Tag: Assists

NBA includes the Boston Celtics in their ‘Best ball movement of the 2022-23 season’ video

The Celtics leaned heavily into an assist-heavy style of play under head coach Joe Mazzulla in the 2022-23 season.

[anyclip pubname=”2123″ widgetname=”0016M00002U0B1kQAF_M8170″]

Even though they were not moving the ball at quite the level they were in the 2021-22 NBA season under former head coach Ime Udoka, the Boston Celtics leaned heavily into an assist-heavy style of play under head coach Joe Mazzulla. That movement was part of what makes the offensively-oriented style of play that has become known as “Mazzulla Ball” work.

And with their 3-pointer heavy approach to the game during the 2022-23 season, there were more than a handful of exotic passing sequences that were Mazzulla Ball was at its best.

This was something the NBA even took note of, and we know that by way of its decision to include the Celtics in the “Best ball movement of the 2022-23 season” video.

To see the passes that earned the Celtics a spot in this clip (as well as the other teams so included), take a look at the clip embedded above.

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

[lawrence-auto-related count=1 category=590969556]

Who has the highest assist average in Boston Celtics playoff history?

You might be surprised to learn that Bob Cousy does not hold the record for the most playoff assists; can you guess who does?

When talking about dishing out assists in the NBA Playoffs, fans of the Boston Celtics might be surprised to learn that despite his fame as one of the league’s first stars and best floor generals of his era, the so-called “Houdini of the Hardwood” Bob Cousy does not hold the record for the most playoff assists per game for the storied ball club.

In fact, that record belongs to a much more recent member of the Celtics alumni family than the Cooz. Can you guess who that point guard might be, as well as the other nine of the top ten playmakers in the history of Boston’s playoff action?

Let’s take a look at the record books to find out.

Boston Celtics among NBA’s best court vision plays for 2021-22 season

The Celtics transformed themselves from a moribund passing team near the bottom of the league in assists per game to one of the better passing squads in the NBA last season.

Improving how the Boston Celtics moved the rock ahead of the 2021-22 NBA season was a major priority for (then) new head coach Ime Udoka, and the Celtics transformed themselves from a moribund passing team near the bottom of the league in assists per game to one of the better passing squads in the NBA.

With that increased propensity to pass the ball came a redoubled creativity in how it was done, making for some especially flashy dimes whizzing about the court from players on Boston’s roster over the course of the season.

So much so that the Celtics managed to make the NBA’s video compilation of the best court vision of the 2021-22 campaign across the entire league.

Be sure to take a look at the video embedded above to see what caught the league office’s eye with regards to Boston’s passing.

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

[mm-video type=video id=01gaq827n256tffkbm55 playlist_id=01eqbzegwgnrje4tv2 player_id=01eqbvq570kgj8vfs7 image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01gaq827n256tffkbm55/01gaq827n256tffkbm55-5ff480cc56e15d34e7d1eee8a7131dad.jpg]

[lawrence-related id=107215,107253,107218,107210,107284,107170]

[listicle id=107298]

[listicle id=107283]

[listicle id=107274]

[listicle id=107188]

Best of the Boston Celtics’ assists in the 2021-22 NBA season

In the first year of the Ime Udoka era at head coach of the Boston Celtics, it was a goal of the first-year NBA coach to get his team moving the ball considerably more than they had in the prior campaign.

In the first year of the Ime Udoka era as head coach of the Boston Celtics, it was a goal of his to get the team moving the ball considerably more than in the prior campaign.

There was plenty of room for improvement. The team ranked near the bottom of the league in assists per game by the end of the 2020-21 season.

Udoka was very much successful in his goal. Boston finished the season 14th in the NBA in dimes per contest, up from 25th in now-President of Basketball Operations Brad Stevens‘ last season in the role of head coach.

The result of Boston making it within two games of an NBA title is probably a bit much to hang on that specific improvement alone. But it certainly was a major part of what unlocked the Celtics’ star wings Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum in 2021-22.

To see the best passes of that season, check out this highlight clip put together by fan videographer Tomasz Kordylewski embedded below.

Check out the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

[mm-video type=video id=01gaq827n256tffkbm55 playlist_id=01eqbzegwgnrje4tv2 player_id=01eqbvq570kgj8vfs7 image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01gaq827n256tffkbm55/01gaq827n256tffkbm55-5ff480cc56e15d34e7d1eee8a7131dad.jpg]

[lawrence-related id=107180,107178,107173,107212,107204,107170]

[listicle id=107139]

[listicle id=107219]

[listicle id=107096]

[listicle id=107174]

NBA’s best hockey assists of 2021-22 video features the Boston Celtics

One of the main points of emphasis of then-new Boston Celtics head coach Ime Udoka was upping the level of ball movement for the Celtics in his first season.

One of the main points of emphasis of then-new Boston Celtics head coach Ime Udoka was upping the level of ball movement for the Celtics above that of their rather underwhelming levels of recent seasons.

And Udoka managed to instill a culture of ball movement to great effect in his inaugural campaign as head coach, Boston’s ability to spray the rock around the court with dizzying results on their opponents was one of several major components to the 2022 NBA Finals run.

