There will be plenty of stellar talent on display in Orlando in the coming months, and there is an undercurrent of stellar power in the ranks of NBA coaches. Gregg Popovich, Doc Rivers, and Mike D’Antoni lead a decorated veteran core, while relative youth Nick Nurse, Brad Stevens, and even Taylor Jenkins have established themselves as some of the game’s best minds. In crucial situations, the right coaching move can balance a series. The strange conditions in Orlando could make training decisions even more important.
So what will be the key maneuvers that will balance the 2020 postseason? We in The crossover He detailed the most shocking decisions looming in Orlando.
Nick Nurse Zones
The Warriors did not have Kevin Durant or Klay Thompson for significant periods in the 2019 Finals, but Toronto did not exactly reach a championship. Golden State won Game 2 in Toronto with Durant offside, matching the series when he returned to the Bay Area. However, despite the loss, Nick Nurse made a discovery that shaped the series.
The nurse deployed a box and 1 on Steph Curry in Game 2, freezing a non-game Warriors offensive to exploit the Toronto trap. The strategy was employed throughout the series, especially in Game 6 with both of Curry’s star career partners injured. In hindsight, Nurse’s decision was revealing. Toronto has turned to one area more than any other team in the league this season, unafraid to use the scheme against East’s top talent. If Toronto faces players like Giannis Antetokounmpo or Ben Simmons in Orlando, another creative decision could be on the horizon. Nurse is the NBA’s top mad scientist. The NBA restart will be another proof of his brilliance.
Malone plays Bully Ball
The Nuggets jogged the largest starting lineup in recent memory in their scrimmage against Washington on Wednesday, combining a 7’2 “Unicorn Bol in Training Bol with Nikola Jokic and Mason Plumlee. Paul Millsap was the smallest Nugget in the floor to start the game, forming what is effectively the antidote to the Western Conference against the Rockets, Malone won’t be all that extreme when the regular season begins, but his scrimmage experiment is worth noting.
Denver has the staff to really increase in the postseason. Jokic and Millsap were starting lineup games in 2019-20, and Jerami Grant earned the occasional start. The aforementioned trio played just 10 minutes together this season, although there is still a way for Denver to achieve an oversized frontcourt. Michael Porter Jr. enters
The Missouri rookie has shown a silky shot hit in limited action this season, showcasing his potential as the nation’s No. 2 former recruit. Porter’s talent is undeniable, although he has logged just 14 minutes per game in 2019-20. It is time for Mike Malone to release the young man. Denver’s frontcourt depth is perhaps its best asset. Malone should lean on their big bodies in the postseason.
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Brett Brown’s bet
The COVID-19 parenthesis may have silenced the conversation about Brett Brown’s job status, though it’s hard to assume that the Philadelphia head coach is on firm ground to enter the 2020 playoffs. The Sixers entered the season hopefully. Legitimate Finals. They met those expectations with a stalled offensive and a disastrous record. However, it’s hard to shake Philadelphia as a marginal contender for the Finals. The Sixers remain perhaps the most confusing team in basketball.
Brown is at least trying to change things in Orlando. The Sixers will move Ben Simmons to power to resume the season, which in theory should help loosen the obstruction in the midst of the Philadelphia attack. Simmons will continue to direct the show in transition, where he is frankly a threat to opposing defenses. But he will be a glorified shooter and a wetter in the half court. The movement has its merits, again, in theory. Simmons is averaging a healthy 1.06 points per roll possession in 2019-20, and spent significant time at the dunker’s spot near the baseline in last year’s playoffs. Are Brown and the Sixers investing a lot of faith in Shake Milton and Furkan Korkmaz? Of course. But the previous situation just wasn’t working. The effectiveness of Brown’s bet can influence the Philadelphia season.
D’Antoni rides the wave
The Rockets began to veer into the small ball world in January, and consolidated their engagement in early February when they traded Clint Capela for Robert Covington. And Houston has only doubled during the NBA suspension. The Rockets cut their sole rotation center in favor of the injured David Nwaba, and signed Luc Mbah to Moute instead of an emergency center. D’Antoni and the Rockets have no choice but to pair James Harden and Russell Westbrook with three wings. Houston’s rotation is historic for its lack of frontcourt size.
Early returns suggest a team that has the advantage of competing with a small ball unit. At best, the Rockets are an elite defense that changes everything, wreaking havoc on the lanes and on the edge. PJ Tucker is a really tough rim guard despite standing 6’5 “, while Covington and Westbrook are elite rotation generators. Covington has been a dominant defensive piece in 14 games with Houston. He will be counted more than ever In Orlando, D’Antoni and the Rockets will ride their powerful small ball unit as far as it takes them in the 2020 playoffs.
Vogel Front Track Maneuvers
The Lakers were mocked outright for their additions of Dwight Howard and JaVale McGee in the offseason, and many rejected the possibilities of the Los Angeles Finals due to poor rotation around their two superstars. The great men of both Lakers have shown that skeptics are wrong this season. Howard and McGee have not only played well in their own right, but both have also posted impressive efficiency numbers alongside Anthony Davis.
The new Los Angeles star pushed to play all four this season, a major reason for the intensive use of head coach Frank Vogel by Howard and McGee. Many assumed the setup would dissipate in the postseason, with Davis likely moving at five when another wing took the floor. But that hasn’t necessarily been the case in 2019-20, and Los Angeles has taken considerable hits on its backcourt and wing rotation in recent weeks. With Avery Bradley, Rajon Rondo and potential Kentavious Caldwell-Pope fooling around in Orlando, the Lakers could get a big shot at a bully ball. Vogel will need to find the right stylistic balance for LeBron to win his fourth ring.
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