Sixers discuss defensive keys in order to stop Mikal Bridges, Nets
CAMDEN, N.J.–As the Philadelphia 76ers prepare to take on Mikal Bridges and the Brooklyn Nets in Game 1 of their first round series on Saturday, there are some aspects of Brooklyn’s game that they need to stop.
The Nets are a team that relies a lot on their perimeter play. They want to be able to get into the paint, draw defenders, and then kick out to shooters. Brooklyn focuses on getting corner triples for guys like Dorian Finney-Smith, Cam Johnson, Joe Harris, and others.
Per Cleaning the Glass, 22% of Harris’ shot attempts are corner triples (78th percentile). Finney-Smith takes a corner triple 21% of the time (93rd percentile), Johnson is at 19% of the time (69th percentile), and Yuta Watanabe is at 29% (90th percentile).
On the season, the Nets shot 40% on corner triples.
“Well, corner 3s are huge in this series,” said coach Doc Rivers. “They’re a great corner 3 team, dribble penetration is the key to a lot of that, offensive rebounds, rolls by their bigs getting behind our defense. So the more we can control the ball. Transition D and we got to take care of the ball against them because we don’t want to gift them points. If we’re not taking care of the ball, they’re running and they’re scoring.”
The transition defense is going to be a very big factor in this series. That has been an issue for the Sixers all season and while the game does slow down in the postseason, Philadelphia still has to be ready for the Nets wanting to run at every chance they get in this series.
Brooklyn has two dynamic guards who can get into the paint and draw defenders in order to make life easier for the shooters. Bridges and Spencer Dinwiddie are going to be a pain in the neck to defend in this series.
“Their ball movement,” added De’Anthony Melton. “We know they’re gonna play hard, a group of guys that wanna get out there and just scrap so we’re gonna have to match their energy and match their physicality, and just do what we gotta do to just dominate.”
Overall, this is a series the Sixers should win rather quickly. The Nets are scrappy and Bridges will give them issues, but it doesn’t change the fact that Philadelphia is a much better team at the moment. As long as they enter this series with the right attitude, this is a series that shouldn’t give them much trouble.
