Cavs head coach Kenny Atkinson’s strategy to open up space for James Harden and Donovan Mitchell paid off vs. the Raptors.
Making the Toronto Raptors pay in Game 1 of their NBA playoff series for their own defensive scheme, Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson made a point of positioning his players at a much higher level on the floor than normal to give James Harden and Donovan Mitchell ample room to attack. With the opposition guarding past the perimeter, closer to mid-court than the paint, the Cavs devised a strategy to blow right by and get easier buckets.
“I think it’s reacting to their pressure,” Atkinson told ClutchPoints on Sunday. “They’re up high, their pickup points are high, and that means we’ve got to bring our offense up higher to screen them, to spread them out more. And I thought we did a good job of that.
“Because if you get on your heels against the pressure, that’s when they start turning you over, that’s when they’re getting the live-ball turnovers. I felt like that was important for us to attack their high pressure. So we had to bring our offense higher to be able to get downhill into space.”
The Cavs outscored Toronto 52-36 in the paint, and, despite 17 giveaways, only had the ball stolen three times from the visitors. A higher level for off-ball picks was a good plan against a group that makes its living in the open floor offensively. It also allowed Harden and Mitchell to operate at whatever pace they preferred.
Harden probed and picked his spots, whether it was drawing attention just long enough to move it to the next guy, attacking the heart of the Raptors’ defense, or getting a switch he liked to hit a patented stepback three. Mitchell put his explosiveness on display, whether he rejected the screen or used it, utilizing his power dribble to kickstart drives and quick twitch to create space for sidestep treys.
“You get James and Don downhill, get their defender off of them early, give them a little space,” Dean Wade told ClutchPoints. ” They’re two very, very difficult people to stop in the open space. Give them a little space and just kind of let them do their thing, let them do what they do. It makes it, offensively a lot, easier.
“Just don’t have to do much. Just kind of keep giving them space, set a good screen, and get them free and let them play basketball.”
Cleveland’s All-Star backcourt combined for 54 points and 14 assists, helping the team both inside and outside.
“Get them downhill,” Jarrett Allen told ClutchPoints. “Donovan’s been getting downhill so much this series, he’s been able to attack the rim. playmake, and we already know James can do it at any rate. But just getting them downhill, where they have the choice between the pull-up jumper or a defender coming to have to help them and throwing the lob on the backside to Evan [Mobley] or I.
“That’s something hard to guard for any team.”
Both have both emphasized the critical nature of creating advantages to infiltrate the key. When Mitchell and Harden have all that real estate, it’s difficult to stay in front.
“I don’t know if you guys have noticed, but probably the three games before this, that’s all I was doing,” Mitchell said postgame on Saturday. “Even if we didn’t play these guys, just the mentality of getting downhill, putting your body and being in shape to do that every single play, right? And knowing that the three-ball’s going to be there. I feel like I can shoot on anybody, but it’s like trying to make it a point, not just to score.
“Down there, I found Sam [Merrill] in the corner. Obviously, he missed, but same thing, I found James top of the key, right? So just trying to just continue to put pressure on teams, and that’s where I feel like I thrive, and making a defense have to react to that.”
We’ll find out in Game 2 whether Toronto continues to be in Cleveland’s shirts that high in the half-court or if Darko Rajakovic sinks his coverage to clog up the lanes.
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