The Center Position - The 3-point Defense Conundrum

[Alleyoopster]

One common strategy opposing teams take against the Celtics perimeter defense is to keep setting picks until a good 3-pt shooter matches up against one of our bigs.

This creates a defensive assignment dilemma. If one of our centers gets too close to their smaller player, then they can easily drive by them for either an easier shot or an assist. If they play too far back, which they normally do, then they hit their shots with uncanny accuracy. (My personal opinion is that their out-stretched hands act like a front-sight in a riffle - providing greater accuracy rather than as a deterrent.)

On the other hand, if we take out our bigs, then it creates mismatches against taller opponents.

What's a coach to do? Play our bigs and pray for the best? Come up with alternate switching schemes when they know opponents are using this strategy?

Or, play tweeners like Svi or Lamar who can cover the perimeter, yet have size and some muscle. (TBH: I don't know how good a perimeter defender Johnson might be. I just suggested him as an example. Svi's guards the perimeter well.)

Queta may have the physical tools to come out a little further without getting burned. Plus, his outstretched arm length may prove to be a distraction. At least that is what I saw in one particular play. (The player still hit the shot though.)

Anyone else have any strategies or personnel suggestions as to how to solve this defensive assignment conundrum?

[BitterJim]

You do what you do with all players: you play them if their offense adds more than their defense takes away (well, for bench players sometimes it's just that they are less negative than your other options). In the case of Porzingis and Horford, they clearly do add more. For Kornet and Queta... Not so much, so they're matchup-dependant.

For this specific issue, though, the problem isn't so much the players as how the players fit in the defensive scheme. But that's also not so simple; if the way we defend results in less efficient shots overall, then you have to live with some of those threes. I think the best move is probably to play more switchable lineups when the other team really needs threes, but the majority of the time just rely on the offensive and interior impacts of our bigs outweighing those occasional 3s. When Porzingis and Horford are healthy, I don't think we need to worry about it at all.

Edit: and as for outstretched hands acting as a gun sight, I don't buy it. If the hand is at all to the right or left if the rim then it would make the shot worse, not better, and that would be the case most of the time.