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Damian Lillard was held 19 points out of 4 shots in 12 in defeat of Portland match 1 against the Warriors. If the Blazers want to steal the second game and even go up this series before the potential return of Kevin Durant, it will not happen again. The Blazers simply do not have the firepower to beat Golden State without Lillard who played and scored goals.
The Warriors know it and in the first game they were all over Lillard. They doubled it or at least gently trapped it in almost every choice. They wanted to get the ball out of Lillard's hands first. But if he wanted to force his attack, he would certainly do it against several defenders. It worked. Lillard was playing in the congestion all night long. Let's look at some of the first game movies and see how Lillard can adapt to get into the second game.
Less pick and roll
The pick and roll being run is the bread and butter of Lillard, and for good reason. He is one of the most lethal 3-point shooters in the league with respect to this ball screen, and when defenses are developing, he is very good at taking the turn or dividing the double and going downhill or finding fencers at the time of sending. The problem is that by involving a deputy returning officer in Lillard's action, you also introduce a second defender into the equation. It's easy to trap and dupe with the second defenseman already present, forcing the ball out of Lillard's hands or forcing him to attack him in traffic jams. Look here:
And here again:
In this next clip, Lillard, organizing the pick and roll with Enes Kanter, passes from the guard of Klay Thompson's elite defenseman to the invitation of two elite defenders – Draymond Green and Thompson – to follow him at 35 feet. . Even when Lillard "does the right thing" after shooting the doubles and finding a teammate, the Warriors are happy with this compromise, as Kanter is obviously not Lillard's playmaker. Watch how this action stops completely after Lillard is forced to drop the ball.
So here's the question: Would you rather have Lillard create his own dribble photo or Seth Curry? The play above began with Lillard in a face-to-face confrontation with Thompson. He could have just attacked. By calling the screen and thus inviting the double team, the ball ended up in Curry's hands and it was he who had to make the game of dribbling. Clearly, you'd rather have Lillard create the attack than Curry.
That's not to say that the Blazers would ever give up the pick and roll. That's what brought them here. Lillard is great. This results in a lot of good, including switches that put Lillard in more favorable clashes. That said, it can be argued that in some cases bringing the second defender only complicates what could be a fairly straightforward face-to-face situation for the best player in the Blazers. Which brings us to …
More isolation for Lillard
The first bucket of Lillard's first game was a 3-step back against Draymond Green. No screen to bring a second defender. Just a spaced floor that allowed Lillard to do his job without clutter.
Lillard averages 1.03 points per possession in isolation. This comes just behind James Harden and the best mark of all the remaining players in the playoffs, including Kevin Durant, who is probably the best solitary player in the world. Indeed, if Lillard manages to feel comfortable, facing an elite defender such as Green, nothing less, than what is missing then for a screen that will only make Cause congestion?
Here, instead of waiting for a bullet screen, Lillard isolates himself on Andre Iguodala, beats him and creates a widely open 3-pointer for Moe Harkless:
Without involving a second defender and goalkeeper, look at how much time Lillard has to breathe. By the way, Harkless misses the shot. It was a good attack that gave a good shot – a blow that the Blazers, to have a chance to compete in this series, will simply have to make a better shot than the 25% they shot from 3 points . rank in the game 1.
Now, understand that the Warriors are not going to let Lillard isolate himself freely. In the first match, they almost always shaded two or even three bodies in his direction. In many cases, they will always have a double team. But here's the difference: When Lillard is autonomous, the second defender must come from further, freeing up a bigger space to exploit.
Look here: Kanter, instead of placing a bullet screen, cuts the track and heads for the dunker on the baseline. Now that no second defenseman has been hand-delivered to Lillard's space, Jordan Bell has to release the paint to double up, eventually leaving a defender to keep two players in the back. Simple pass, simple bucket:
Lillard has more than one way to find himself in isolation. In the room above, the Blazers expelled him from the balloon and caught him on the wing over an incandescent screen. Most of the time, he rides the ball on the field, either in transition or from one mark to the other. He can simply attack early without using a pick, which, in my opinion, should be more thorough in the second game.
The bullet screens are in the other direction. Yes, they have a second defenseman and I had a good time saying that it was not necessarily a good thing, but warriors do not always double in these situations. In many cases, they change and continue to play face to face. It's simple: when Lillard throws a ball screen and receives a switch that gives him a match-up advantage, he must attack immediately before the Warriors can get up. Which brings us finally to this:
Go to Stephen Curry's
The Warriors are not afraid to let Curry defend himself face to face, and he is much better defender than people think. But he can not check Lillard, simply. Watch the game below, in which Lillard receives a bullet screen, makes Curry swap, but instead of attacking, he waits, calls another bullet screen, which brings in a second defender and a double team and forces Lillard to release the ball. when he had Curry one to one to start. Now here is what happens:
Compare that to this next piece. Same deal: Lillard gets a bullet screen, Curry engages him, but this time, Lillard does not expect a second defender to be involved and immediately attacks Curry for a flawless look and bucket .
So, see, stay simple. Do not bring a second defender if you do not need it. When you are running ball screens and getting the switch you are looking for, attack before Golden State changes. In order for the Blazers to win the second match – which seems to be an obligation with Kevin Durant and the teams that collapse 0-2 by losing the series more than 93% of the time – they have to get more from Lillard, who at his turn must find a little more room than in the first game. These are some of the ways Portland could look to create cleaner scoring opportunities for his best player.
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