The Boston Celtics summer time league is over. Regardless of ending their participation with a 2-3 document, there have been some enjoyable video games over the previous week, with a number of members of D.J. MacLeay’s rotation impressing when given the chance. Even Jordan Walsh — who had struggled via 4 video games, discovered a method to erase a few of his powerful nights from our reminiscence courtesy of his efficiency on Sunday.
Nevertheless, it was Boston’s two new rookies who stood out. We’ve already checked out Baylor Scheierman at what he may probably convey to the Celtics rotation. Should you missed that, you will discover it right here.
At the moment, we’re trying on the different new addition to Boston’s rotation: Anton Watson. The younger “tweener” had a robust Summer time League displaying. He averaged 11.8 factors, 5.2 rebounds and 1.6 assists whereas taking pictures 51.1% from the sphere and 35% from deep.
Slightly than taking a look at each side of Watson’s ability set, we’re going to deal with the areas that might translate to a possible function in Boston or Maine. These areas are: Off-ball chopping, perimeter playmaking, catch-and-shoot threes and protection. Watson does have extra to his sport than these 4 areas, however as we transfer towards coaching camp and, finally, the beginning of the season, any potential function he receives will seemingly comprise these expertise.
Off-ball chopping
Throughout his remaining season with Gonzaga, 17.1% of Watson’s general offensive manufacturing got here through off-ball chopping. He shot 66.2% in these eventualities, going 47-of-71.
In Summer time League, Watson usually includes 4 offensive play sorts: flooring spacer, ball handler, screener, and DHO initiator. Nevertheless, on the NBA degree, the place touches are a lot tougher to come back by, Watson would seemingly depend on his chopping skill to generate scoring alternatives for himself and others.
These alternatives gained’t at all times come by chopping towards the rim. He may additionally reduce onto the perimeter courtesy of exit screens or pin-downs, the place he may then move right into a taking pictures movement or present some secondary creation.
Realizing that Watson can work with out the ball and nonetheless be efficient is encouraging.
Nonetheless, Watson’s lack of dimension does place a query mark over his inside scoring on the subsequent degree. At 6-foot-8, Watson is vulnerable to getting stuffed on the rim or being compelled to flee dribble and sluggish the offense down.
Defenders within the NBA are stronger, sooner and extra explosive. If Watson needs to be a multi-level scoring menace, he should add some tips to his inside scoring sport whereas additionally packing on power to complete via contact.
His lack of dimension and power is a major motive why I don’t anticipate his post-up sport to translate from the faculty to the professionals, which is why we gained’t be taking a look at that play sort right this moment. For reference, he took 65 photographs out of post-ups, taking pictures 47.7%.
What we have now seen, although, is that Watson is a succesful post-passer. He has good imaginative and prescient, makes fast reads, and has the scale to see over perimeter defenders in the event that they attempt to strain him with digs into the submit.
Boston’s submit offense is normally reserved for Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Jrue Vacation and Kristaps Porzingis. Al Horford might function in there on occasion, too. Nevertheless, except Watson has reduce off a display screen and located himself in a post-up place, I don’t envision him needing to create from the block on a constant foundation — a minimum of, not throughout the earlier years of his profession.
As a substitute, the function we’ve seen from him in Summer time League is probably going what he can be tasked with within the NBA (and G-League).
A fringe hub
After I consider how Watson may crack the principle Celtics rotation, it’s this play that involves thoughts. Joe Mazzulla’s offensive system is based on a five-out offense. As such, the massive have to be dependable on the perimeter, not solely as a scorer but in addition as a creator and screener.
Within the above clip, Watson initiates two separate dribble hand-offs. He additionally fakes a DHO with JD Davison. He units a number of screens. After which, when the spacing is there, and the nook is empty, he rolls towards the rim, offering a passing outlet for Jordan Walsh, and will get a simple bucket because the reward for all of his onerous work.
Watson’s fingerprints are throughout that play. His willingness to maneuver the rock, assault second-side actions, and take advantage of the house his work has created are all encouraging indicators of a possible match inside Boston’s system.
Right here’s one other instance. As soon as once more, Watson is tasked with working on the perimeter in a delay motion. And as soon as once more, Watson showcases his persistence and willingness to let issues unfold round him. The play ends in a flare display screen for Baylor Scheierman. The shot doesn’t fall, however the half-court motion involving Watson is our focus on this occasion, and in that respect, he showcased his perimeter creation skill.
Watson’s perimeter-based sport does have shades of Al Horford. He’s a cellular screener, performs at his personal tempo and tempo, can rating off the catch on the perimeter and within the nook, has some post-creation expertise. The rookie has beforehand spoken about studying from the just lately topped champion large man.
“Capturing is clearly an enormous piece. Type of like that Al Horford function. He’s an awesome shooter. I feel studying from him goes to be big for me and truly all of the veterans on this crew,” Watson stated. “Capturing goes to be big and simply my protection, utilizing that to my strengths and popping out and guarding each single sport. That’s going to be large for me. Yeah, taking pictures goes to open up my offensive skill, however protection is the place I’m sturdy at.”
Catch-and-shoot 3s
Let’s begin by taking a look at Watson’s year-by-year catch-and-shoot numbers since he entered his rookie season with Gonzaga.
- 12 months 1, 2019-20: Watson took shot 7 catch-and-shoot three-point photographs, hitting 1, 14.3% conversion fee.
- 12 months 2, 2020-21: Watson took 16 photographs, hitting 3, 18.8% conversion fee.
