Call it Death Line-up, positionless basketball or Nellie Ball, Brad Stevens needs to go small at times
For those not around at the time, Don Nelson invented small-ball as a coach, thus it came to be known as Nellie Ball. When the Golden State Warriors employed it with much success, it was known as the Death Line-up. Celtics coach, Brad Stevens, would do well to lighten up his rather-predictable substitution patterns and follow suit at opportune times this coming season. Here's what Nellie Ball is all about, per Wikipedia : Nellie Ball is an offensive strategy in basketball developed by NBA head coach Don "Nellie" Nelson. It is a fast-paced run-and-gun offense relying on smaller, more athletic players who can create mismatches by outrunning their opponents. A true center is usually not needed to run this type of offense. A large volume of three-point attempts is also a feature of Nellie Ball. Critics of Nellie Ball claim it won't win Championships, and they re probably correct. But it can throw a big wrench into an opposing team's defense when used sporadically. ...