So it probably should not surprise anyone to find the Celtics among the teams featured in a recent clip put together by the NBA of the best hockey assists (multiple, quick passes leading to a scorer connecting as a result) of the 2021-22 season.

Take a look at the clip embedded below to see how All-NBA forward Jayson Tatum threaded quite the needle to multiple Boston big men on the way to a bucket for yourself.

Check out the Celtics Lab podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

[mm-video type=video id=01g9z9x16j7ctcdj7s12 playlist_id=01eqbzegwgnrje4tv2 player_id=01eqbvq570kgj8vfs7 image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01g9z9x16j7ctcdj7s12/01g9z9x16j7ctcdj7s12-ce412cd9fd2d2903f8e8c4719edd9077.jpg]

[lawrence-related id=106933,106931,106929,107008,106880,106943]

[listicle id=106927]

[listicle id=107059]

[listicle id=107013]

[listicle id=107009]

Sue Bird just became the first WNBA player to reach 3,000 assists

Sue Bird just keeps racking up records

Sue Bird is one of the most decorated WNBA players of all-time and easily one of the best point guards to ever play the game.

And at 40-years-old, the Seattle Storm star just keeps racking up record after record after record to add to her resume. It’s really been incredible to watch over the last few seasons.

She continued to add to all that on Friday night with her 3,000th career assist.

3,000 assists is always a pretty spectacular number and an amazing milestone. It speaks to who Bird is as a teammate and as a player, which is great.

But what makes this even greater is that she’s the first player in WNBA history to ever hit this mark.

That’s pretty amazing, man. Here was the 3,000th assist.

Think about the context of this. WNBA seasons are typically just 34 games through a four-month period before the postseason. She’s played 539 games in her career through 20 seasons.

That’s pretty spectacular. The longevity of it all is amazing. Congrats to Bird on her new record. Hopefully, she has a few more coming before she calls it quits.

Watch our new sneaker unboxing video, Special Delivery 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pgHz7vbqMWw

All-Time Gators Men’s Basketball Bio: Chris Chiozza (2014-18)

Chiozza is best-known for his game-winning shot to defeat the Wisconsin Badgers and advance to the Elite Eight of the 2017 NCAA Tournament.

Chris Chiozza (2014-2018) – Point Guard

Chris Chiozza is best-known for his game-winning running three-point shot to defeat the Wisconsin Badgers and advance to the Elite Eight of the 2017 NCAA Tournament.

Following a trend seen in previous parts of this best-player bracket, Chiozza is originally from Tennessee — Memphis, specifically — where he attended White Station High School while also playing on the Team Thad AAU squad. Averaging 15 points and eight assists per game as a senior, Chiozza was ranked No. 45 in his class by Rivals.com and received scholarship offers from numerous Division I programs before committing to Florida in 2014.

Billy Donovan was still at the helm when Chiozza chose UF, though the diminutive guard only played one season under the storied head coach. He had just missed the 2013-14 season in which the Gators went 36-3 en route to a Final Four loss to UConn, though he would taste similar glory before his Gator days were over.

Chiozza played primarily as a reserve his freshman campaign, starting 11 of 33 games while scoring 3.9 points along with 2.2 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.2 steals in 22.8 minutes per game. His game bumped up with the arrival of head coach Mike White, seeing an overall increase in production by averaging 7.2 points, 2.9 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 1.1 steals while starting 22 of 36 games his sophomore season.

The young point guard’s production remained steady through his junior year despite playing off the bench exclusively in a reserve role. However, he entered the annals of Gators lore with his aforementioned game-winning shot in the NCAA Tournament in 2017, cementing his legacy in the Orange and Blue.

Chiozza took his game to the next level his senior season, further adding to his collegiate accolades by breaking Erving Walker’s Florida career assists record while also leading the SEC with a 3.22 assist-to-turnover ratio. He put up a stat line of 11.1 points, 4.3 rebounds, 6.1 assists and 1.9 steals during his final year in Gainesville while starting 32 of 34 games, earning him First Team All-SEC honors and an invitation to the 2018 Portsmouth Invitational Tournament.

Despite his accomplishments, Chiozza went undrafted in 2018 but joined the Washington Wizards for the NBA Summer League and the team’s training camp before being released before the season began; he then joined the Wizards’ G League team for the remainder of the year.

The 2018-19 season saw a turn of events for the better, with Chiozza starting the season on a 10-day contract with the Houston Rockets. Though he did not play any games for Houston that time around, he joined its G League affiliate before signing an NBA contract and finishing the year with the Rockets, appearing in seven games.

After finishing off his contract in Texas, Chiozza signed with the Wizards again, this time on a two-way contract between the G League and the NBA. He played 10 games in D.C. before Washington waived him in December of 2019. The Brooklyn Nets signed him just after the New Year on a two-way contract, where he appeared in 11 games and still remains on the active NBA roster.

So far in his brief professional career, Chiozza has averaged 3.2 points, 1.4 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 0.6 steals in 28 games played with three different teams. In his last appearance before the coronavirus shutdown, he scored 11 points, dished out five assists and grabbed one rebound in 17 minutes of playing time against the Los Angeles Lakers. It appears that things continue to trend upwards for the former Gators point guard.

