Tacko Fall, Tremont Waters Receive High Marks From Celtics, Red Claws Staff

https://www.forbes.com/sites/chrisgrenham/2020/04/29/tacko-fall-tremont-waters-receive-high-marks-from-celtics-red-claws-staff/#5923c4086c9d



Apr 29, 2020,08:30am EDT




Tacko Fall, Tremont Waters Receive High Marks From Celtics, Red Claws Staff



Chris GrenhamContributor




Hidden amid the NBA’s suspended season remains looming uncertainty in the G League. Yes, it’s more likely than not the league played its final games of the year on March 11, but there’s still plenty of question marks among the players.


Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge said last week he thinks Tacko Fall and Tremont Waters, Boston’s two-way players, can remain with the team if the NBA season resumes. That being said, neither is playoff eligible due to two-way contract regulations, meaning their rookie seasons virtually are finished.

With that in mind, I spoke to Maine Red Claws head coach Darren Erman, assistant coach Alex Barlow and other members of the Celtics organization about Fall and Waters’ first professional seasons. The team was impressed with the development of both players over the last nine months, so let’s go into some of the evaluations.


Tacko Fall
Fall became a fan favorite around the NBA during his rookie year, but he progressed in several different areas on the court during his 29 G League games with Maine.

In 23.3 minutes per night, Fall averaged 12.9 points, 11.1 rebounds and 2.9 blocks on 70.7 percent shooting. That was the second-highest field goal percentage and the third-most blocks per game among G League players. His 18 double-doubles ranked 10th in the league, posting 14 or more rebounds in 10 of those performances. He made five appearances with the Celtics, averaging three points and 1.6 rebounds in four minutes per game.

More than anything, Fall’s feel for the game and conditioning became increasingly better each night, something college players, especially bigs, often struggle with during their transition to the pro level.

“The biggest thing was getting him caught up to the speed of the game,” Barlow said. “It’s just so much faster than college. I thought he did a really good job with that. As the season progressed, you could just see the game slow down for him both offensively and defensively. The one thing he did a decent job of which was tough because he was going up and down between us and the Celtics so much was he stayed in pretty good shape. A guy like him is going to have to be in the best possible shape he can be to play four-, five-minute spurts and I thought he did a really good job with that.”


Erman discussed Fall’s adjustments to the pro level as well, noting changes to his interior game — namely being aware of his positioning in the post.

“I thought he was great. I thought he got a lot better,” Erman said. “Some of the things are just different than the college game. Billy Donovan recently eluded to this about the college game vs. the NBA and G League game, and Tacko and I talked about this throughout the whole season. Post-ups — we may throw you the ball in the post every now and then, but it’s different than college. We want you, for spacing purposes, to be opposite the ball a lot so it opens up driving gaps, you can dunk in, you can read where the ball’s going and relocate accordingly whether it be on the baseline or stick around in front of the basket. But he was so used to following the ball instead of going opposite the ball, which is better spacing and ultimately will help him.”

Fall’s adjustments were especially evident during the second half of the Red Claws’ season when his playing time increased after Justin Bibbs went down with an injury. It became second nature to his game, which is vital to the 7-foot-7 center’s development.

One of the major question marks in Fall’s game entering the season was his pick-and-roll defense. Positioning, footwork along the perimeter and situational awareness can all be tough areas for young players, and Fall’s size amplifies those difficulties. Despite that, he was able to make major strides defending the pick-and-roll in his rookie year. A Celtics team source highlighted this as Fall’s most important improvement during his rookie year, and both Erman and Barlow shared similar sentiments.

“Pick-and-roll defense, he got a lot better there,” Erman said. “There were games where he just dominated protecting the paint. Understanding, for instance, how to play two in the pick-and-roll, the ball-handler and his man, without overcommitting to either one. I saw him at training camp with the Celtics and he did it a couple of times and early with us he did it, but where he got better was if the ball-handler was attacking him in the pick-and-roll while he was guarding his man, he would step up, his man would get behind him and all of a sudden it’d be a lob, a dunk, a drop-off or whatever, and he started to understand, let the guard come to him so he could play both the guard and the big better. He became really, really good at that. Like I was shocked when people scored on him in that specific situation by the end of the season.”


“Defensively he got better throughout the year in pick-and-roll coverage and being able to guard 2-on-1,” Barlow added. “Obviously he’s great if he can just stand at the rim, but at times we’d have to move him up a little bit to take away the mid-range when teams got hot. I thought he did a really good job with that.”


