James Harden saw multiple bodies on many of his on-ball possessions, Toronto swarmed any drives LA could muster, and this led to fastbreak points off of leak outs. Jamal Shead's fingerprints were all over this one early, especially as a playmaker, his speed empowering him to swing the ball around and slither his way to the basket. He finished the opening period with 10 points and 5 assists, reaping the benefits of his drives to the basket in the form of layups and free throws.
I remember assistant coach Pat Delany mentioning during his session the importance of making defense messy. He stressed that players should keep their arms moving, working on hand activity, staying focused and getting their chin on the ball. While this might sound like a chaotic, spazzy style of defense, Delany offered a key analogy: players need to have a " cobra mentality" instead of a " woodpecker mentality," waiting patiently for the right moment to strike.
