Drew Peterson’s intriguing game and path to playing time

Drew Peterson type of jogs my memory of Grant Williams. And no, it’s not that their physique sorts are practically mirror photographs. It’s on account of my concern about their capability to make their manner within the NBA. Grant figured it out, and after watching Drew Peterson after he obtained some minutes, I’d wager he does, too.

I carry up Grant as a result of there have been factors in his Celtics tenure the place his NBA function wasn’t precisely apparent. Williams was a tweener defensively that didn’t have any clear offensive strengths on the NBA degree. Did he have the dimensions to match up with bigs? Was he fast sufficient to change on the perimeter? Would his playmaking translate? What about his post-game? Would he ever make a 3?

There’s a positive line for a task participant between jack of all trades, grasp of none (suppose somebody like Delon Wright who’s first rate sufficient defensively, can shoot a bit and run a choose and roll), and never being ok at anyone talent to carve out an outlined function. It’s loads simpler to search out minutes for a participant with outlined strengths and weaknesses — the match is extra apparent. Brad Stevens did it with Evan Turner, a restricted shooter however a plus playmaker with good dimension. Joe’s finished it with Sam Hauser (straightforward mode since he’s an elite shooter) and Luke Kornet, who Joe has reworked right into a rim defending, glass crashing, onerous rolling, plus passing massive man regardless of coming into the league as primarily a flooring spacer.

Everyone knows what occurred with Grant. He was robust sufficient to deal with massive wings and small bigs, fast sufficient on the perimeter to (largely) swap onto guards, and he discovered to shoot. All of it ended up in an NBA participant that’s someplace between low finish starter and good bench participant on the worth of a $50 million contract.

Then you may have guys like Romeo Langford. On paper, an athletic, ball-handling guard that was a strong on-ball defender and flashed some capturing potential. However Romeo was by no means capable of actually determine it out. He didn’t have anyone talent that saved him on the ground. If the Cs wanted capturing, there was another person off the bench higher than him. In the event that they wanted ball dealing with, there was another person off the bench higher than him. In the event that they wanted protection, there was another person off the bench higher than him. And subsequently, Langford is now out of the NBA.

Which brings us to Drew Peterson. Drew hasn’t precisely had loads of alternative to point out out for the Celtics, however when’s he has performed, I can’t assist the wash of intrigue that comes over me. There’s one thing there, even when I haven’t fairly put my finger on it but.

Describing him in a vacuum makes him sound higher than he really is: he can shoot it a bit, deal with it some, has good imaginative and prescient, understands the sport, and isn’t a complete and full legal responsibility defensively. Wow, he can do the whole lot on offense and isn’t dangerous defensively, that man have to be an All-Star, proper?

Not fairly. Simply because Peterson possesses the theoretical capability to make the most of these abilities, doesn’t imply he recurrently places it into observe. I’m undecided Peterson will ever develop even one in all these abilities to an above common NBA degree, however like Grant Williams in his rookie season, the flashes are there (and in Grant’s case, the protection was greater than a flash in that season’s NBA Playoffs).

First issues first, if Drew figures it out, he will probably be a completely completely different participant from Grant. Grant first began incomes minutes on account of his protection and skill to make the proper determination on offense. Peterson in all probability checks the latter field, however undoubtedly not the previous. His path to minutes is equally apparent although: he must make photographs.

Full disclosure: that is the portion of this system the place I’ve to lift my hand and are available clear. I’ve a fairly excessive bias towards Peterson’s capturing, I hate his jumper. It’s fugly, however outcomes are much more essential, and Peterson has largely gotten these.

From Faculty Basketball Reference:

G-League:

From Basketball Reference:

This offers him a head-start on Grant, who didn’t flash constant capturing till his second yr, and he then actually turned a high-level shooter the years following. That’s nice, and capturing alone can get you on the ground, however in Drew’s case, it in all probability gained’t.

That is the half the place I examine him to the opposite tall, capturing wing on the Celtics bench that will get focused by opponents for a motive I’ll go away unmentioned. That’s, after all, Xavier Tillman. Simply kidding, Drew might have some similarities to Sam Hauser, however they’re essentially completely different gamers.

The first distinction is Hauser’s capturing. Peterson can shoot; Hauser is likely one of the absolute best shooters within the league. There’re ranges to these items, and Hauser is the ultimate boss (Curry is the super-secret boss you don’t get till after you beat the sport). Capturing at that top of a degree can paper over loads of warts, and by chance, Hauser has only a few of them. Right here’s Hauser’s faculty and NBA numbers to check towards Drew’s above:

Hauser has by no means shot decrease than 40% for any full season, faculty or NBA. Drew shot over as soon as, his penultimate faculty season at USC, and he hasn’t finished so within the NBA or G-League (we don’t rely the three NBA video games from final season). However, and it’s an essential “however,” he’s ok to get guarded on the market, and that’s the 1st step to not submarining the offense.

