Jaylen Brown 2024-25, Year 9: What they gonna say now?!

[TripleOT]

The Jays are entering their prime. They’ve been part of the NBA for so long that many people forget that. Since they came up as supporting players on good teams, there was no newness factor when they became superstars.

I’ve always claimed that JB would be an alpha scorer and MVP candidate if he were a lead guy on a good team. His protege Anthony Edwards may be more flashier, and a bit more athletic (which is incredible, because Brown is phenomenal athlete), but Brown is a better defender, and his recent excellence in crunch time in the playoffs has bolstered his status in the league.

Everyone is ready to crown his ass, but where is the chatter of Edwards’ post season failures, like his 3-17, 9 points in 43 minutes disaster in the 2023 playin loss to the Lakers, or his 6-24 brick fest in game 7 against the Nuggets, which his teammates bailed him out in a two point win.

If JB was in the same spot as AE, he could be doing similarly as well, with a bit less three point marksmanship, and a bit more defensive prowess.

 

[RorschachsMask]

The Jays are entering their prime. They’ve been part of the NBA for so long that many people forget that. Since they came up as supporting players on good teams, there was no newness factor when they became superstars.

I’ve always claimed that JB would be an alpha scorer and MVP candidate if he were a lead guy on a good team. His protege Anthony Edwards may be more flashier, and a bit more athletic (which is incredible, because Brown is phenomenal athlete), but Brown is a better defender, and his recent excellence in crunch time in the playoffs has bolstered his status in the league.

Everyone is ready to crown his ass, but where is the chatter of Edwards’ post season failures, like his 3-17, 9 points in 43 minutes disaster in the 2023 playin loss to the Lakers, or his 6-24 brick fest in game 7 against the Nuggets, which his teammates bailed him out in a two point win.

If JB was in the same spot as AE, he could be doing similarly as well, with a bit less three point marksmanship, and a bit more defensive prowess.

Jaylen is awesome, but I can’t get down with these posts. Tatum is barely a real MVP candidate, and he’s one of the best floor/ceiling raisers in the league.

Jaylen is in the perfect situation to maximize his potential. I think sometimes people sleep on how much harder it is to be the guy defenses gear up to stop.

Ant is definitely overrated as of this point though, IMO. He isn’t ready to read the game at the necessary level, yet.

 

[TripleOT]

Jaylen is awesome, but I can’t get down with these posts. Tatum is barely a real MVP candidate, and he’s one of the best floor/ceiling raisers in the league.

Jaylen is in the perfect situation to maximize his potential. I think sometimes people sleep on how much harder it is to be the guy defenses gear up to stop.

Ant is definitely overrated as of this point though, IMO. He isn’t ready to read the game at the necessary level, yet.

If JT was on a team without JB, his scoring would probably be higher, and would be a MVP candidate if his team was good. He would be more of a MVP candidate without JB.

If JB was lead guy on a team, he would have a higher scoring average, which drives the national conversation about great NBA players.

 

[Kliq]

Tatum is only barely an MVP candidate because of the weird narratives around what someone needs to be to win that award, not because he isn't among the five best players in the league.

He is also currently third in MVP odds behind Jokic and SGA. Pre-season favorite Luka Doncic has slipped all the way to +2000.

 

[JakeRae]

I like reading about stats on here and listening to podcasts that feature them, but this clip makes me realize that I would absolutely hate it in a broadcast.

I think this was more of an instance of really terrible usage of the data than an inherent problem with using data in broadcasting.

 

[RorschachsMask]

If JT was on a team without JB, his scoring would probably be higher, and would be a MVP candidate if his team was good. He would be more of a MVP candidate without JB.

If JB was lead guy on a team, he would have a higher scoring average, which drives the national conversation about great NBA players.

I just don’t think it’s as simple as that. His usage is consistently 30%+, he’s taken a top options amount of shots per game for years, and he’s never had a TS over 58.6%, and that’s while being defended as a second option. I can’t see him getting more efficient if defenses are geared up to stop him.

Him being a top 15ish player is more than good enough, but I think you’re selling short of just what it takes to be a real MVP contender.

 

[RorschachsMask]

Tatum is only barely an MVP candidate because of the weird narratives around what someone needs to be to win that award, not because he isn't among the five best players in the league.

He is also currently third in MVP odds behind Jokic and SGA. Pre-season favorite Luka Doncic has slipped all the way to +2000.