Fall also showed some versatility with his matchups, something many felt wasn’t going to be an option when he began his career. Beginning to progress this area of his game was a huge development for Fall’s skillset.

“He also got better at guarding range-shooting bigs, meaning bigs that can shoot 3’s,” Erman said. “He probably didn’t have to experience that much in college, but in the G League we played Dean Wade of Canton and he guarded him, who was like the Kevin Love of the G League and could shoot. He was a two-way guy and played with the Cavaliers some, so Tacko got experience guarding guys like that. The development aspect was tremendous for Tacko and he ran with it.”


In today’s NBA, an effective big is one who is comfortable making reads and working along the perimeter. Fall has a ways to go there, but he made some important improvements to his outside game in year one.

“Offensively, he got better with his perimeter skills,” Barlow said. “I mean, he’s never going to be perimeter-oriented, at least I don’t think he’ll ever be a 3-point shooter. But with the way coach (Brad) Stevens likes to run stuff, him being able to make simple hand-offs, catch it in the seam and make a simple read or catch it in the post and they come and trap — being able to pass out of that — it’s important. He did a good job. He still needs to get better at all those areas, but I thought he improved there throughout the year.”

The Celtics like Fall’s potential and see his unique skillset as something that could develop into a valuable piece off an NBA bench.


Tremont Waters
The Celtics’ fourth and final selection in the 2019 NBA Draft proved rather quickly to be a steal at the 51st overall pick. Waters tore up the G League in his first professional season, averaging 18 points, 7.3 assists, 3.2 rebounds and 1.9 steals in 36 games with the Red Claws.

At 5-foot-10, Waters’ height, or lack thereof, worried some during the pre-draft process. Defensive concerns always come along with smaller guards at the pro level, and it was no different for Waters despite coming off SEC Defensive Player of the Year honors in 2018-19. He’s a flashy playmaker who shines offensively, so his skill at the other end of the floor can sometimes get overlooked. But Erman, Barlow and the Celtics staff were very aware of his defensive presence throughout his rookie season.

Erman and Barlow had very similar assessments of Waters’ defensive skillset, highlighting his impressive instincts more than anything else. Of course, Waters is well aware of that gift, meaning the next big step is learning when to gamble on those instincts. Erman liked the point guard’s progress in that category during his 36 games in Maine.

“He has really good hands and really good instincts, so that’s going to help him a lot at any level he plays — he just has natural gifts,” Erman said. “He was already good at that, but he got better at doing it some. Understanding when to gamble, that was one thing, especially for a player like Tremont with great instincts. (Tom) Thibodeau used to tell me with Latrell Sprewell, ‘You have to let Latrell be Latrell.’ Sometimes you let him go outside what might be the gameplan for others because he has such good instincts. Same thing with Andre Iguodala when I coached him in Golden State — their instincts are just great. Tremont has those things, so you have to let him take gambles because he’s really good at it, but learn when to take them. Like you don’t take them three times in a row. Maybe take one here, and if you don’t get it, you’re more careful the next time. He started to get that.”

Barlow had almost identical thoughts on Waters’ instincts, but also noted his improvements defending the pick-and-roll. At LSU, he was able to use his natural gifts to carry his defensive game. Now, Waters needs to adjust to the pro-level where defensive schemes are far more complex.


“Defensively in the pick-and-roll, he got better at icing the ball, guarding the ball and getting into the ball,” Barlow said. “He still has a ways to go with that, but most rookies don’t pick up the defensive side of the ball as rookies. It takes time. It’s so much different than college. He wasn’t asked to do as much in college other than really get steals. Here, he has to be solid. He has to be able to direct the ball, ice it, execute on coverages and I think throughout the year he did a better job and improved in those areas.”

Waters was asked to do so many different things at a high level for the Red Claws, something Erman felt was a testament to his conditioning. Yes, he impressed defensively, but he simultaneously was commanding the offense each time up the floor. That kind of activity on both ends can take a lot out of a player, but Waters held his own.

“He had games where he dominated defensively,” Erman said. “We played College Park and he was really good on the ball, like elite-level, but it was also hard for him. Like this is one thing he got better at — conditioning matters so much. Danny Ainge is big on it because if you’re running a team you have to play defense and you’re involved in a lot of pick-and-rolls because you’re on the ball — you have to be in elite shape. We’re playing a fast-paced game where you have the ball in your hand 70 percent of the time and you’re also guarding the ball 70 percent of the time. If you want to be good at defense and offense, you have to get in great shape and he started to do that and really came along. He had a lot of flashes and was getting more consistent at it.”

