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The Most Beautiful Box Score - Part II
by bobheckler Thu Oct 09, 2014 11:03 am
http://www.celticsblog.com/2014/10/9/6950031/boston-celtics-sets-actions-beautiful-box-score-scoring-offense
The most beautiful box score, part II
By wjsy on Oct 9 2014, 8:00a 13
David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports
I'm in love with the stat sheet.
When Danny put together the 2012-2013 roster, I thought that that was the most talented team he had assembled in the Big Three era. That summer, he added Jason Terry, Courtney Lee, Jared Sullinger, Leandro Barbosa, and Darko Milicic. The Celtics were deep and versatile. Injuries to Rajon Rondo and Sully would derail that year and eventually pull the curtain on an era in Boston, but there were some promising moments that season. In a random game in January, they beat a Suns team to get a game over .500 and I called it The Most Beautiful Box Score. Shots were evenly distributed, nobody was over worked, and the defense was clicking.
Here's the box score from last night's game vs. the Knicks:
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Now, it's just the preseason and only the second game, but you can see how this team is starting to gel. Without arguably their two most dynamic players in Jeff Green and Rajon Rondo, these Celtics were able to cut up a more seasoned Knicks team where nobody was a clear #1 (unless you count Jared Sullinger's 23 points from a very efficient 12 shots) and the offense generated good looks for everybody. On a night where New York was going to debut The Triangle under Derek Fisher, it was Boston that played beautiful basketball.
Boston Celtics ✔ @celtics
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Avery Bradley thinks C's can consistently score at a high level. "If we run our O the right way, it will get us good looks at the basket"
7:20 PM - 8 Oct 2014
106 RETWEETS 155 FAVORITES
When Brad Stevens talks about the new read-and-react offense, you hear a lot about sets and actions. He stresses that the ball moves at a deliberate pace and that everybody should have a chance to score in this equal opportunity system. That's easier said than done, but in two games, the team has recorded two 20-point blowouts and more importantly, the Celtics are playing with more energy and purpose and without an elite superstar (until Rondo comes back), sharing the ball.
This set starts with everybody, including both bigs on the perimeter. Kelly Olynyk starts at the top of the circle and initiates the offense dribbling to his right. Marcus Smart fakes a down screen for Evan Turner, but Turner goes corner to corner on the baseline. Smart quickly reverses the ball to the opposite side with Sullinger giving Turner a dribble hand off screen as he penetrates the middle and finally kicks out to Kelly for an open 3. Watch the action over and over again as the Knicks--particularly J.R. Smith--get lost in the weave and run into each other.
This is classic Spurs misdirection. Olynyk sets up a dribble hand off with Smart. Carmelo Anthony, Samuel Dalembert, and Smith are all concerned with that weak side action. When Sullinger gets the ball on the reverse, Bradley has the option to either screen down for Turner to get the ball or cut back door. Because Smith is out of position, Avery has an open lane to the cup after a beautiful bounce pass from Sully.
In this next set, the Celtics run a similar action as above. Smart tries to cut behind Jose Calderon but Calderon sniffs it out. The sets off the counter play. Olynyk rotates the ball to Gerald Wallace and they get the switch that they're looking for. Olynyk has the smaller Carmelo on his back but Smart instead takes the elbow three.
And if all else fails, we can run Tim Frazier-Rodney McGruder alley-oops for the rest of the preseason.
Yes, it's preseason, but this early confidence breeds success and as Marcus Thornton says, "we're building habits for the regular season now. Good habits will carry over. That's what we're trying to do."
bob
MY NOTE: To be honest, I don't understand what all this has to do with the box score. Maybe that was explained in Part I and I missed it. However, those first two .gifs are beautiful. Nice movement and nice timing. Note that, in both of them, there was a slash by the player that was on the wing/top as the player on the wing/side came up top to replace him. In one the slasher got the pass and the layup, in the other he dragged the defense down while the man who replaced him came on top to get the ball and drag the defense down below the free throw line for Kelly who popped out for the wide-open 3. The timing on the slash and the bounce pass from Sully, as well as the pop out after the slasher cleared the area, were all perfect. That actually does look a little like Spurs ball, doesn't it?
.
The most beautiful box score, part II
By wjsy on Oct 9 2014, 8:00a 13
David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports
I'm in love with the stat sheet.
When Danny put together the 2012-2013 roster, I thought that that was the most talented team he had assembled in the Big Three era. That summer, he added Jason Terry, Courtney Lee, Jared Sullinger, Leandro Barbosa, and Darko Milicic. The Celtics were deep and versatile. Injuries to Rajon Rondo and Sully would derail that year and eventually pull the curtain on an era in Boston, but there were some promising moments that season. In a random game in January, they beat a Suns team to get a game over .500 and I called it The Most Beautiful Box Score. Shots were evenly distributed, nobody was over worked, and the defense was clicking.
