Anatomy of an alley oop: How & when Boston Celtics Gordon Hayward decides to toss one to Robert Williams (video)

https://www.masslive.com/celtics/2019/11/anatomy-of-an-alley-oop-how-when-boston-celtics-gordon-hayward-decides-to-toss-one-to-robert-williams-video.html




Anatomy of an alley oop: How & when Boston Celtics Gordon Hayward decides to toss one to Robert Williams (video)




Updated 1:37 PM;Today 1:34 PM




Boston Celtics' Gordon Hayward, center, drives between Cleveland Cavaliers' Matthew Dellavedova, right, and Alfonzo McKinnie in the first half of an NBA basketball game, Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2019, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Tony Dejak)




By John Karalis | JKaralis@masslive.com




There’s a fair amount of gushing over Gordon Hayward’s game against the Cleveland Cavaliers last night, and for good reason. His 39 point performance was one of his best ever offensive games.

Hayward also added eight assists to his monster scoring output, most of which were directly tied to his ability to get into the paint.

“He was aggressive going to the basket,” Brad Stevens said after the game. “He just kept making the right play over and over. And when they did eventually start trapping him he hit Rob for a couple of those dunks.”


One of those dunks was a pretty alley oop late in the third quarter. We all love a nice alley oop, but have you ever wondered what it takes for a guy to throw one and why it was open?

Here’s a quick breakdown of a Hayward to Williams alley oop that explains exactly what Hayward sees on the floor and when he makes the decision to throw the pass.



Hayward’s court vision is exceptional, and it’s no surprise to see him make the right play like this.

Further, you can see how important it is to get the ball into the paint and force a defense to make a decision. Now that you’ve seen the above video, you can see how Marcus Smart decides to throw this alley oop to Daniel Theis.

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Just like Hayward, Smart saw the big in front of him fully squared and ready to contest the drive. Smart is a master at this play, and he also makes the instant decision to throw the lob as soon as he’s baited the big.

These are quick reads in the moment, but now that you know what to look for, you can see the alley oops coming a moment before they actually happen.



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