Yeah I don’t like to grade in order of value as they each fill a specific role and need on this team. That’s a sign of a potentially great team where fit and role is more important than who is the better overall player. My take on Brogdon is that he checks all those boxes and is the most talented as well.
I'd rank them this way:
DARKO likes Smart best of those 4 as well.
Yeah, you have to look at the data points rather than the best fit line for guys like Al. His last 2 years have been good and just a very slow trend down from his early 30s.
The numbers support that eye test: the Celtics are something like +10 net rating in the 4th quarter this year, and consistently drop the hammer as the game progresses.
Al has really become a spot up shooter on offense. He's attempting a career low number of 2 point attempts per game and per 36 minutes, while he is attempting a career high 3-point percentage (57% of his FGA are from three).
Playing next to our two-headed monster you want defense, screening, passing, & efficient scoring. That's why starting Smart, TL, Horford, White or Grant makes sense over Brogdon. A healthy TimeLord is the 3rd best player with the JAYs.
If they continue to shoot 40% from 3 as a team, 4 out and Rob will be silly good offensively. He'll be slamming home or passing out a lot of the 60% they miss from 3. His defensive rebounding will also lead to more transition baskets
I think what Horford is doing now is what Kevin McHale would have done if a 6'11 post player taking 250 3PT shots wasn't considered heresy like it was in the early 90s. McHale dabbled in the 3 as his feet went, but never took more than 70 of them in a season.
I lean towards a healthy timelord, particularly on his trajectory of imporvement, being the 3rd best player on this team. But we haven't seen it this season, and we don't know to the extent we will see it and over which time periods. As you look at what white, brodgon, smart, horford, and grant have done they have all been very good, with such a complimentary set of skills, it's difficult for me to clearly identify the "3rd best player". Whats more interesting is there is a group of four-five players that could be top 3ish players on a lot of teams (would require some projection outside of the celtics).
From the article:
Given the quality of the Cs' spot-up shooters, a lot of this offense is probably sustainable with only light regression.
I think there's some pretty stiff regression coming for at least some of Boston's role players - here is what they are at this year, vs the last 2 years:
There does certainly appear to be a lot of ripe situations for regression. On the other hand, if we end up not seeing as much
What is huge for this team is that nearly to a man, you are comfortable with the spot up shooters putting the ball on the floor to recycle the in-out play for a better look OR attack a closeout. Grant can still be a little shaky if he chooses to dribble after a pump fake but it has been better than last year at least. But everyone else is a real threat to drive, and even Hauser has flashed some ability there. At the very least they are all locked into the ball movement needed to make the offense tick.
It really is something. They've got 5 players in the top 25 in 3p% and are first overall at an even .400 (last year they were 14th, at .356).
Just need to note that the Derrick White's shooting in general was well below his career average last season. So the actual distance between his "true" ability and current numbers could be a bit less.
Also, as has been noted here and by the tuned-in beat guys like Weiss, he did substantial (and noticeable) work over the summer to speed up his release and get more arc on the ball.
he is also parking himself in the corner office more than ever (32% of his attempts vs 18% historically), where he shoots better
It's like if the goal of Pete Carril's best Princeton teams or Bill Walton's great Portland team was to hit 3s instead of getting layups. A great marriage of time-tested offensive tactics and an analytic approach to the most valuable shots in this era.
Yes. From the preseason people have noted his release and arc look better. Do I doubt he's a 44% three-point shooter? Of course. But I'd like to think he doesn't crash that hard and settles in around 36-40%, which would be a big bounce-back for him and probably a career high.
Carril and Pitino’s systems weren’t to get an open three “instead” of a layup it was to get an open three OR a layup. Both ahead of their time as “mid-range deniers.”
Yeah and Pitino of all people should have known that Ron wasn't going to.Ron Mercer must not have been paying attention then
That's depressing. They looked to be in ascension with Ball and Bridges and now here they are. NBA purgatory...
Pitino had zero plan for that abysmal draft once the Celtics lost the Duncan sweepstakes.
This could be a poor teams Duncanesque tank if they end up with the 1st or 2nd pick along with a healthy Ball and Bridges, who I’m hearing is going to be returning to the Hornets soon.
Bridges? I assumed that he’d never play in the NBA again. Certainly not this soon.
I expected signed during season to multi-year deal with the NBA suspending him for rest of year. That’s what I always thought in my head once the plea happened and heard similar since then. We shall see.
Let's hope not. If there's an owner who could completely ruin the Vic experience, it's Michael Jordan. I'd be happy with a frozen envelope situation if they have the worst record - generationally talented players should be funneled almost anywhere else.
This game was absolute craytown, with the Hornets missing Rozier, Ball, Hayward, and Bridges.
Blake! Not a “bench guy.”
Yes and you can see the difference this year with what I imagine is a Coach Joe emphasis. When you watch White, he is purposeful in making sure he gets to the corner and when he isn't there, his teammates are waving him to get there. If there's someone in transition already in the corner and they don't get immediate action, that player cuts through and White takes his place. Also, I haven't looked at the stats but my eyes tell me White is shooting more in transition this year and more in rhythm from balls coming in - out. Honestly, any shooter will be better in these situations.
I recommend cleaningtheglass, since they filter out garbage time. Boston is 122.5 (!) by their measure:
Joe’s got a bit of Bill in him. He genuinely seems to hate being interviewed and asked unimportant questions. He was jokingly asked if he put Blake in a Time Machine before the game and was having none of it