Here's the box score from last night's game vs. the Knicks:
Now, it's just the preseason and only the second game, but you can see how this team is starting to gel. Without arguably their two most dynamic players in Jeff Green and Rajon Rondo, these Celtics were able to cut up a more seasoned Knicks team where nobody was a clear #1 (unless you count Jared Sullinger's 23 points from a very efficient 12 shots) and the offense generated good looks for everybody. On a night where New York was going to debut The Triangle under Derek Fisher, it was Boston that played beautiful basketball.
Boston Celtics ✔ @celtics
Follow
Avery Bradley thinks C's can consistently score at a high level. "If we run our O the right way, it will get us good looks at the basket"
7:20 PM - 8 Oct 2014
106 RETWEETS 155 FAVORITES
When Brad Stevens talks about the new read-and-react offense, you hear a lot about sets and actions. He stresses that the ball moves at a deliberate pace and that everybody should have a chance to score in this equal opportunity system. That's easier said than done, but in two games, the team has recorded two 20-point blowouts and more importantly, the Celtics are playing with more energy and purpose and without an elite superstar (until Rondo comes back), sharing the ball.
This set starts with everybody, including both bigs on the perimeter. Kelly Olynyk starts at the top of the circle and initiates the offense dribbling to his right. Marcus Smart fakes a down screen for Evan Turner, but Turner goes corner to corner on the baseline. Smart quickly reverses the ball to the opposite side with Sullinger giving Turner a dribble hand off screen as he penetrates the middle and finally kicks out to Kelly for an open 3. Watch the action over and over again as the Knicks--particularly J.R. Smith--get lost in the weave and run into each other.
This is classic Spurs misdirection. Olynyk sets up a dribble hand off with Smart. Carmelo Anthony, Samuel Dalembert, and Smith are all concerned with that weak side action. When Sullinger gets the ball on the reverse, Bradley has the option to either screen down for Turner to get the ball or cut back door. Because Smith is out of position, Avery has an open lane to the cup after a beautiful bounce pass from Sully.
In this next set, the Celtics run a similar action as above. Smart tries to cut behind Jose Calderon but Calderon sniffs it out. The sets off the counter play. Olynyk rotates the ball to Gerald Wallace and they get the switch that they're looking for. Olynyk has the smaller Carmelo on his back but Smart instead takes the elbow three.
And if all else fails, we can run Tim Frazier-Rodney McGruder alley-oops for the rest of the preseason.
Yes, it's preseason, but this early confidence breeds success and as Marcus Thornton says, "we're building habits for the regular season now. Good habits will carry over. That's what we're trying to do."
bob
MY NOTE: To be honest, I don't understand what all this has to do with the box score. Maybe that was explained in Part I and I missed it. However, those first two .gifs are beautiful. Nice movement and nice timing. Note that, in both of them, there was a slash by the player that was on the wing/top as the player on the wing/side came up top to replace him. In one the slasher got the pass and the layup, in the other he dragged the defense down while the man who replaced him came on top to get the ball and drag the defense down below the free throw line for Kelly who popped out for the wide-open 3. The timing on the slash and the bounce pass from Sully, as well as the pop out after the slasher cleared the area, were all perfect. That actually does look a little like Spurs ball, doesn't it?
.
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Re: The Most Beautiful Box Score - Part II
by Outside Thu Oct 09, 2014 12:37 pm
I've seen only a few minutes of the first two games, but I like what I've seen at both ends.
On offense, I'm always a sucker for lots of ball and player movement, and in Boston's case, it seems especially purposeful, and by that, I mean that it's all designed to result in an open shot once the defense breaks down.
Once thing that I've noticed in what little I've seen is that the movement is largely dependent on dribbling. For example, I saw what appeared to be a version of the weave at the top of the key, but instead of the classic version where three players pass the ball to each other as they weave in and out, the three players were dribbling and handing off as they wove in and out. I wonder if it will feature more passing and less dribbling once they get the hang of it.
It's early, and the Knicks are a great opponent to practice the offense against because their defense is passive and allows the Celtics to master the basics. The best way to attack this offense is being aggressive, forcing players in directions they don't want to go, disrupting passing lanes, and being up in the face of ballhandlers. The Knicks are all giving the Celtics space, letting them go where they want, and passively reacting to what the Celtics do rather than imposing any defensive will.
A big plus for Boston is that so few teams in the league run anything like this that players won't be used to defending it and likely won't defend it well.
It's only preseason, but this looks light years better than the Celtics' offense last year. Stevens came into this year knowing exactly what he wanted to do and exactly how to maximize the available practice time.
It's also evident why Stevens wants his bigs to be three-point threats -- it forces the opposing big away from the basket so that he is a less effective rebounder and rim protector/help defender, and it opens the floor up to passing and slashing angles.