To the purpose, Peterson shouldn’t be a excessive sufficient degree shooter for that to propel him to a task in and of itself, not like Hauser. He’s obtained to carry one thing else.

The protection (it’s not really that dangerous!)

In Grant’s case, that one thing else was stout, strong switchable protection (one thing Hauser is proficient at). For Drew, it in all probability gained’t be protection, and by “in all probability,” I imply undoubtedly. He’s merely not an impression defender, nor do I believe he ever will probably be. The excellent news is that he’s additionally not a whole trainwreck. To me, he tasks nearer to “barely beneath common” than “so dangerous it doesn’t matter how good he’s on the opposite finish of the court docket.”

Peterson’s greatest weak point defensively is his energy. That is one thing Hauser labored on, and may be considerably remedied, however he merely doesn’t have the identical vast, sturdy base that Hauser does.

On this drive and kick, Nikola Jovic muscle mass previous him after the preliminary clear contact.

He’s solely performed actual minutes in 3 video games this season, however he’s not been focused a lot. If he does grow to be a extra recurrently a part of the rotation, I count on there to be one on his again. He might want to get stronger to deal with a number of the wings he will probably be tasked with defending, and I count on groups will power him to change onto their bigs. That issues me, however it hasn’t been an issue but.

He additionally doesn’t do an important job of impacting ball handlers from assist positions. Most Celtics, and Tatum is particularly good at this, would take a step and swipe in the direction of Dru Smith on this play, simply to make him really feel his presence. Drew doesn’t transfer, in any respect.

You possibly can’t go away the strongside nook shooter, however there’s a line between leaving him to assist and ignoring the ball handler fully. Right here’s one other instance.

Whereas this can be a weak point now, it’s eminently teachable, and I count on Peterson will catch on. The excellent news is that he’s not dangerous at shifting his ft. He recurrently stays in entrance of ball handlers, cuts off straight line drives, and not less than forces them into pull-ups.

He executes the scheme and by no means actually appears misplaced. He additionally hits the glass fairly onerous and has good dimension for a wing, which is useful. I’ve seen some tremendously dangerous defensive gamers in my 25 or so years of watching basketball, and Peterson is nicely above that degree. Which means Peterson’s future will probably be fully determined by what he can do on the opposite finish.

The fascinating offense of Drew Peterson

We’ve already talked concerning the capturing with Peterson, and it’s ok to get revered. Which means most of his offense will come from spot up alternatives, however Peterson isn’t only a spot up man. Most likely his greatest energy as a participant is his capability to place the ball on the ground for his dimension.

He’s obtained an honest first step and has some critical wiggle in his deal with. He performed on-ball as a creator a ton at USC, and that offers him a unique dimension than somebody like Hauser.

When groups shut out on him, he’s competent placing it on the deck, attacking a protection, and making the right learn.

His imaginative and prescient and passing instincts are actually good for a giant wing.

Peterson is aware of the place to be and learn how to play offense the best way the Celtics wish to. He registers an help right here on account of some beneficiant scorekeeping, however that’s not what stood out to me.

Drew makes two very fast choices on this play that may assist him discover a function in Boston. First, he instantly strikes the ball to Payton Pritchard who has an exploitable Jovic on him. Second, after he strikes the ball, he shortly follows up the go by getting right into a display for Pritchard. PP rejects it, however these are the kinds of little issues that preserve the Celtics’ offensive flotilla coasting ahead. You completely can’t have paralysis by evaluation and see the ground in Boston.

If Peterson’s shot continues to carry, he can use that as the bottom to construct his offensive assault. Making the open ones, and punishing onerous closeouts, is a straightforward method to contribute positively to an NBA offense. And if you’re contributing positively on offense, and never a catastrophe on protection, that tends to result in taking part in time.

As soon as he’s obtained that down, then we will see Peterson begin to unfold his wings a bit bit and flash a few of that deal with and playmaking he confirmed in faculty. I don’t suppose Peterson will ever be some on-ball level ahead like he was at instances for USC, however these abilities are helpful, even for a man that’s primarily deployed as a spacer.

So, like Grant Williams and Sam Hauser earlier than him, Peterson has the instruments to get himself onto the court docket and grow to be a useful piece of the Celtics’ rotation. With Hauser’s again and Horford’s age, there are minutes up for grabs, and it’s as much as Peterson to snag them.