[vertical-gallery id=19374]

Today in Rockets history: James Harden has career-high 17 assists

On March 24, 2017, James Harden had 38 points (50% FG) and a career-high 17 assists as Houston held off Anthony Davis and the Pelicans.

On March 24, 2017, Houston Rockets star James Harden tied his career high with 17 assists in a 117-107 home win (box score) over Anthony Davis, DeMarcus Cousins, and the visiting New Orleans Pelicans.

Harden averaged a career-high 11.2 assists in the 2016-17 season, which was the first for head coach Mike D’Antoni in Houston. Since Chris Paul had yet to be acquired, Harden carried even more of the playmaking burden, and the offense fluorished with him in that role. Ultimately, Houston finished with the NBA’s No. 2 net offensive rating (114.1).

In the previous 2015-16 season before D’Antoni’s arrival and the declaration of Harden as the team’s point guard, the Rockets had the league’s No. 7 offense  — with a net offensive rating of 107.3.

In December 2019, Harden passed Hall of Famer Calvin Murphy for No. 1 on the all-time Houston Rockets assists list.

[lawrence-related id=20087]

Besides his career-high 17 assists in that March 24, 2017 victory over the Pelicans, Harden also scored a game-high 38 points on 12-of-24 shooting (50.0%) at Toyota Center — including 5-of-12 on 3-pointers (41.7%).

The Pelicans had cut the lead to just two points with 1:45 left, but Harden put the game away by scoring eight points in under 30 seconds as Houston improved to 50-22 on its 2016-17 campaign.

The Rockets finished that season at 55-27 and as the No. 3 seed in the 2017 Western Conference playoffs, representing tremendous improvement from their 41-41 year with a No. 8 seed in 2016.

Harden finished second in the NBA’s 2017 MVP voting, with future teammate Russell Westbrook claiming the crown.

[lawrence-related id=27145,27122]

LeBron James joins two of the best point guards ever as only three players on exclusive list

LeBron James joins two of the best point guards ever as only three players on exclusive list with 18,000 points, 9,000 assists and 2,000 steals.

LeBron James is now the third player in NBA history with 18,000 points, 9,000 assists and 2,000 steals. He joins John Stockton and Chris Paul as the only three players to have ever reached those combined numbers. LeBron had the points and assists heading into the Los Angeles Lakers loss to Houston but pushed past the 2,000 threshold in steals with two takeaways against the Rockets.

NBA History announced the accomplishment on Twitter after LeBron went for 18 points, 15 assists and nine rebounds. Stockton retired in 2003 at the age of 40. He averaged 13.1 points, 10.5 assists and 2.2 steals for his Hall of Fame career. The original Dream Team member is currently the NBA’s all-time assists leader with 15,086. CP3 is No. 7 on the all-time NBA assists list, one spot ahead of LeBron at No. 8.

After remaining among the top facilitators in the league throughout his career, LeBron has a great chance to lead the NBA in assists this season. At 10.8 dimes per contest, James is nearly two assists ahead of Trae Young who is currently second at nine per game. LeBron is also No. 11 in scoring at 25.1 and No. 22 in steals with 1.3.

The Lakers will now look to respond to the Houston small-ball loss on Saturday. That’s when LeBron and company will meet a Golden State Warriors squad who just acquired former No. 1 pick Andrew Wiggins in a trade with the Minnesota Timberwolves that shipped out D’Angelo Russell.

[lawrence-related id=25598]

[lawrence-related id=24946]

LeBron James passes Gary Payton for 9th on NBA’s all-time assists list

LeBron James passes Gary Payton for 9th on NBA’s all-time assists list during loss to Bucks.

LeBron James has been creating open shots for his teammates ever since he set foot on an NBA court 17 seasons ago. Combined with this ability to dominate games as a scorer, LeBron’s propensity for dropping dimes is one of the factors that separates him among the handful of truly elite players to ever play this game. On Thursday, he further solidified his passing greatness by moving up another rung on the NBA’s all-time assists list.

James dished out 11 assists to complete a 21-point, 12-rebound triple-double during the Los Angeles Lakers 111-104 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks. In doing so, he moved past Gary “The Glove” Payton who LeBron trailed by eight dimes heading into to the Milwaukee game.

LeBron now has 8,970 assists for his career which is good for ninth on the NBA’s all-time list according to Basketball Reference. Payton slides to 10th on the list with 8,966. James is currently 91 assists behind Hall of Famer Isiah Thomas who occupies the No. 8 spot with 9,061. The King should catch Thomas this season, but from there he’ll trail Chris Paul in the seventh spot by roughly 300 dimes and counting.

After dishing out 11 assists during the loss to the Bucks, James continues to lead the NBA in that play-making metric by averaging 10.6 helpers per contest. LeBron and the Lakers are back home on Sunday for a matchup with the Denver Nuggets prior to their Christmas Day showdown with the Los Angeles Clippers.

[lawrence-related id=22504]

[lawrence-related id=21156]