Yeah that’s my point though, Tatum has made first team all nba three straight seasons, and has put up 28/8/5 on a 61% TS the last 2+ seasons, and he’s just now breaking through as a realistic candidate, even if Jokic is going to win again.

I personally think individual efficiency is overrated, I’ve said it here a ton, but a guy whose never put up a TS over 59% as a second option suddenly being an MVP candidate if he was the top option on another team? I just can’t buy that. Jaylen has a good chance of making all nba again, and I think that’s awesome.

 

[Jimbodandy]

Yeah that’s my point though, Tatum has made first team all nba three straight seasons, and has put up 28/8/5 on a 61% TS the last 2+ seasons, and he’s just now breaking through as a realistic candidate, even if Jokic is going to win again.

I personally think individual efficiency is overrated, I’ve said it here a ton, but a guy whose never put up a TS over 59% as a second option suddenly being an MVP candidate if he was the top option on another team? I just can’t buy that. Jaylen has a good chance of making all nba again, and I think that’s awesome.

A legit MVP candidate, yeah you're right. But guys get--and I hate to use this phrase--"in the conversation" due to PPG + team success reasons frequently. De'Aaron Fox a couple of years ago was getting a lot of chatter and ended up 11th in MVP voting with a .599 TS and less than zero defense. And he wasn't even the best player on his team.

 

[Euclis20]

Tatum is only barely an MVP candidate because of the weird narratives around what someone needs to be to win that award, not because he isn't among the five best players in the league.

He is also currently third in MVP odds behind Jokic and SGA. Pre-season favorite Luka Doncic has slipped all the way to +2000.

Tatum is barely an MVP candidate only because at this point, anyone besides Jokic is barely an MVP candidate. If he plays 65 games (he's missed fewer than 5 games per year on average) and if Denver wins 50+ (currently on pace for 49), Jokic is a mortal lock for the award.

 

[Auger34]

A legit MVP candidate, yeah you're right. But guys get--and I hate to use this phrase--"in the conversation" due to PPG + team success reasons frequently. De'Aaron Fox a couple of years ago was getting a lot of chatter and ended up 11th in MVP voting with a .599 TS and less than zero defense. And he wasn't even the best player on his team.

Yeah, I think there are two separate conversations going on here.

If Jaylen had his own team I think he would get MVP buzz (IE, top 10 finish). I don’t think he would win and I don’t think he’d become a top 6 player (which is what Rorschach seems to be arguing).

I think Jaylen and Jayson are in perfect spots to win titles. As they themselves have both said numerous times, they need each other

 

[LA_33]

I like reading about stats on here and listening to podcasts that feature them, but this clip makes me realize that I would absolutely hate it in a broadcast.

I think the Wolves crew is very good, and while Jim Petersen will occasionally throw in a stat or two, it feels out of character for him to harp on it as much as he did there.

Especially because it feels like a bad example of taking too much authority from a small sample size. Brown is shooting badly on Above The Break threes this year, but it's on 80 total attempts.

He's a career 36% 3P shooter, at high volume and with a relatively high number of contested attempts, and three seasons over 38%. He's a good shooter, and a 13 game cold streak on ATB threes this year (because he's still making 44% of his 18 3PA from the corners) doesn't actually change that, from a scouting perspective.

Petersen should know that, too, he's a smart analyst, and was also an assistant coach for the Lynx while they were winning 4 WNBA titles. There's no WAY that Cheryl Reeves would have instructed her team not to guard Jaylen at the three point line because of a 13 game cold streak, even though Petersen actually suggested that was a viable strategy during that broadcast. Maybe there's a reason he wasn't the head coach, but yikes...

 

[Euclis20]

I think the Wolves crew is very good, and while Jim Petersen will occasionally throw in a stat or two, it feels out of character for him to harp on it as much as he did there.

Especially because it feels like a bad example of taking too much authority from a small sample size. Brown is shooting badly on Above The Break threes this year, but it's on 80 total attempts.

He's a career 36% 3P shooter, at high volume and with a relatively high number of contested attempts, and three seasons over 38%. He's a good shooter, and a 13 game cold streak on ATB threes this year (because he's still making 44% of his 18 3PA from the corners) doesn't actually change that, from a scouting perspective.

Petersen should know that, too, he's a smart analyst, and was also an assistant coach for the Lynx while they were winning 4 WNBA titles. There's no WAY that Cheryl Reeves would have instructed her team not to guard Jaylen at the three point line because of a 13 game cold streak, even though Petersen actually suggested that was a viable strategy during that broadcast. Maybe there's a reason he wasn't the head coach, but yikes...

