Optionality

It’s More Than Just A Buzzword

For the first time this preseason, the Boston Celtics lost the rebounding battle (43-40). Not that it made much difference. They still walked away with a 21-point win over the Charlotte Hornets.

Navigating blizzard-like conditions on the perimeter (shooting 28.2% on 39 shots), the Celtics attacked the rim and punished space in the middle of the floor.

Optionality has been the buzzword of the summer, and while Brad Stevens’ comments were undoubtedly aimed at the cap sheet and future flexibility, the roster seems to be following suit.

There’s more weak-side movement in the half-court. More versatility in how the Celtics are looking to generate shot attempts, and more questions being asked of opposing defenses along the way.

The Celtics have dished out 95 assists in their preseason games so far—when you filter for teams that have played three preparation contests, that ranks the Celtics third in the NBA, behind the Orlando Magic (97 dimes) and the Indiana Pacers (99 dimes).

Isolation basketball has given way to a free-flowing offense. Sure, the Celtics are still looking to generate and attack mismatches; that’s good process. It’s the way they’re going about things that should have us excited for the season to come.

We all know Tatum will have the ball a lot this season. What I’m interested in is how he operates when he’s off the ball. Tatum’s movement, screening, and willingness to space the floor will be essential in how the Celtics break down defenses when he’s on the floor. You have to use his gravity at all times.

One thing I am confident of is that we’re going to see a healthy dose of Tatum as a screener, forcing defenders into switches before attacking off the catch. After all, Tatum is a genuine three-level scorer. If he gets the mismatch on the high post, he can shoot straight over smaller guys, as Dennis Schroder found out in the clip below.