Tatum at his best when playing off two feet

Alright, I’ve to confess… I cheat a bit bit.

When writing articles right here at CelticsWeblog, I’m at all times on the lookout for topics and takeaways from my articles which can be related to the crew that I coach. Hidden someplace in virtually each article is a message that I hope the gamers I coach can decide up on — generally extra subtly than others.

Whereas perusing the huge depths of teaching Twitter over the weekend, I noticed a stat about Jayson Tatum that actually caught my eye:

This was all the pieces rolled into one: an awesome movie examine to do, and a few very related movie on my half to confirm and comply with up on the ‘why’; the proper educating level for our crew, as we preach enjoying off two toes within the lane; the correct automobile to ship that message in an MVP candidate and a few of our guys’ favourite gamers.

First, a speculation: enjoying off two toes means enjoying extra management. When grounded, you may pivot and spin, rip away from strain and purchase your self time to make choices as a passer. As soon as you permit your toes, there’s a finite period of time to make these choices, resulting in turnovers. These are over-simplifications. The previous ‘by no means throw a bounce cross’ narrative is drained and inaccurate. As a substitute, it needs to be ‘by no means bounce with out figuring out the place the open teammate is to cross to.’

For a participant like Tatum, these metrics additionally are inclined to make sense. At 6’9”, he’s certain to be a minimum of a mean athlete, although he doesn’t stand out as an elite leaper or the quickest cat within the litter. He makes use of angles, physicality on drives, a clean dribble and misdirection to assist acquire separation from his man and end on the rim. He’s extra more likely to slither across the protection with long-stride euro steps than to stand up on prime of an enormous and serve up a poster. His sport is about craftiness, making the basics and the depth of his bag all of the extra very important to his success.

Among the finest strikes to go to is a reverse pivot off a stride cease, the place Tatum can let the protection fly previous him, then flip round and make a cross off two toes. With the urgency defenders have resulting from his scoring prowess, it’s a wildly efficient counter for Jayson:

Assists are, to be frank, a little bit of a flawed stat. NBA statisticians have change into moderately beneficiant with the passes that qualify as an help. The scorer can do numerous the work more often than not, the cross doing little greater than merely reversing the ball rapidly or throwing it into the put up to an isolating scorer.

So as an alternative of speaking about all of the impacts that footwork has on Tatum’s capacity to make performs, let’s concentrate on the inverse: his capacity to restrict errors. To us, that’s the actual worth within the stats proven by Coach Moynihan. Enjoying off two toes drastically cuts down on turnovers.

Most gamers who attempt to cross off one foot do it as a result of they’re rushed. Their inside clock is ticking quickly as they really feel the area round them closing. ‘If I don’t cross it now, proper now, one thing dangerous will occur,’ most will unconsciously say to themselves to rationalize the kickout on the fly.

These fast passes will be harmful. Accuracy is tougher when touring at full velocity. Usually, guys don’t bounce as excessive when lifting off of 1. Defenders are sensible, particularly at excessive ranges of basketball. They anticipate the apparent passes and might intercept them, going off to the races to the opposite finish. There are numerous causes to keep away from these circumstances every time potential.

There’s one other flaw that comes from enjoying off one foot when driving to the rim: fees. NBA officers are fairly trigger-happy on the decision (not as dangerous as faculty refs, although) and there are many defenders simply ready for these alternatives. Referees are inclined to reward two-foot jumpers as a result of there’s a semblance of management to the basketball transfer. Whereas a cost is technically about contact to a sq. and established defender, it’s a player-control foul, inferring that gamers who keep away from them are being beneath management.

The overwhelming majority of Tatum’s fees come off one foot, the place he’s long-striding and overlaying floor with out the flexibility to come back to a cease. These are harmful ones that not solely lose possession however decide up a private foul for the Celtics’ finest participant:

These calls by referees are particularly evident off Euro steps, which Tatum is susceptible to make use of incessantly. A euro step is about going in a single route together with your first step and altering route with the second. It’s onerous for a referee to tell apart on the fly why the participant is doing it, and by altering route earlier than the final step, it leaves it up for interpretation that the driving force is doing it in order that he can keep away from a longtime defender. As quickly as that seed is planted right into a referee’s head, the offensive participant loses the advantage of the doubt.

Turnovers are turnovers. They’re most frequently attributed to poor choices and errors in judgment, not footwork. However enjoying off two toes helps stop turnovers by slowing down Tatum’s actions so he could make extra deliberate choices and weed out errors in judgment. Enjoying completely off two toes is unrealistic within the NBA and limits too many elements of his arsenal. However discovering a steadiness, significantly as he ages and loses a step, between these moments will help minimize down on a few of these turnover-heavy moments.

A few remaining takeaways from going again and watching all of Tatum’s assists and turnovers this postseason:

• Tatum is a hell of a passer. It stays probably the most underrated a part of his offensive sport, and it’s actually good.
• A part of the rationale he racks up some simple assists: he doesn’t dribble instantly when he catches the ball. It’s an awesome lesson for younger gamers on the market to be affected person and let the play develop. Tatum is an elite menace as a scorer, so the mere hesitation and close to shot-fake attracts a number of defenders. He routinely finds open teammates and fast choices by considering a step forward and never simply placing it on the ground instantly.
• For each two optimistic performs Tatum makes out of a Euro step, he’ll have one turnover or damaged play. The transfer will be over-done and anticipated by the protection.
• He’s beginning to see much more traps and double-teams. That may doubtless proceed to extend as he turns into a longtime veteran within the league.