It was embarrassing. This isn't Sam Hauser or some random bench player, this is finals MVP, 3x all-star, biggest contract (at one point) in history, 9 year vet Jaylen Brown. Including playoffs he's taken over 3500 3 point shots (many of them contested) and made about 36% of them. It should be embarrassing to be quoting shot chart numbers before Thanksgiving for a guy that has this kind of history. He should be forced to watch the first half of the Warriors game in Boston last year (when Draymond decided to not guard JB beyond the arc, followed by the Warriors losing by 50 and JB hit 5 3s in the 1st quarter) on repeat until he realizes just how stupid it was to keep harping on this.

 

[radsoxfan]

I think the Wolves crew is very good, and while Jim Petersen will occasionally throw in a stat or two, it feels out of character for him to harp on it as much as he did there.

Especially because it feels like a bad example of taking too much authority from a small sample size. Brown is shooting badly on Above The Break threes this year, but it's on 80 total attempts.

He's a career 36% 3P shooter, at high volume and with a relatively high number of contested attempts, and three seasons over 38%. He's a good shooter, and a 13 game cold streak on ATB threes this year (because he's still making 44% of his 18 3PA from the corners) doesn't actually change that, from a scouting perspective.

Petersen should know that, too, he's a smart analyst, and was also an assistant coach for the Lynx while they were winning 4 WNBA titles. There's no WAY that Cheryl Reeves would have instructed her team not to guard Jaylen at the three point line because of a 13 game cold streak, even though Petersen actually suggested that was a viable strategy during that broadcast. Maybe there's a reason he wasn't the head coach, but yikes...

Agree with this. It was kind of startling to listen to because it showed such a lack of understanding about how stats work and small sample sizes.

He was shocked that Jaylen made a shot from a spot on the floor he was 4-23 so far this season? The guy has been in the NBA 9 years and you're looking at not just a 12 game sample size, but from one spot on the court? You'd give him that shot all game? Super embarrassing for that announcer that this went national.

I don't know much about that crew in general, but it seemed like a combination of some weird Anti-Jaylen slant mixed with "look how much I know about the stat sheet" and a lack of basic math skills.

Edit: What Euclis said too

 

[tims4wins]

Is there a way to look up JB’s FT% for the 4th quarter vs Q1-3? Feels like he is at like 50%.

 

[Euclis20]

Is there a way to look up JB’s FT% for the 4th quarter vs Q1-3? Feels like he is at like 50%.

He's at 76.5% overall and 63.9% in the 4th quarter (36 attempts). Last year it was 70.3% overall and 65% in the 4th quarter. Anecdotally it seems like 90% of his misses are short, it makes sense that he misses more when he's tired. Here's how the rest of the main guys did last year:

Tatum: 83.3% overall, 85.1% in the 4th
Porzingis: 85.8% overall, 87.0% in the 4th
White: 90.1% overall, 88.2% in the 4th
Holiday: 83.3% overall, 86.7% in the 4th

Brown does seem to have a real drop in the 4th quarter, but it's still early this year and the 5% drop last year was real but not that far out of the ordinary. He's not the guy you want shooting free throws in the 4th, not necessarily because he does worse late in games but because he's the worst shooter among the regulars by a decent stretch.

 

[tims4wins]

He's at 76.5% overall and 63.9% in the 4th quarter (36 attempts). Last year it was 70.3% overall and 65% in the 4th quarter. Anecdotally it seems like 90% of his misses are short, it makes sense that he misses more when he's tired. Here's how the rest of the main guys did last year:

Tatum: 83.3% overall, 85.1% in the 4th
Porzingis: 85.8% overall, 87.0% in the 4th
White: 90.1% overall, 88.2% in the 4th
Holiday: 83.3% overall, 86.7% in the 4th

Brown does seem to have a real drop in the 4th quarter, but it's still early this year and the 5% drop last year was real but not that far out of the ordinary. He's not the guy you want shooting free throws in the 4th, not necessarily because he does worse late in games but because he's the worst shooter among the regulars by a decent stretch.

Thank you!

 

[wade boggs chicken dinner]

Is there a way to look up JB’s FT% for the 4th quarter vs Q1-3? Feels like he is at like 50%.

NBA.com sorts stats by quarter.

 

[ifmanis5]

Another one for the collection.
View: https://twitter.com/NBA_University/status/1862691475198206059

View: https://twitter.com/celtics/status/1862710231517569381

 

[kfoss99]

I watched the highlights of last nights game vs Miami. At one point in the second half, Brown Euro-steps his defender, still isn't in position to attempt the layup, and kicks it out strong to the corner for a made three. It was Tatum-esque and a move I don't think he could have made a couple years ago.

