Time for Summer school
Celts can learn a lot in Vegas
LAS VEGAS — The Celtics have four scheduled games here at the MGM Resorts Summer League before starting the playoffs, in which they will play at least two more.
The score will be kept in each exercise, and at the end of it all, one team will be crowned the champion.
But the Celtic entry is after a larger goal than that. If all goes well, what happens here won’t just stay in Vegas; it will translate over to the autumn when the club’s real games begin.
So you should pay more attention to how much different Robert Williams and Guerschon Yabusele look now than when last they were seen in bit roles — and then compare what they do here to how they play when the Celts reconvene in the preseason.
There also is much to be done with the club’s draft picks and some others who could parlay their work here into a full-time job.
Assistant coach Scott Morrison is in the big chair for the VSL, and he’s got his goals fairly well defined.
“Number 1, get the guys who are going to be in the Celtics’ program kind of up to speed on some terminology, so actions, some system stuff that we do,” Morrison said. “That’s so when they come back they have a head start on what we’re going to put in and what they’re going to have to do and what’s going to be expected of them.
“Two, is over the short period we have of three weeks, help those guys and the other players that may or may not be with the team improve as players and kind of be more comfortable knowing what’s expected of them on the floor in the NBA — what the common actions are, what the pace is like, spacing, you know, basic stuff like that. It’s kind of like a crash course or internship in pro basketball.
“And then, three, if those two things are accomplished, then compete to win, play to win, play the right way. But the actual win or loss is a secondary goal to how we go about it.”
The two Celtic veterans — Williams and Yabusele — should be a step ahead, and Morrison will be pushing them to see if they can be ready make another leap in a couple of months.
“Like, Rob, for example, all season he didn’t play much, but he’s got coaches working with him on how to roll faster and how to contest (shots) vertically without fouling and all the big man stuff,” Morrison said. “Well, here’s a chance to work on it and apply it, where you didn’t get much of a chance to do that. So it’s not necessarily new things, but it’s stuff that he’s been learning through video and through individual workouts that now he can get multiple reps in a game.
“Before, he’d do something once and then you’d have to watch it on film because he only played for three minutes. Now it’s like 25 or hopefully 30 minutes a game where he’s getting reps. You can correct things during the game, not to mention for the next game. When we leave here, you want these things to be not just something we’ve talked about, but a habit that he’s built.”
As for Yabusele, Morrison said, “He’s been getting sparse playing time. He’s had a lot of good players ahead of him. I’m not sure who’s going to be in the lineup next year, but you would hope that he could use this time to establish himself as a threat to be called upon for a more regular role.
“He’ll be more of a focal point of the offense here. We’ll run more actions through him, have him setting more ball screens, hopefully punishing some switches.”
A lot of what the Celtics do here in terms of plays and defensive rotations will be familiar to those who pay attention to the inner game. But Morrison will have the opportunity to put some of his own ideas into play to see if they can become a part of the larger plan.
“Some stuff that we know is going to be a part of our system next year, we’re working on that. And then my other goal, which Brad (Stevens) seemed OK with, was to try some different things that are new and see is any of them are attractive for him to use or maybe to tweak,” Morrison said. “I feel like the defensive stuff that we know we’re going to do, it’s important that guys learn that, but why not try some different things? Or Brad might see something here that might trigger him to think of a new action or a new look for us in the fall.”
So while the players on the Celts’ summer roster will be working to win each of their games here, the club as a whole will be trying to enhance their ability to win much later.