celticfan42487 wrote:I guess I'll just say I think you're over rating connecting passing to playmaking skill.
Anyone can pass the ball around the perimeter
I think it's pretty important - especially for a team (like the Celtics) that really struggled quite a bit last season with having good enough flow/rhythm on offense.
Too often our offense got stagnant, with 1 guy going iso (or jacking up an ill advised 3 early in the shot clock) and the other 4 guys just standing there watching. Especially when we had a double digit lead, and especially during the 4th quarter of close games.
celticfan42487 wrote:Anyone can pass the ball around the perimeter
Of course. But if all you do is pass the ball around the perimeter, you're not creating any advantage.
Players who play .5 basketball, have fast processing speed, make quick/smart reads and are good connective passers - they don't just pass the ball around the perimeter. They make passes which create an advantage. The "playmaking upside" section of that video I posted - every one of those passes creates an advantage. They all lead to a basket for his team. They're not just passing the ball around the perimeter.
Of course, not every pass will lead right to a basket. After all, Walsh's assist % wasn't *that* high. But he also has lots of hockey assists (makes the pass that leads to the pass that leads to the basket. Or, he simply makes a pass that might not even necessarily create an advantage - but if he makes the pass quick enough - and to the right teammate - and the pass is crisp and accurate enough - it will help keep the offense flowing and in a good rhythm. And you want to do all of this, without turning the ball over (MIller is more turnover prone than Walsh).
This is all part of connective passing (D-White is a master at it, btw). IMO, Walsh is better at this particular skill (and also a better cutter) than Miller. That combination (along with being comparable to Miller as a shooter) has me feel like Walsh could be more useful on offense for this Celtics team than Miller. Not to mention, Walsh is already used to a lower usage role from this past season at Arkansas - it might be more of an adjustment for Miller, since he had a much higher usage role this past season.
Then of course, there's the edge Walsh has on defense..
celticfan42487 wrote:I 100% fully admit you're the expert in this situation and I'm not!
All good, man. It's a fun discussion