 

[lovegtm]

From Jay King. Ofc I knew Brown created more when Tatum was off the court, but I didn't realize it was that much more. That's something like 8-9 assists per 36 with Tatum off.

Brown’s growth as a facilitator has been most evident without Tatum next to him on the court. Over the Celtics’ 162 minutes in such situations entering Wednesday night, Brown had recorded 11.7 assists per 100 possessions without Tatum on the court (Trae Young leads the league with 15.8 assists per 100 possessions) compared to just 3.7 assists per 100 possessions with Tatum in the lineup, according to pbpstats.com.

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5971318/2024/12/05/jaylen-brown-playmaker-celtics-defeat-pistons/

 

[slamminsammya]

I watched the highlights of last nights game vs Miami. At one point in the second half, Brown Euro-steps his defender, still isn't in position to attempt the layup, and kicks it out strong to the corner for a made three. It was Tatum-esque and a move I don't think he could have made a couple years ago.

He had a few passes to the corner from the paint last night that had me marveling at his progress.

 

[Saints Rest]

I’ve always claimed that JB would be an alpha scorer and MVP candidate if he were a lead guy on a good team. His protege Anthony Edwards may be more flashier, and a bit more athletic (which is incredible, because Brown is phenomenal athlete), but Brown is a better defender, and his recent excellence in crunch time in the playoffs has bolstered his status in the league.

Snipped this quote to ask a larger conceptual question, one which probably could use its own thread, but I'm not sure which forum it would go in: How do we define "most athletic" among world-class athletes? And does that definition change in a given sport?

In basketball, I might define athletic, by strength, speed, and leaping ability. In all three areas, I think Jaylen Brown is elite. So the idea that someone is "more athletic" than he seems incredible to me.

How else might we define "athletic" -- hand-eye coordination? stamina?

 

[TripleOT]

From Jay King. Ofc I knew Brown created more when Tatum was off the court, but I didn't realize it was that much more. That's something like 8-9 assists per 36 with Tatum off.


https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5971318/2024/12/05/jaylen-brown-playmaker-celtics-defeat-pistons/

JB’s all around game has really matured. I always get some clap back when I claim that Brown could be in alpha on his own team. Hopefully we never find out, but I do understand that there are two sides to that equation: the defensive emphasis from the other team on an alpha scorer, and the extra opportunity that the main guy on the team always has to put up great numbers.

I think the Brown has enough game to handle the defense primarily focused on him, similar to what Tatum, has learned to do. I also think he would put up crazy numbers if he had the ball in his hand, a lot more, with the little snippet above from Jay King, as an example.

IMO, Boston would be a 55 win team with JB as the leader, and a base level starting wing in JT’s spot

 

[RorschachsMask]

IMO, Boston would be a 55 win team with JB as the leader, and a base level starting wing in JT’s spot

Just out of curiosity, how many games do you think they win with Tatum and a base level starting wing in JB’s spot?

I don’t think Jaylen would ever be efficient enough for that role, but he’s definitely improved a good amount as a creator, which helps balance it out. He also has the mentality for it, that’s for sure.

 

[InstaFace]

Snipped this quote to ask a larger conceptual question, one which probably could use its own thread, but I'm not sure which forum it would go in: How do we define "most athletic" among world-class athletes? And does that definition change in a given sport?

In basketball, I might define athletic, by strength, speed, and leaping ability. In all three areas, I think Jaylen Brown is elite. So the idea that someone is "more athletic" than he seems incredible to me.

How else might we define "athletic" -- hand-eye coordination? stamina?

I think footspeed and agility - acceleration, ability to change direction quickly - are two common measures. Awareness of your surroundings in an action environment, and the speed you react to changes in them. Natural grace in terms of movement, economy of movement - like reading a ball in the air and adjusting to it subconsciously, with precise coordination. One of the reasons everyone drools over Anthony Davis is that his agility and grace in movement is that of a much smaller player. He looks like he's dancing, when the other 7-footers out there look lumbering. Wemby has something of that too - when he squares up and dribbles a bit in preparation to drive around someone, he looks like a guard, except he's 7'4" and can reach the basket from the perimeter in like two steps.

