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Austin Ainge: After Golden State Warriors championship, Boston Celtics 'cognizant of some evolution' in NBA
by bobheckler Thu Jun 18, 2015 3:02 pm
http://www.masslive.com/celtics/index.ssf/2015/06/austin_ainge_golden_state_warr.html#incart_story_package
Austin Ainge: After Golden State Warriors championship, Boston Celtics 'cognizant of some evolution' in NBA
Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry, center, forward Andre Iguodala (9) and forward Draymond Green (AP Photo/Ben Margot)
Print Email Jay King | mjking@masslive.com By Jay King | mjking@masslive.com
on June 17, 2015 at 4:00 PM
Austin Ainge: After Golden State Warriors championship, Boston Celtics 'cognizant of some evolution' in NBA
WALTHAM -- Watching the NBA Finals from afar, Austin Ainge noticed how the Golden State Warriors succeeded, how they downsized to run past the Cleveland Cavaliers. He saw the Warriors sit Andrew Bogut, a second team all-defensive center, for all 48 minutes of the decisive Game 6.
Even with their small lineups -- sometimes especially with their small lineups -- the Warriors could defend. They had Bogut, sure, but they didn't always need a traditional rim protector on the court. As Ainge pointed out, the league is trending in a new direction.
"We're all cognizant of some evolution that way," the Celtics director of player personnel said after a pre-draft workout. "Switching seems to be more popular, and speed and skill seems to be a little more valuable over size."
At times during the NBA Finals, LeBron James was the tallest player on the court for either team. The league has been changing for a while, going away from set positions, but this was different even by the shifting standards: two 6-foot-8 men playing center (sort of) on the game's biggest stage.
The evolution of basketball is something teams must consider as they approach the coming draft. Shooting and positional versatility is hugely important. Big men must be more mobile now, better shooters, or make up for it in other ways. Still, a team near the top of the draft will pick Jahlil Okafor, an old-school big man out of Duke. A number of centers are expected go in the lottery.
"You can win with those guys. They're good players," Ainge said. "Regardless of what the trends are, they're good, and you can use them."
He added: "There's a million ways to win and I just think you have to get the best players. (You don't want to) force the idea of a player in rather than the player himself. You can't deal in hypotheticals. (In the draft), it's always between this guy or that guy. Bad rim protection doesn't help. If he's a really good rim protector then that's one thing. But every team can do it differently. If you look over the last 10 championships there's been a variety of lineups and matchups. I think you can win (in different ways). You have to have talent, though."
Golden State had plenty of that. All season long, Stephen Curry swished 3-pointers nobody else should even try. Draymond Green and Andre Iguodala led a brigade of screen-switching, versatile defenders. The Warriors spread the court, shared the ball, and adopted whatever style their opponents could not handle. They were basketball shape-shifters, an indication of where the game could go.
After the season, Celtics head coach Brad Stevens called for his team to add versatility. He was always struck by Golden State's small lineup, the way Green could shift over to center, opening up so many possibilities at both ends of the court. In March, the Warriors used that unit to erase a huge deficit in Boston. Head coach Steve Kerr stuck with Green in the middle for much of the final three quarters.
"I knew that was going to happen today," Stevens said at the time. "I've watched enough film of these guys to know that their scariest lineup is (Harrison) Barnes at the 4, Green at the 5 because of the way they can all drive, all play, all pass, all shoot."
Would Stevens like to put together a version of that in Boston? Sure. A bundle of teams would love to play Golden State's beautiful style, finding the open man, firing up 3-pointers, running waves of long, mobile defenders onto the court. It's a great goal to have, but the Warriors were uniquely equipped to win in the manner they did.
"It wouldn't shock me if trends start to go the other way if somebody else wins," Ainge said. "You can't overreact to one year or two years. Again, I think Golden State won because they had the most talent. If Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving are out there and they're playing Thompson and Mozgov, we would have been saying, 'Oh, Golden State couldn't win because they weren't big enough.' You have to take it in stride and context."
bob
.
Austin Ainge: After Golden State Warriors championship, Boston Celtics 'cognizant of some evolution' in NBA
Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry, center, forward Andre Iguodala (9) and forward Draymond Green (AP Photo/Ben Margot)
Print Email Jay King | mjking@masslive.com By Jay King | mjking@masslive.com
on June 17, 2015 at 4:00 PM
Austin Ainge: After Golden State Warriors championship, Boston Celtics 'cognizant of some evolution' in NBA
WALTHAM -- Watching the NBA Finals from afar, Austin Ainge noticed how the Golden State Warriors succeeded, how they downsized to run past the Cleveland Cavaliers. He saw the Warriors sit Andrew Bogut, a second team all-defensive center, for all 48 minutes of the decisive Game 6.