The Celtics always have known of Waters’ offensive abilities. That was a major reason why they took a shot at him with one of their second-round picks, but his feel for the game, court vision and well-rounded skillset blew some people away within the organization this year. From the jump, Waters regularly made highlight-reel plays look absurdly casual.



“It’s just a gift. Coaches that get a player like that are just lucky,” Erman said. “Our front office did a good job because there are some things you can’t teach, and he has that ability to see the plays.”

Waters did a good job of learning when to turn that aggressiveness on or off as the season progressed. He can read opponents much better than most guards, which plays to his advantage, but sometimes the risk might not be worth the reward. A Celtics team source noted earlier this season they were very impressed with Waters’ situational awareness with the ball in his hand, something they felt was far beyond other players his age.

“Sometimes it’s a bit of an amazement,” Barlow added. “When he nutmegged a guy with 50 seconds left in the game when they’re trying to foul, I’m just like, ‘Did he really just do that?’ You have to some have moxie and some confidence in yourself to do some of the stuff he did. Some of the passes he even sees — I mean we might see them on the bench as coaches because we don’t have the ball. Nobody’s guarding us so we’re surveying the whole court. To see him make some of the passes he does in the game, they’re pretty incredible.”


One thing that has impressed Erman and members of the Celtics coaching staff was Waters’ ability to succeed with varying personnel. Injuries happen throughout a season, and gameplans change as players come and go. Even as a rookie, Waters never skipped a beat despite constant lineup changes.

“It’s a tribute to him, our team was different,” Erman said. “We started the year with Yante (Maten) at the five and Kaiser (Gates) at the four. The floor was much more open for him. Tremont had a lot of space to operate, make plays and he ran our team at a high level. Then we had some injuries to our three, Justin (Bibbs) was out, so Tacko was starting at the five, Yante was now our four and Kaiser was our three and our spacing was a little different. Tremont, to his credit, ran our team, but he had to run it a little differently in that the court wasn’t as open. He still found ways to be effective and help us win.”

If you had to nail down one consensus opinion about Waters within the Celtics organization, it’s that he’s an NBA player. His two-way value shined with the Red Claws in addition to his six games in Boston, all but solidifying Boston’s view of Waters as an NBA guard.

“I think Tremont is one of those guys that if you put them in an NBA game right now, they can fit right in,” Erman said. “Tremont can fit in, he knows how to play, he has natural gifts and instincts that are high-level. He could be a backup point guard right now. He has a real good feel for the game and he impacted Celtics games at a high level a couple of times.”


That feel for the game pairs nicely with Waters’ work ethic. Over his rookie year, little things like his finishing package, off-ball positioning and defensive versatility consistently improved. That constant development is something that should make him a pro for a long time. Waters hasn’t let the suspended season stop him from working, either. He’s managed to get in daily workouts at a home gym in New Canaan, Conn. during the coronavirus outbreak.

“I definitely think he has NBA talent,” Barlow concluded. “He can play in the NBA. I think coach Stevens has no problem when he has to throw him in the game and put him out there. He trusts him. He knows he’s going to do a good job. For all small guards, they just have to figure out ways to continuously improve, to continuously not get picked on defensively. He’s a smart kid, he works hard and he’s got the skill level. He’ll figure all that out to be able to be a pro for a long time. As you saw with Brad, if you put him on an NBA court right now, he’s going to be successful and give your team a chance to be successful. I definitely think he’s an NBA-level player.”



bob

Even with these glowing remarks from the Maine coaching staff, neither Fall nor Waters has any where near a lock for a Celtics roster spot next season.

Both guys have many players ahead of them and every one of these guys have more experience at the NBA level.  And, the Cs will be adding at least one or two new rookies from this season's draft as well.

Not sure about who Waters has to push aside, but Fall would have been a better NBA contributor during the entire 2019-20 season than Poirier if he had been given the chance.

Wide,

Solid points all around.

I can't see Waters or Fall ever spending much time in Boston, but they've been very good additions for Maine. It makes one happy for those two and for Red Claws fans.

I also believe your take on a rookie or two being added has some serious validity. Between the draft, free agent shopping, and maybe a minor trade or two, I'd expect time in Boston to be done for Waters, Fall and at least three others that I can think of from the current roster. I'm sold on the idea the roster will get deeper. The time to contend should finally be back.

Regards