The biggest critique I have of Jaylen, and always have - his loose dribbling on inside drives - is a matter of technique and concentration, rather than any aspect of athleticism. But if we must compare him to the other elite athletes in the league, I think his agility is a step behind the likes of Ant Edwards or DeAaron Fox. However, his ability to make passes while driving in traffic, as showcased pretty spectacularly last night, often require a lot of body contortion and show a massive amount of athleticism (not to mention awareness).

Obviously basketball requires a ton of technique, beyond just raw athletic qualities. But we are dealing with some of the most freakishly athletic people on the planet, so being the "most athletic" among them is a stupid-high bar, not to mention subjective and offering a lot of different angles people can view the question from.

 

[TripleOT]

Just out of curiosity, how many games do you think they win with Tatum and a base level starting wing in JB’s spot?

I don’t think Jaylen would ever be efficient enough for that role, but he’s definitely improved a good amount as a creator, which helps balance it out. He also has the mentality for it, that’s for sure.

Probably a 55-60:win team, with JT becoming the first Celtic to ever lead the league in scoring.

 

[Euclis20]

JB’s all around game has really matured. I always get some clap back when I claim that Brown could be in alpha on his own team. Hopefully we never find out, but I do understand that there are two sides to that equation: the defensive emphasis from the other team on an alpha scorer, and the extra opportunity that the main guy on the team always has to put up great numbers.

I think the Brown has enough game to handle the defense primarily focused on him, similar to what Tatum, has learned to do. I also think he would put up crazy numbers if he had the ball in his hand, a lot more, with the little snippet above from Jay King, as an example.

IMO, Boston would be a 55 win team with JB as the leader, and a base level starting wing in JT’s spot

This is arguably the biggest argument against JT winning MVP, other than the fact that he just doesn't fill up the box score quite as well as the other leading candidates. Swap Tatum for someone like Tobias Harris, and the Celtics are still a top tier title contender. The only way to get around that fact is for the Celtics with Tatum to win in the mid 60s and again dominate the league like last year.

Snipped this quote to ask a larger conceptual question, one which probably could use its own thread, but I'm not sure which forum it would go in: How do we define "most athletic" among world-class athletes? And does that definition change in a given sport?

In basketball, I might define athletic, by strength, speed, and leaping ability. In all three areas, I think Jaylen Brown is elite. So the idea that someone is "more athletic" than he seems incredible to me.

How else might we define "athletic" -- hand-eye coordination? stamina?

It is incredibly difficult to define (my favorite example of this is Dustin Pedroia, who due to his height people assumed he was operating at an athletic disadvantage while not acknowledging that his hand-eye coordination were in the 99th percentile among MLB players), but the idea that someone could be more athletic than Jaylen Brown shouldn't be that incredible. Let's say he's a 99th percentile NBA athlete (and that might be a bit high), that means there are around 4-5 guys more athletic than he is in the league right now. More realistically I'd say he's a 95% guy, which means there are a couple dozen guys that can do things he can't. Anthony Edwards is absolutely more athletic than JB is, no matter how you want to define it. The only reason it might not be obvious is because he's playing in a system with far less spacing than Brown.

 

[RorschachsMask]

Probably a 55-60:win team, with JT becoming the first Celtic to ever lead the league in scoring.

Earlier in the season I said I think they’d be a 55ish win team with a solid starter in JB’s spot.

I’d go 48-51 wins in your scenario, I think Jaylen would put up awesome raw numbers, but probably a 56-57% TS. What you think Jaylen could do, Tatum does do lol.

 

[LA_33]

It is incredibly difficult to define (my favorite example of this is Dustin Pedroia, who due to his height people assumed he was operating at an athletic disadvantage while not acknowledging that his hand-eye coordination were in the 99th percentile among MLB players), but the idea that someone could be more athletic than Jaylen Brown shouldn't be that incredible. Let's say he's a 99th percentile NBA athlete (and that might be a bit high), that means there are around 4-5 guys more athletic than he is in the league right now. More realistically I'd say he's a 95% guy, which means there are a couple dozen guys that can do things he can't. Anthony Edwards is absolutely more athletic than JB is, no matter how you want to define it. The only reason it might not be obvious is because he's playing in a system with far less spacing than Brown.

Right. Jaylen is a 99th percentile athlete in terms of the world population, but something in the 95th--99th percentile among current NBA players.

Ant Edwards is probably a 99th percentile NBA athlete EVER.

I literally can't believe he's human when I see him play in person, he's even beyond the awe I used to have watching athletic-peak Westbrook live (prime Russ was clearly a better athlete than Jaylen, too, IMO). I never saw peak LeBron in person. but Ant is the best athlete I've ever seen live.

