This is somewhat of a Celtics question but I figured I would keep it in the NBA 2018-19 season thread. How does everyone feel about the freedom of movement rules now that we are almost half way through the season? The eye test tells me that the changes have elevated non-superstars who rely on skill and shooting, while minimizing the need for athleticism. There is an endless number of players who are shooting 45% or higher from three. It's easier to penetrate with the new rules, which has led to better ball movement and more open looks.
Maybe I'm wrong, but this might be a reason for the Celtics bench struggles. We can't label Jaylen, Terry, or Gordon as being reliable shooters and/or highly skilled offensive players. Their shortcomings wouldn't have been exposed to the same degree under old rules, largely due to the fact that other teams would need to work harder to score.
Hopefully Gordon can regain his shooting form by the end of the season. We can wait until next year for the rest of his game to come together.
In my opinion, it's mostly because we've sunk so much money on Hayward. The rules benefit everyone in general on offense, not just shooters.
If we could use Hayward's money on role players, we'd have more depth. We are deceptively thin with Rozier underperforming too.
Hell, Jaylen with shooters would be a hell of a bench - he's like a bigger Westbrook, and with these weak rules, he could be cutting right through the defense. Right now our bench just kills any momentum we have when it comes in, since Gordo's shot is gone for some reason.
That said, the wait will be worth it with Hayward.
Edit: oh and our rotation has been hurt by injuries, too, with Baynes out and Horford on a minutes restriction.
Edit 2: Though, just based on my gut feeling, the increase in variance for bad teams in terms of scoring probably hurts us more than anything. We are a team that is struggling to reach its expected average, while weaker teams are experiencing higher highs.