Analysing Offense

As I get more chance to watch Celtics playing, I understand their offense game a bit better.

Celtics' offence is essentially driven by ball movement to get good looking shot. They keep thing simple and not trying to be fancy. Their playbook is pretty much based on this mind set.

When Rajon Rondo is on-court, he frequently pushes the ball up challenging the other team's defence still being setup. He uses his speed trying to beat his counterpart, and if he sees opportunity, slashing to the basket or drawing quick foul. If this first option does not arises, and if time allows, they will move the ball, or else they will setup their play.

Other than the familiar plays of Give-n-Go and Screen-n-Roll (classis motion offense), one of the variation they occassionally run is known as the Dribble-drive Pentration. For the setup, firstly, there is no screens in order to create spacing for drives, and secondly, the post man ran to the weak side of the lane (instead of the ball side), leaving the ball handler an open driving path to the basket.

According to SI's article, Dribble-drive is tailor-made for today's high school and college teams, which favor speed in the absence of classic back-to-the-basket big men, but it isn't for everyone. It requires quick, smart and talented guards who have a feel for the game (like Rondo). It requires agile big men who can shoot from the perimeter and race downcourt (like Garnett). It requires deep benches and three-point shooters who can punish sagging man-to-man defenses and the inevitable zones.

There are some other NBA team, such as the Nuggets, that runs similiar play.