Is this team going inside more?

[LilRip]

I’ve enjoyed the undefeated streak so far but I think something interesting (at least from the eye test) is how much more emphasis the offense has put in playing inside the arc. Yes, we still shoot a lot of threes (incl walk up threes) but I can’t recall this team playing this much out of the post before. Tatum, in particular, has looked unguardable in the post. Kudos to Mazzula for incorporating this in the offense

Is this something you guys have noticed too or am I just misremembering the past?

[otherdave]

I concur.  Tatum has reminded me of the Greek Freak this year driving thru the paint - unguardable!

[ozgod]

The data supports the eye test. In the first 4 games, the Cs have gone from one of the least post-focused to one of the most post-focused, which should make old timers happy.

Early on, the Celtics offense has transformed from one of the NBA’s most post-up-averse attacks into one of the most post-up reliant. Through a 4-0 start, they have used nearly seven more post-up possessions per game than they did last season, including possessions that end with passes out of the post. They entered Wednesday night with the third-most such possessions per game in the NBA (11.0), according to Synergy Sports. That put Boston ahead of Joel Embiid’s Philadelphia 76ers by one post-up chance per game and not far behind the league’s most post-up-heavy offense in Nikola Jokic’s Denver Nuggets.

Porziņģis’ presence alone would have shifted the Celtics’ style somewhat, but the team has leaned into post play beyond just him. Tatum has looked for offense on the block regularly since arriving for training camp with 12 additional pounds of muscle, by his own account. Holiday, one of the NBA’s strongest guards, can operate on the block even against taller defenders. Brown, a sharpshooter from the midrange, usually has either a speed or power advantage against his man. And the amount of shooting the Celtics put on the court only enhances the opportunities each of those players sees down low.

Tatum has posted up with far more frequency than he did last season. When he drew T.J. McConnell on a switch Wednesday, Tatum went straight to the block. Even in that matchup, the Pacers didn’t send a double-team, perhaps because they were wary of leaving Boston’s shooters open.

When asked about post-ups, Mazzulla brought up one from the Celtics’ win against the Washington Wizards earlier this week. The Wizards did send help when Porziņģis caught the ball down low against a much smaller defender. He capitalized on the defensive strategy by whipping a cross-court pass to Tatum for a wide-open 3-pointer.

“I think posting takes the pressure off of all of our guys and allows us to get to our spacing and kind of read where each guy is,” Mazzulla said. “So we’ve just gotta continue to be efficient in those.”

https://theathletic.com/5023152/2023/11/02/celtics-win-pacers-post-play-jrue-holiday/

[cman88]

The data supports the eye test. In the first 4 games, the Cs have gone from one of the least post-focused to one of the most post-focused, which should make old timers happy.

Early on, the Celtics offense has transformed from one of the NBA’s most post-up-averse attacks into one of the most post-up reliant. Through a 4-0 start, they have used nearly seven more post-up possessions per game than they did last season, including possessions that end with passes out of the post. They entered Wednesday night with the third-most such possessions per game in the NBA (11.0), according to Synergy Sports. That put Boston ahead of Joel Embiid’s Philadelphia 76ers by one post-up chance per game and not far behind the league’s most post-up-heavy offense in Nikola Jokic’s Denver Nuggets.

Porziņģis’ presence alone would have shifted the Celtics’ style somewhat, but the team has leaned into post play beyond just him. Tatum has looked for offense on the block regularly since arriving for training camp with 12 additional pounds of muscle, by his own account. Holiday, one of the NBA’s strongest guards, can operate on the block even against taller defenders. Brown, a sharpshooter from the midrange, usually has either a speed or power advantage against his man. And the amount of shooting the Celtics put on the court only enhances the opportunities each of those players sees down low.

Tatum has posted up with far more frequency than he did last season. When he drew T.J. McConnell on a switch Wednesday, Tatum went straight to the block. Even in that matchup, the Pacers didn’t send a double-team, perhaps because they were wary of leaving Boston’s shooters open.

When asked about post-ups, Mazzulla brought up one from the Celtics’ win against the Washington Wizards earlier this week. The Wizards did send help when Porziņģis caught the ball down low against a much smaller defender. He capitalized on the defensive strategy by whipping a cross-court pass to Tatum for a wide-open 3-pointer.

“I think posting takes the pressure off of all of our guys and allows us to get to our spacing and kind of read where each guy is,” Mazzulla said. “So we’ve just gotta continue to be efficient in those.”

https://theathletic.com/5023152/2023/11/02/celtics-win-pacers-post-play-jrue-holiday/

I think sam cassell said this was a priority for him with this team. to get tatum/brown more in the post.

