🔍 Unpacking Luka/Kyrie Dynamics, Isolation Artistry, Defensive Innovations, and Everything Wemby + Spurs

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Welcome to the NBA Librarian Weekly, where we curate and summarize the best NBA content of the week.

In Today's Edition:

1. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander - ISO King

2. Dillon Brooks “High-Five” Defense

3. The “Luka and Kyrie” Problem

4. Offensive & Defensive Season Shifts

5. The Spurs Playbook Revealed

6. Wemby in 10 minutes

7. NBA Block Charts

8. McDaniels the Meter for Wolves Offense

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander - ISO King

Ben Taylor's analysis in Thinking Basketball highlights Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's (SGA) mastery in manipulating space and timing, skillfully leveraging agility, a low center of gravity, patience, and strategy to attack defenses, especially in isolation. Key takeaways:

1. The Oklahoma City Thunder's strategic use of spacing and screen setups, including flare screens in transition for trailing shooters and positioning players like Chet on the perimeter, enhances SGA's ability to weave through defenses and capitalize on mismatches.

2. His "rope-a-dope" tactics and step-back jumpers are effective counters to tight defenses, while his enhanced three-point shooting (notably, over 75% of his three-point shots are step-backs) and highly efficient mid-range game complete his offensive arsenal.

3. To me, the Thunder's approach parallels the Warriors' strategy for creating opportunities for Curry, but with a twist: the entire Thunder team focuses on creating space for SGA to drive.

This strategy has propelled SGA to the top of the NBA as the best isolation scorer this season in terms of both volume and efficiency. I highly recommend watching it.

Dillon Brooks “High-Five” Defense

This tweet showcases Brooks' unique style on defense, clapping the defender's hand after the release of the shot to apply more initial defensive pressure on the shot.

While not news to Brooks (see quote below), it was news to me and reminds me of when Shane Battier started to popularize the "hand-in-the-face" defense.

The “Luka and Kyrie” Problem

HoopVenue's video does a great job analyzing the synergy between Luka and Kyrie. Key takeaways include:

1. The Mavericks are playing at their fastest pace during the Luka era.

2. Their offense has evolved beyond simple isolation plays, incorporating versatile sets like Kyrie's corner pin-down screens and Luka screening for Kyrie to exploit mismatches.

3. Like the 2018 Rockets with CP3 and Harden, the Mavericks effectively stagger Luka and Kyrie's playing time.

4. Kyrie's versatility as a scorer, facilitator, and perimeter spacer is often overlooked.

Consequently, the Mavericks have achieved a 123.7 offensive rating over 700 minutes with Luka and Kyrie on the floor, making their performance in the upcoming playoffs particularly intriguing. Check out a ton more in the video!

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Offensive & Defensive Season Shifts

Earlier this week, I wrote a quick piece highlighting how frequently Western Conference playoff teams run different sets in half-court offenses and how they compare to each other.

^This tweet adds more depth, showing the fluctuations NBA teams have experienced this season regarding their offensive and defensive efficiency. It was a collaborative effort with two of my favorite accounts on X, @NBAUniversity and @AutomaticNBA.

The most significant takeaway for me is observing the Sixers' transition from the top defensive team to the worst, truly encapsulating Embiid's defensive impact this season.

The Spurs Playbook Revealed

The Spurs faced early criticism for playing Sochan at PG, sparking doubts about Popovich's strategy. However, Sochan's return to his more natural role and Victor Wembanyama's standout performances have shifted the narrative. Noah Magaro-George excellently highlights four Spurs plays that have shined recently:

1. Floppy + Double Curl (SOQ): Victor Wembanyama and two shooters execute a classic Floppy Action, using Wembanyama's screens and the shooters' double curls to outmaneuver the defense for an easy basket.

2. X-Get + Flash + Backdoor (SLOB): In this sideline out-of-bounds play, Wembanyama's screens initiate a quick ball exchange and a backdoor cut, cleverly beating an aggressive defense for a slick basket.

3. Zipper + Elbow + Stagger + Twirl (ATO): This play melds Zipper and Elbow actions with a clever staggered screen, leading to a twirl cut and a clear shot, demonstrating strategic deception and spacing.

4. Iverson + Hammer: Staggered screens set up an Iverson Cut, followed by a pick-and-roll and a baseline pass for a corner three, showcasing a classic Spurs strategy to dismantle the defense for a perimeter shot.

For a deeper understanding of these tactics, diving into the full breakdown with video is highly recommended.

Wemby in 10 minutes

What makes the perfect YT video?

1. <Under 10 mins

2. Goes over multiple defensive coverages of how Wemby covers the entire floor against different offensive sets highlighting his tremendous defensive impact and versatility both on the perimeter and at the rim.

3. Has stats to back up what we're seeing in the eye test, i.e., The Spurs opponents' frequency of shots at the rim with him on the floor vs. off.

4. Gives me a new perspective on an aspect of his game that's overlooked. AKA, of players with over 90 three-point pull attempts this season, he's 7th in the entire NBA in terms of efficiency.

Alex does a great job highlighting how scary Wemby is for the rest of the league when his potential begins to pan out. Definitely check it out!

NBA Block Charts

Follow Edoardo on Twitter - he's creating great NBA data visualizations based on data from NBA.com. Here, he shows the top shot blockers and the top players who have had their shots blocked, along with where on the floor these events are happening. It's fascinating to see someone like Scottie Barnes with multiple blocks within the paint and a significant number around the perimeter behind the three-point line as well.

McDaniels the Meter for Wolves Offense

When watching the Wolves, notice Jaden McDaniels' offensive engagement, as Krawczynski highlights through quotes and statistics, showing his importance for the team's dynamics. Key takeaways:

1. A more active McDaniels often signifies a fluid offense with Timberwolves' stars effectively involving others.

2. His impact is evident in his stats, where in wins, his averages improve to 10.8 points and 2.8 rebounds, with better shooting efficiency (54/39/90 splits), compared to his overall averages of 9.9 points and 2.2 rebounds (43/30/76 splits) in losses. McDaniels' performance is a key indicator of the team's overall offensive health.

McDaniels' performance is a key indicator of the team's overall offensive health - check out more in the article!

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