Even with their small lineups -- sometimes especially with their small lineups -- the Warriors could defend. They had Bogut, sure, but they didn't always need a traditional rim protector on the court. As Ainge pointed out, the league is trending in a new direction.
"We're all cognizant of some evolution that way," the Celtics director of player personnel said after a pre-draft workout. "Switching seems to be more popular, and speed and skill seems to be a little more valuable over size."
At times during the NBA Finals, LeBron James was the tallest player on the court for either team. The league has been changing for a while, going away from set positions, but this was different even by the shifting standards: two 6-foot-8 men playing center (sort of) on the game's biggest stage.
The evolution of basketball is something teams must consider as they approach the coming draft. Shooting and positional versatility is hugely important. Big men must be more mobile now, better shooters, or make up for it in other ways. Still, a team near the top of the draft will pick Jahlil Okafor, an old-school big man out of Duke. A number of centers are expected go in the lottery.
"You can win with those guys. They're good players," Ainge said. "Regardless of what the trends are, they're good, and you can use them."
He added: "There's a million ways to win and I just think you have to get the best players. (You don't want to) force the idea of a player in rather than the player himself. You can't deal in hypotheticals. (In the draft), it's always between this guy or that guy. Bad rim protection doesn't help. If he's a really good rim protector then that's one thing. But every team can do it differently. If you look over the last 10 championships there's been a variety of lineups and matchups. I think you can win (in different ways). You have to have talent, though."
Golden State had plenty of that. All season long, Stephen Curry swished 3-pointers nobody else should even try. Draymond Green and Andre Iguodala led a brigade of screen-switching, versatile defenders. The Warriors spread the court, shared the ball, and adopted whatever style their opponents could not handle. They were basketball shape-shifters, an indication of where the game could go.
After the season, Celtics head coach Brad Stevens called for his team to add versatility. He was always struck by Golden State's small lineup, the way Green could shift over to center, opening up so many possibilities at both ends of the court. In March, the Warriors used that unit to erase a huge deficit in Boston. Head coach Steve Kerr stuck with Green in the middle for much of the final three quarters.
"I knew that was going to happen today," Stevens said at the time. "I've watched enough film of these guys to know that their scariest lineup is (Harrison) Barnes at the 4, Green at the 5 because of the way they can all drive, all play, all pass, all shoot."
Would Stevens like to put together a version of that in Boston? Sure. A bundle of teams would love to play Golden State's beautiful style, finding the open man, firing up 3-pointers, running waves of long, mobile defenders onto the court. It's a great goal to have, but the Warriors were uniquely equipped to win in the manner they did.
"It wouldn't shock me if trends start to go the other way if somebody else wins," Ainge said. "You can't overreact to one year or two years. Again, I think Golden State won because they had the most talent. If Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving are out there and they're playing Thompson and Mozgov, we would have been saying, 'Oh, Golden State couldn't win because they weren't big enough.' You have to take it in stride and context."
bob
.
bobheckler- Posts : 61300
Join date : 2009-10-28
Re: Austin Ainge: After Golden State Warriors championship, Boston Celtics 'cognizant of some evolution' in NBA
by Sam Thu Jun 18, 2015 3:34 pm
Interesting points about not being too quick to assume that recent changes constitute a long-term trend. As Ainge seems to suggest, changes have to be taken within the context of what the options are.
There never has been a "one size (so to speak) fits all" formula for the perfect team. Unsaid in a lot of this is the heightened importance on the ability of coaches to adapt to the deck they've been dealt. I'm bullish on the future of the Celtics very largely because of Brad's capacity to adapt and the wide range of adaptive options he possesses.
Go Celtics!
Sam
There never has been a "one size (so to speak) fits all" formula for the perfect team. Unsaid in a lot of this is the heightened importance on the ability of coaches to adapt to the deck they've been dealt. I'm bullish on the future of the Celtics very largely because of Brad's capacity to adapt and the wide range of adaptive options he possesses.
Go Celtics!
Sam
Sam- Admin
- Posts : 22663
Join date : 2009-10-10 -
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