in pick-and-roll usage as the ball-handler.

Jarrett Allen ranks eighth as a roll man and DeAndre Jordan has made a career out of finishing alley-oop lobs. While Brooklyn isn’t the new location for “lob city”, Dinwiddie’s mastery as a facilitator opens up the rest of the offense for the team’s shooters.

The Boston Celtics are uniquely prepared for the challenge of stopping Dinwiddie’s pick-and-roll attacks due to versatile center Daniel Theis. Theis has been able to provide the C’s with switch-ability, staying on smaller offensive players in such scenarios.

Now, not all of Boston’s bigs are fit for the role. Enes Kanter is recognized as a weak link on defense, and has been targeted in the past in pick-and-roll–most notably when Devin Booker called him out following a Knicks-Suns matchup last season.

That said, Brad Stevens has been able to find ways to prop Kanter up on the defensive side of the ball as well as experiment with different big men at center such as Grant Williams and even Semi Ojeleye in small-ball configurations.

Now he needs to find a way to stifle the P-n-R attack of the Brooklyn Nets.