[Kernewek]

The data supports the eye test. In the first 4 games, the Cs have gone from one of the least post-focused to one of the most post-focused, which should make old timers happy.

Early on, the Celtics offense has transformed from one of the NBA’s most post-up-averse attacks into one of the most post-up reliant. Through a 4-0 start, they have used nearly seven more post-up possessions per game than they did last season, including possessions that end with passes out of the post. They entered Wednesday night with the third-most such possessions per game in the NBA (11.0), according to Synergy Sports. That put Boston ahead of Joel Embiid’s Philadelphia 76ers by one post-up chance per game and not far behind the league’s most post-up-heavy offense in Nikola Jokic’s Denver Nuggets.

Porziņģis’ presence alone would have shifted the Celtics’ style somewhat, but the team has leaned into post play beyond just him. Tatum has looked for offense on the block regularly since arriving for training camp with 12 additional pounds of muscle, by his own account. Holiday, one of the NBA’s strongest guards, can operate on the block even against taller defenders. Brown, a sharpshooter from the midrange, usually has either a speed or power advantage against his man. And the amount of shooting the Celtics put on the court only enhances the opportunities each of those players sees down low.

Tatum has posted up with far more frequency than he did last season. When he drew T.J. McConnell on a switch Wednesday, Tatum went straight to the block. Even in that matchup, the Pacers didn’t send a double-team, perhaps because they were wary of leaving Boston’s shooters open.

When asked about post-ups, Mazzulla brought up one from the Celtics’ win against the Washington Wizards earlier this week. The Wizards did send help when Porziņģis caught the ball down low against a much smaller defender. He capitalized on the defensive strategy by whipping a cross-court pass to Tatum for a wide-open 3-pointer.

“I think posting takes the pressure off of all of our guys and allows us to get to our spacing and kind of read where each guy is,” Mazzulla said. “So we’ve just gotta continue to be efficient in those.”

https://theathletic.com/5023152/2023/11/02/celtics-win-pacers-post-play-jrue-holiday/

Lots of fingers crossed for the mid-season abolition of the three point line, I suspect.

[LilRip]

Ah, glad to see I wasn’t seeing things lol

The post ups have definitely helped the offense. Tatum is such a mismatch on the post anyway, especially after switches. And the post ups do space the floor better since we have shooters in every position

[Goldstar88]

I would say adding Porzingis has a little something to do with it.. 

[timpiker]

I have no doubt that PP stressed to Tatum to get in the post, drive to the basket and get to the free throw line 10 times a game.

[Roy H.]

Cassell has been working with Tatum in the post.  It's been a point of emphasis.

[Moranis]

Tatum is also playing PF more at 69%, more than double the last few seasons. 

[ozgod]

Through 6 games this season we are averaging 6 postups per game for 8th in the league, vs 3.7 for all of last season when we were 26th.

Last season:



This season:

[Goldstar88]

Tatum is also playing PF more at 69%, more than double the last few seasons.

How can that be? Tatum isn’t even a PF! 

[ozgod]

Tatum is also playing PF more at 69%, more than double the last few seasons.

How can that be? Tatum isn’t even a PF! 

Probably because in Joe's world (along with Brad and most of the NBA) there's no more actual PF position, just a wing, a big and a ball handler. He's a wing that sometimes plays out on the wing, and sometimes he plays closer to the basket. I wonder how long before the NBA removes that distinction and just goes to those 3 positions.

[obnoxiousmime]

Tatum posting up is nice against smaller defenders, but I doubt the efficiency holds up against bigger ones. I know he's stronger this season, but I don't think he's ever going to have the lower body strength to dislodge a similarly strong/lengthy player.

One good thing is that, as opposed to driving, posting up is slower and more methodical and seems to be a rhythm Tatum is more comfortable with. It also makes protecting the ball against swipes easier, which is something he has a problem with. The reads on where a double is coming from and who to pass to would seem to be easier as well, as opposed to driving into a thicket of defenders that are trying to draw charges, swipe at you, or stunt and trick you into throwing it away (or also throw it away yourself which Brown and Tatum do all the time due to wonky handles).

Anyway, I like it in certain instances but I'm still skeptical that it'll be a cure-all. I don't think this is going to be as productive as when LeBron started posting up since he's actually built like a PF of olden days and is an amazing passer. I could see Tatum eventually mastering the fadeaway jumper out of the post though, in the same way that Jordan made that an unguardable shot. Actually physically moving a guy and comfortably getting a shot though, I don't know. Watching some of his post-ups, he kind of gets the ball up there and it bounces in, but it's not like he got off a totally unbothered shot. Sometimes those are going to roll out and the percentage will go down.

[j804]

No last time I checked Joe is still our coach and still as clueless as ever