⚡️ Gotta Analyze ‘Em All: Preseason Playstyles, Pokémon Meets NBA & Beating the Odds

Welcome to the NBA Librarian Weekly, where we curate and summarize the best NBA content each week.

<1000 words each week. I consume so you don’t have to.

In Today's Edition:

1. Gotta Shoot the Ball - Okaymon!

2. What to Watch For in Pre-Season

3. Examining the KAT/Brunson P&R

4. Cavs New Offensive Philosophy

5. Christian Braun’s Expanded Role with Nuggets

6. How Your PF Dictates the Way Your Team Plays

7. NBA: Hardest League to Get Into?

8. BONUS CONTENT

Gotta Shoot the Ball - Okaymon!

If there’s even some part of you that had an era watching Pokemon, this is such a fun project by Evan Spellman — an ultimate passion project.

1. Pokemon types are reimagined as basketball play styles (e.g., "Heat Check" instead of "Fire").

2. Pokemon attributes are translated to basketball skills (e.g., "Inside O" instead of "Attack").

3. NBA player data from the last ~7 seasons is used to match players to these new play styles and attributes.

4. Players are then matched to one of the original 151 Pokemon based on their playing style and skills.

5. Illustrators create artwork depicting NBA players as characters in this game world. AND the project includes an original soundtrack.

Besides the aesthetic and nostalgic appeal of this — there’s also actual detailed explanations of each players playing style both offensively and defensively that incorporates relevant stats and historical comparisons. Definitely check it out.

What to Watch For in Pre-Season

Honestly, this is kind of how I view pre-season too. Watching how a team plays is far more interesting than the final score.

Without further ado, here comes some pre-season analysis. Yee-haw!

Examining the KAT/Brunson P&R

KAT had 25/12 in his pre-season debut. Here are some key themes:

1. Mixing Roll vs Pop: A recurring point is how crucial it is for Karl-Anthony Towns (KAT) to read defenses properly—popping out for a shot against a drop coverage or rolling to the basket depending on how defenders react.

2. Josh Hart's Positioning: Josh Hart's positioning is a critical factor in keeping defenders honest. When he’s one pass away, defenders tend to cheat, making it harder for Brunson-KAT to operate. Swapping Hart's position with another player can create more space for the two-man game to thrive.

3. Handling the Switch: When defenses switch, the goal is to find the mismatch. If KAT has a smaller defender, go to the post. If Jalen Brunson has a bigger, slower player on him, KAT should clear out and let Brunson attack.

4. Making Contact: KAT has been known to slip screens, but it’s crucial for him to find moments to make solid contact to free up Brunson.

5. Double Screen Actions: There's a lot of potential in using double screens, like in Horns sets or double drag actions. Hart rolling while KAT pops opens up the floor even more, especially with good corner shooters providing spacing.

Good stuff from Coach Holtzman, check the tweets for the videos too.