- 12 months 3, 2021-22: Watson took 13 photographs, hitting 3, 23.1% conversion fee.
- 12 months 4, 2022-23: Watson took 32 photographs, hitting 10, 31.3% conversion fee
- 12 months 5, 2023-24: Watson took 29 photographs, hitting 12, 41.4% conversion fee.
In summer time league, Watson took 12 photographs, hitting 4 of them with a 33.3% conversion fee.
Photographs just like the one within the clip above are going to be there for Watson on the NBA and G-League degree. If he can get comfy re-locating into the nook and offering a catch-and-shoot launch valve for the penetrating ball-handler, he’ll get loads of reps to proceed growing his shot, mechanics and vary.
Horford took 257 nook threes final season, knocking them down at a 42% clip. The shot shall be there for Watson when he’s on the courtroom, as will the spacing and creation to offer him high-quality makes an attempt. The remainder shall be on him to maintain engaged on his shot, constructing rhythm and ensuring his movement is repeatable.
You possibly can see a really comparable play (and consequence) within the clip above, this time coming from the alternative nook. As soon as once more, the ball-handler has engaged the protection, created house for Watson off the catch, and the Gonzaga product will get the shot to fall. We’ve seen the Celtics thrive off these spray actions since Mazzulla took over the pinnacle teaching gig, so it is sensible to consider Watson may spell minutes in an identical three-and-d function.
On this clip, you possibly can see Watson run the ground to supply a “pitch-ahead” outlet in transition. When the ball doesn’t discover Watson close to the rim, he rapidly relocates to fill the nook. JD Davison assaults off a stampede reduce, attracts a number of defenders and sprays the ball out to Watson for a wide-open three.
We’ve now seen three totally different clips of Watson hitting nook threes, all through dribble-drive penetration dishes. These are the precise sort of photographs he’ll get with Boston and sure in Maine, too. The extra of these he can take, the higher he’ll get.
In fact, we’ve additionally seen that he’s able to hitting a pull-up in house, too, which is significant for when he’s working as a creation hub within the delay.
Protection
Throughout his remaining yr in Gonzaga, Watson spent loads of time guarding on the perimeter, primarily getting switched onto guards or smaller wings. The outcome was he usually acquired beat off the dribble. He additionally acquired caught when making an attempt to rotate early, usually discovering himself having to shut out onerous on shooters.
When guarding spot-up taking pictures possessions just like the one above, Watson held his opponents to a 50.9 efficient subject aim proportion, with them hitting 40% of their subject objectives and 38.2% of their threes.
Watson did have higher success in summer time league, primarily on account of being matched up with forwards and barely getting caught on powerful switches. He additionally spent extra time guarding nook shooters, which allowed him to make use of his dimension and talent to manage angels to restrict his opponents.
The above clip is the kind of defensive possession and function we should always anticipate to see from Watson. Tasked with guarding the nook, offering assist protection across the rim, and switching on screens. He has the lateral quickness, low middle of gravity and physique management to chop off the courtroom when guarding with the sideline and baseline as further defenders.
His downside is when he’s tasked with guarding in house. Watson acquired dragged into 11 isolation defensive possessions in summer time league, together with his opponents taking pictures 72.7% towards him. At this level in his improvement, he’s higher suited as a supplementary defender who can guard fours and fives and defend the nook. If he’s switched onto faster, shifter gamers, he struggled to maintain tempo with them.
Watson has some work to do on the defensive finish. Don’t let his PnR defensive numbers idiot you, both. Synergy has tracked him as holding opposing ball-handlers to 24.4% taking pictures when working because the PnR ball-handler defender, indicating he can maintain his personal in a switch-based system.
Nevertheless, when diving into the movie, nearly all of these possessions are show-and-recover, which means Watson didn’t really contest the shot however restricted the ball-handler from penetrating earlier than recovering to the rolling large.
Watson has the instruments to turn into a dependable defender on the NBA degree. Nevertheless, it could be an space that limits his skill to crack the rotation over the subsequent yr or two whereas he continues to develop that aspect of his sport. Nonetheless, if he can maintain strong protection throughout the low helpline and impression nook shooters whereas additionally rotating as a helper, he ought to have an outlined function if he will get his quantity known as.
In spite of everything, Watson was a late second-round draft choose; anticipating him to be a completed product is unfair. Whereas his offensive sport has clear NBA translatability, his protection should catch up, particularly after being drafted by a crew that prides itself on being a lockdown unit.
Closing ideas
Watson emerged as my favourite Celtic at summer time league. His NBA-ready method on offense, coupled together with his private tempo made him a enjoyable prospect to trace. His protection didn’t look to misplaced on account of his outlined function, and for probably the most half, he projected as somebody who may probably spell minutes in a pinch.
Nevertheless, with summer time league now within the historical past books and a few extra movie work underneath my belt, I wouldn’t anticipate to see an excessive amount of of the Gonzaga alumn within the coming season. He must significantly enhance his protection if he’s going to carry his personal on the NBA degree — with guarding in house being a fundamental focus level, in my view.
Luckily for Watson, he’s landed on a Celtics crew that has confirmed to be gifted at growing expertise in recent times. If he could make some strides on the defensive aspect of the ball, he might be knocking on the door for a rotation spot subsequent season when each Horford and Luke Kornet shall be reaching the top of their present contracts. That timeline appears cheap and probably achievable for Watson.
For now, will probably be enjoyable monitoring his progress in Maine.
CelticsBlog graciously allowed this text to be cross-posted from my “Celtics Chronicle” publication.
