One of the most exciting aspects of NBA fandom is watching a promising young player tap into his lofty potential. Sometimes it happens in a hurry, but oftentimes it occurs incrementally. Boston Celtics wing Jaylen Brown falls into the latter category, as he’s gradually grown from a high-upside-yet-erratic teenage rookie into a steady, dynamic scoring…
Scouting reports are especially vital at the highest levels of basketball. They prepare players for personnel tidbits, identify an opponent’s best or most frequent sets, and unify the team in a direction for how to attack both. Those reports will have a video and written component most times, so different learners can digest the information…
The departure of Kyrie Irving may have dominated headlines over the summer, but the loss of Al Horford could prove to be more troublesome for the Boston Celtics. Despite Irving’s defection to the Brooklyn Nets, the Celtics were quick to land a suitable replacement in Kemba Walker. When it comes to Boston’s depth at the…
Earlier this week, we published a piece on the surprising analytic findings surrounding after timeout (ATO) situations. The data points show a slight shift favoring the defenses in these situations, despite the offense having the opportunity to reset in a specific and patterned manner under the coach’s direction. Thus, it’s more difficult to score after…
When the Boston Celtics and Kyrie Irving divorce became inevitable, the franchise saw an opportunity. With a few shrewd moves, including a draft night trade and the renouncing of some key free agent cap holds, the Celtics could once again clear enough room to offer a max contract on the open market. The target of…
The origins of the Princeton offense predate the NBA itself, first popping up at, you guessed it, Princeton University in the late 1930s. 80 years later, it’s alive and well in the best basketball league in the world, with variations and updates made to the core principles along the way. While it’s rare to see…
The loose collection of men that gathers on the Boston Garden’s sidelines, carrying clipboards and wearing shamrock jerseys is not a team, just “a bunch of individuals.” What is wrong with the Boston Celtics? Finding that answer is an infuriating challenge. What’s missing? Everything should be feeling right for this roster. The team rolled into…
Watch the NBA long enough and many of the sets start to look mighty similar. After all, any sport at the highest level is a copycat league where coaches steal great concepts from each other. In a league that puts such a high emphasis on scouting and knowing the plays coming on the next possession,…
