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Nic Batum Says Sixers Coaches Showed Him Tyler Herro Play Before Key Block
Published:
This is good:
Nico Batum said postgame he was able to block Tyler Herro’s 3 in the clutch because the Sixers coaching staff showed him the exact the play the Heat ended up running just a minute before.
“Coaches showed me that play literally like a minute before. So I was expecting that play.” pic.twitter.com/pQmA1wMhdV
— Daniel Olinger (@dan_olinger) April 18, 2024
Now to be fair, this isn’t some super-secret design that Erik Spoelstra concocted in the lab. It’s a hand off into a high middle pick and roll.
What makes it quality is how the Sixers play it. Bam Adebayo sets the screen to Batum’s left, and he does a really nice job of staying over and keeping tight to Herro. There’s an option for Herro to go left, and try Joel Embiid instead, but you see how high Embiid is playing. He’s standing a foot above the three point line because it’s a three-point game and the Sixers are obviously in a denial situation.
What should be commended here is the identification of opponent tendencies, the understanding of how Herro likes to operate in these situations. Even before the PNR, there’s a little back door shrug from Herro to create some space, and Batum slides appropriately and gets underneath Adebayo to the other side. They just played it really well and got a key defensive play at a key moment. Batum was just as good on the defensive side as the offensive side.
Kevin has been writing about Philadelphia sports since 2009. He spent seven years in the CBS 3 sports department and started with the Union during the team's 2010 inaugural season. He went to the academic powerhouses of Boyertown High School and West Virginia University. email - k.kinkead@sportradar.com