LaMelo’s Playing with Fire
6Gifs Hawks v. Hornets
January 9, 2021
LaMelo chases every rebound. On the offensive boards, it’s generally more valuable to get back on defense and let the bigs battle. But he was effective in this game. Three of his 12 rebounds came on the offensive glass.
When the other team’s shots go up, he positions himself under the rim as if waiting for a piñata to pop. These defensive rebounds jump-start the transition attack. But in other ways, he struggles to make a difference on defense. He deflected a couple passes, but he fell for too many pump fakes and got blown by on rushed closeouts.
What shines the brightest now are his natural strengths and abilities. He needs to learn to trust his 6'9" wingspan, and force players to finish over his length.
Creates a late-quarter open look with his strength and balance
Throughout the game, LaMelo created open shots at the end of quarters and against shrinking shot clocks. In these instances, he relied on his strength, balance, and length to "force" plays. Here, he tucks the ball like a running back and blasts through the double team.
Quiz time: What did the Hawks help defense do wrong?
Clever closeout
LaMelo is trapped between two shooters. If he commits and closes out to the wing, Kevin Huerter can make the simple pass for the higher percentage corner 3. But Huerter can’t be left open either. LaMelo’s solution: Run at the shooter while throwing his body, arms splayed, into the passing lane.
LaMelo usually expresses his creativity through his passing, but here we see how his creativity manifests itself on defense.
Spacing out on transition defense
While the shot is in the air, Lamelo wipes the bottom of his shoes. If De’Andre Hunter doesn’t sprint in transition, his idleness wouldn’t have mattered. But he needs to stay engaged throughout the play and get back in transition.
To be fair: His teammates are more guilty of not getting back, and he started the pinball passing sequence that led to this missed open 3.
Screen and dishes
LaMelo sets a solid screen and attacks the 4-on-3 situation off the short roll. He finishes the play with his go-to move — the jump pass. With his length, the jump pass creates wide passing windows through which he can deliver the ball faster over the top of the defense.
The Hornets ran this action a few times, but they should have used it more. It forces Trae Young, the Hawks weakest defender, into the play, and it puts LaMelo in a position to make plays with a numbers advantage.
¿Lamelo hable Español?
The Hornets run the Spain pick and roll. A Spain pick and roll is when a screen is set for the ball handler, and then a third player sets a screen on the player defending the man rolling to the rim. Here, P.J. Washington screens for LaMelo. Then, Terry Rozier sets a back screen on Clint Capela to take him out of the play.
Cam Reddish (in the paint) can’t come off his man without giving up the pass for the lob dunk.
When defenses break down like this, they need to stanch the bleeding — force offenses to throw an extra pass or take a less profitable shot. Here, Reddish needs to commit to LaMelo on the drive and Hunter needs to crash down on Washington to take away the lob. If that happens, the open play is the pass to the corner. Surrendering a corner 3 is undesirable, but it's better than giving up a guaranteed layup. The threat of LaMelo’s playmaking left the defenders rooted in place.
And 1
Coach Borrego needs to get the Hornets’ chemistry to the level of Ashley ShahAhmadi and Gerald Henderson.