 

[Van Everyman]

How do we think Ant’s -2” plays into this equation? He’s 6’4” compared to Jaylen’s 6’6”.

Size isn’t everything of course. But it does feel relevant to pure athleticism in the NBA. For instance, can Ant defend some of the guys Jaylen can?

 

[Euclis20]

How do we think Ant’s -2” plays into this equation? He’s 6’4” compared to Jaylen’s 6’6”.

Size isn’t everything of course. But it does feel relevant to pure athleticism in the NBA. For instance, can Ant defend some of the guys Jaylen can?

Ant is both quicker on the ground and can get up higher than Jaylen. The list of competent players who are more athletic than JB is incredibly short, but Ant is really on a different level. JB is stronger than Ant (I think JB is better equipped to defend someone like Luka for instance, while Ant has a slightly better time with smaller quick guards), but Ant is incredibly strong for his size and although he was never not in great shape, I think JB is stronger now than when he was 23. Ant might look different in a couple of years, too.

Probably a 55-60:win team, with JT becoming the first Celtic to ever lead the league in scoring.

Major pet peeve here, but Pierce led the league in scoring in 2002, and Tatum led the league in 2023. The NBA's slavish devotion to per game stats instead of total stats is a big part of the reason why the durability of players like Tatum is never fully appreciated (or even outright ignored) in the national debate.

 

[Auger34]

This is arguably the biggest argument against JT winning MVP, other than the fact that he just doesn't fill up the box score quite as well as the other leading candidates. Swap Tatum for someone like Tobias Harris, and the Celtics are still a top tier title contender. The only way to get around that fact is for the Celtics with Tatum to win in the mid 60s and again dominate the league like last year.

Yeah, I think this is always going to be an issue for Tatum with the current construct of the team. Even if he is the best player, there's less demand put on him than most of the other stars (this is kind of a moot point for this season because unless Jokic gets hurt, he's the overwhelming favorite. I don't think anyone is even close to him right now)

To answer the other question that was put forth here, I think the difference between Tatum being subbed out for someone like Tobias Harris and Brown is about 3-6 wins. IMO, I'd probably say 4

 

[HomeRunBaker]

Right. Jaylen is a 99th percentile athlete in terms of the world population, but something in the 95th--99th percentile among current NBA players.

Ant Edwards is probably a 99th percentile NBA athlete EVER.

I literally can't believe he's human when I see him play in person, he's even beyond the awe I used to have watching athletic-peak Westbrook live (prime Russ was clearly a better athlete than Jaylen, too, IMO). I never saw peak LeBron in person. but Ant is the best athlete I've ever seen live.

Yeah, as the original post suggested….Jaylen is an elite athlete but Ant is on another level. I mean it’s kinda close I guess but not really. Do people watch Ant play more than a few times a year? There have been few like him. Like one hand maybe.

 

[kieckeredinthehead]

From Jay King. Ofc I knew Brown created more when Tatum was off the court, but I didn't realize it was that much more. That's something like 8-9 assists per 36 with Tatum off.


https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5971318/2024/12/05/jaylen-brown-playmaker-celtics-defeat-pistons/

One of the things we don’t talk a lot about is the almost complete absence of selfishness on this team, how hard that is to achieve up and down the roster, and the multiplicative effects when you go from a couple of ball hogs, to one, to none. I sort of get the sense JB’s passing has increased not just from improved ability but just more comfort not feeling like he needs to eat, knowing the ball will come back to him if he’s open, etc. Having five guys on the floor whose first thought is how to get a better look, rather than wondering if it’s worth passing to the open guy, is one of the things that makes this team so fun to watch. Noticeably different from the Smart years (when I think JB straight up didn’t trust Smart not to take a shot), and also fun to see on KP’s first minutes back when everybody was so obviously feeding him to show off his return.

Edit: and also relevant to the two wings thread, the J’s shift from my turn / your turn to helping each other fit into the bigger offense has been equally gratifying and, I’d say, underappreciated for how hard it is to achieve and how beautiful it is now that it works

 

[lovegtm]

...
Edit: and also relevant to the two wings thread, the J’s shift from my turn / your turn to helping each other fit into the bigger offense has been equally gratifying and, I’d say, underappreciated for how hard it is to achieve and how beautiful it is now that it works

Yes, we focus a lot on their splits when one is off the court, but they are +15 this year when both are on-court, which is half the minutes in a normal game, and the majority of minutes in playoff games.