What is drop coverage? Explaining defensive scheme used by Rudy ...

The NBA Playoffs are a chess match.

When the field gets narrowed down to the best teams in the league, it is all about trying to create mismatches to gain any possible advantage. That's why rotations shorten up and coaches lean on players who can play on both sides of the ball.

Pick-and-rolls are one way that teams try to create mismatches to get their most prolific scorer on their opponent's weakest — or slowest — defender. With an increased focus on defensive versatility and switching, it becomes easier for teams to hunt particular matchups.

Teams with elite rim protectors who aren't the quickest on the perimeter will try and avoid those switches by using a scheme called "drop coverage." You've likely heard this term if you've tuned into a Timberwolves game because four-time Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert is the poster child of this tactic.

What is drop coverage and what are the advantages and disadvantages? The Sporting News breaks it down below.

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What is drop coverage?

Drop coverage is a defensive scheme against a pick-and-roll to prevent the ball-handler from getting to the rim.

The screener's defender will drop back into the paint to protect the basket and contain the ball-handler as the on-ball defender tries to recover from the screen. The idea is to force the ball-handler into taking a difficult midrange shot, a contested layup or pass out of the action.

Take a look at an example of Gobert playing drop coverage against a Luka Doncic pick-and-roll in Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals:

Daniel Gafford sets a high ball screen but Gobert stays at the 3-point line, getting ready for Doncic as he attacks.

Gobert falls back to the free throw line, containing Doncic just long enough to let Jaden McDaniels fight around the screen and recover back to the ball.

Gobert flashes his 7-9 wingspan (as he's being held by Gafford) to make Doncic think twice about shooting before McDaniels can finally get in front.

Being the offensive weapon that he is, Doncic executes a little sidestep to get a decent look, but Gobert bought McDaniels enough time to contest the shot and force a miss.

With an all-time great rim protector who is a little slow-footed like Gobert, drop coverage is the perfect pick-and-roll scheme.

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The disadvantages of drop coverage

Like any defensive scheme, talented offensive players can find a way to dissect drop coverage. Lob threats like Gafford and Dereck Lively II give Doncic the perfect pairing to crack the code.

Doncic is just as good of a passer as he is a scorer. He'll remain patient as he attacks the basket, waiting for the perfect time to get Gobert to bite before finding his big for a lob and easy dunk.

Other disadvantages of the drop coverage scheme arise when the big man screening can shoot or the big man defending the screen isn't quick or long enough to keep the play in front.

We saw the Celtics get killed by the Tyrese Haliburton-Myles Turner high ball screen in Game 1 for both those reasons — Al Horford and Luke Kornet were either getting blown by off the bounce, couldn't recover against Turner's roll or couldn't get back out to the perimeter to contest Turner's 3s.

The Celtics countered by putting one of their bigger, faster wings — Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown or Jrue Holiday — on Turner to neutralize the advantages Indiana was creating. They stuck with that plan (with a few other changes) in Game 2, which resulted in a blowout victory.

Drop coverage is a great defensive scheme if you have the right big man but it gets tricky when the pick-and-roll pairing is a multi-talented offensive threat.