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Maryland Whipsnakes attackman TJ Malone

Razor Sharp: Previewing the Whipsnakes’ pick game against Atlas

By Adam Lamberti | Sep 5, 2024

Razor picks are a staple of the Maryland Whipsnakes offense.

A razor pick is when an offensive player, usually with a short-stick matchup, sets a pick near or at X to allow another offensive player to run off of it to try to turn the corner and score.

The Whipsnakes most often use these picks for TJ Malone. 

Malone is so good at taking what the defense gives him. If he has a step, he’ll turn the corner and score. If he doesn’t have a step, his eyes are always up looking for a cutter. If he gets doubled, he throws it back immediately and lets his teammate find the open man.

The Whipsnakes also love to razor picks for Zed Williams as well as screens on the right wing, his sweet spot.

While there are many marquee matchups in the Whipsnakes’ semifinal matchup against the New York Atlas this Saturday, the one that could impact the game the most is this two-man game.

With Williams and Malone, the Whipsnakes generate the most shots off the pick game at X in the PLL (6.1 per game). On the flip side, the Atlas allow the fewest shots off the pick game at X (3.1 per game).

A lot of this is due to the play of New York’s star defender, Gavin Adler.

One of the finalists for the Dave Pietramala Defensive Player of the Year Award, Adler is a problem for the opposition.

While only standing 5-foot-8, Adler is an instinctual defender who has a great stick, both tipping passes and off the ground.

And, most noteworthy for the Whipsnakes, he’s excellent in the pick game. He uses excellent awareness and feet to navigate through picks, much like Whipsnakes rookie Ajax Zappitello. 

The Whipsnakes will certainly not shy away from this matchup, but they'll need to have eyes on Adler at all times.

In particular, they need to be ready for a double off the razor pick.

When guarding Williams especially, Adler likes to be aggressive in getting back to that matchup and/or double-teaming when he gets picked.

Williams does a good job of moving it quickly to an open teammate in these clips. He will need to be ready for this again.

For Malone, he also needs to expect these doubles this weekend. The Denver Outlaws caused a turnover on Malone with a quick double, something the Atlas will definitely see on film.

If they anticipate this double team, the Whipsnakes can use this to their advantage. On a quick double, they can throw it back to the picker, leaving an advantage on the backside.

I’d also like to see the Whipsnakes think about slipping the pick early. Primary pick guys Colin Heacock, Adam Poitras and Jack Koras can look to slip the pick before Malone or Williams runs off of it.

The reason? Adler is so aggressive in wanting to stay on his matchup, this can create confusion for the Atlas defense. Take the Utah Archers, for example. With savvy lefties Dyson Williams and Connor Fields, the Archers are able to cause confusion with a slip, giving Fields an open look.

When a picker slips early, defensive miscommunications can occur. Suddenly, the player slipping to the net becomes more of a threat and leaves Adler and the short stick unsure of how to play it. 

For this weekend, both teams will stick with what got them here. The Whipsnakes will run numerous picks while the Atlas will look to be aggressive and cause turnovers with a double team.

In a matchup of two high-powered teams, the outcome could be decided in the details of this cat-and-mouse game.

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