All of that also means that this offense should be far better suited to utilizing Jeff Green's talents. He should be far more efficient as the recipient of passes as he slashes to the basket rather than starting with the ball on the perimeter. It's also unlike anything Rondo has run before and will basically force him to alter his game, making him give up the ball to become part of the machine instead of dominating the ball. It will be interesting to see how that plays out when those guys return.
The interchangeability of players, player and ball movement, and spacing are definitely reminiscent of the Spurs. It's early, and there will be bumps in the road, but this could be very good stuff.
On offense, I'm always a sucker for lots of ball and player movement, and in Boston's case, it seems especially purposeful, and by that, I mean that it's all designed to result in an open shot once the defense breaks down.
Once thing that I've noticed in what little I've seen is that the movement is largely dependent on dribbling. For example, I saw what appeared to be a version of the weave at the top of the key, but instead of the classic version where three players pass the ball to each other as they weave in and out, the three players were dribbling and handing off as they wove in and out. I wonder if it will feature more passing and less dribbling once they get the hang of it.
It's early, and the Knicks are a great opponent to practice the offense against because their defense is passive and allows the Celtics to master the basics. The best way to attack this offense is being aggressive, forcing players in directions they don't want to go, disrupting passing lanes, and being up in the face of ballhandlers. The Knicks are all giving the Celtics space, letting them go where they want, and passively reacting to what the Celtics do rather than imposing any defensive will.
A big plus for Boston is that so few teams in the league run anything like this that players won't be used to defending it and likely won't defend it well.
It's only preseason, but this looks light years better than the Celtics' offense last year. Stevens came into this year knowing exactly what he wanted to do and exactly how to maximize the available practice time.
It's also evident why Stevens wants his bigs to be three-point threats -- it forces the opposing big away from the basket so that he is a less effective rebounder and rim protector/help defender, and it opens the floor up to passing and slashing angles.
All of that also means that this offense should be far better suited to utilizing Jeff Green's talents. He should be far more efficient as the recipient of passes as he slashes to the basket rather than starting with the ball on the perimeter. It's also unlike anything Rondo has run before and will basically force him to alter his game, making him give up the ball to become part of the machine instead of dominating the ball. It will be interesting to see how that plays out when those guys return.
The interchangeability of players, player and ball movement, and spacing are definitely reminiscent of the Spurs. It's early, and there will be bumps in the road, but this could be very good stuff.
Outside- Posts : 3019
Join date : 2009-11-05
Re: The Most Beautiful Box Score - Part II
by Sam Thu Oct 09, 2014 3:45 pm
Ball movement was a constant in both games. Player movement was more evident in the second game than the first. I liked the way guys who passed followed their passes, resulting in several old-fashined give-and-go plays and somewhat reminiscent of the old weave.
Like the Spurs in last season's finals, the Celtics often seemed to have a player who was open. And, if that opening disappeared, there was another teammate open.
What made the whole thing work, in my opinion, was the constant push of the ball. The Knicks' defense was frequently caught with its jock down, and they were clearly fatigued as the game wore on. And the fact that the Celts played them very tightly on defense further drained the Knicks' energy.
The word I think best describes the Celtics' offense last night is "persistent." Last season's team would typically try a play and, if it didn't work, they'd just give up and fling up a prayer. The Celts got a lot of open shots last night, and they also got a lot of opportunities going to the hoop. And, although I've been doubtful of Smart's floor general abilities, he threw some beautiful bounce passes leading teammates to the basket.
Sam
Like the Spurs in last season's finals, the Celtics often seemed to have a player who was open. And, if that opening disappeared, there was another teammate open.
What made the whole thing work, in my opinion, was the constant push of the ball. The Knicks' defense was frequently caught with its jock down, and they were clearly fatigued as the game wore on. And the fact that the Celts played them very tightly on defense further drained the Knicks' energy.
The word I think best describes the Celtics' offense last night is "persistent." Last season's team would typically try a play and, if it didn't work, they'd just give up and fling up a prayer. The Celts got a lot of open shots last night, and they also got a lot of opportunities going to the hoop. And, although I've been doubtful of Smart's floor general abilities, he threw some beautiful bounce passes leading teammates to the basket.
Sam
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Re: The Most Beautiful Box Score - Part II
by dbrown4 Thu Oct 09, 2014 4:44 pm
Damn guys. Now you are making me feel bad I didn't put the hard court press on my wife to get League Pass! This might be a very interesting season.
db
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Re: The Most Beautiful Box Score - Part II
by Shamrock1000 Thu Oct 09, 2014 5:24 pm
Db, do you (or anyone else) know if league pass provides access to all Celtics games, or just some large number of NBA games in general? I am getting tired of wading through pop-ups and declining installation of video players just to get free streaming....
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