Daily Observations | Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum (Player Development) | Lionel Messi (Scouting)
Introduction
There is so much going on in the World of Sports that is relevant to Team Building, that it's hard to pinpoint one important story that requires specific focus. While there may be more value in taking that tact, I want to try something different. I want to briefly comment on a few different stories that I believe diversify our understanding of Team Building.
Jaylen Brown | Boston Celtics | Player Development
The Boston Celtics Won Game 3 against the Dallas Mavericks. While there were a lot of heroes for the Celtics, I wanted to take this opportunity to highlight the contribution of Jaylen Brown. Jaylen Brown is the Owner of the NBA's Largest Contract even though he's probably not a Top 10 Player in the League. In the aftermath to receiving that contract, Brown struggled. There was a sense that he was overcompensating in the early part of this season to justify his position as the highest paid player in the NBA. During his early season struggles I caught the Bill Simmons Podcast where there was a serious discussion about Brown taking a step back and adjusting his role to accommodate the acquisitions of Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis. I couldn't disagree more.
Curbing a Player's Fundamental Belief about his Potential or Ceiling is one of the Biggest Mistakes that we make in Professional Sports and Player Development. Even when he was struggling, Brown's belief that he is one of the best players in the NBA was incredibly valuable not only to him but the Boston Celtics. That belief has played out during the season but especially during the Playoffs, where Brown’s decision-making and offense has superseded Jayson Tatum. As a Team Builder, I don't want one of my most talented players to accept a role and be comfortable scoring 15 Points Per game. I want my most talented player to push himself to be one of the best players in the league. Finally, even in this era of out of control offense, Creating and Making Shots is still the hardest thing to do in the NBA.
Jayson Tatum | Boston Celtics | Player Development
The data indicates that the best Offensive Outcomes in the NBA are Layups, Free Throws, and 3 Point Shots. As a result, in the last 15 Years 3 Point Attempts Per Game have almost doubled from 18 to 35.1. That trend has impacted Player Development. While there are many examples of players being negatively impacted by the 3 Point Shot, I want to take this opportunity to briefly highlight Jayson Tatum. At 91-77, Jayson Tatum was the primary offensive initiator on 3 Straight Possessions. On Possession 1, he sized up his defender drove to the edge of the paint, and took a off balance jump shot. Josh Green makes a 3. On Possession 2, he turned the ball over while driving into the teeth of the defense. On possession 3, Jayson Tatum drove to hoop and missed a difficult layup.
In my notes I wrote, "Jayson Tatum doesn't have a closing move." Next I wrote, "Jayson Tatum knows how to initiate contact, but he doesn't know how to draw fouls." Finally I wrote, "The Best Players in the NBA, the Creators, the Wings, are able to get into the Mid-Range, Rise Above Their Defender, and Make a 15-18 Foot Jump Shot. Alternatively, these players have a Mid-Post Back to the Basket Game." In this era of sometimes reckless 3 Point Shooting, it is incredibly important for all players but especially the special ones to develop a Mid-Range Game. In the Playoffs 3 Point Shooting Variance only increases, Officials put their whistles away, and the Paint isn't always available. That Mid-Range Shot which is almost always available becomes a High Percentage Shot Outcome for the right player.
Lionel Messi's Comments and Scouting
In a recent interview Lionel Messi said, “Inter Miami will be my last club. I love playing football. I enjoy everything even more because I am aware that there is less and less left, I’m not ready to leave football. I’ve done this all my life, I love playing football, I enjoy training, the day-to-day, the matches … And yes, there’s always a little bit of fear that it’s all over.” This may seem like a nothing quote, but I wanted to share it because I deemed it valuable from a Scouting Perspective.
When I was a General Manager Scouting Cricketers, I would always ask does he love the sport, does he love the work, or does he love the lifestyle? Apart from the Data and the Predictive Modeling, the ability to coalesce subjectivity into a Scouting Report is incredibly valuable.
Does he love the Sport and How do you evaluate that?
Does he love Training and How do you evaluate that?
Does he love the Day-to-Day and How do you evaluate that?
Does he love Playing and How do you evaluate that?
What does it mean to "Love the Day-to Day?" Is there a metric that we can associate with that? If not, how do we incorporate that analysis in our Scouting Report.