Mailbag, on basketball and other things

It's the March edition of the patron-only mailbag -- continued!

By Caitlin Cooper I @C2_Cooper

Andrew Gilligan: I would love to hear more about your Pacers fandom - especially does it make it harder to still be a fan while analyzing the team this closely? Or, do you remain a fan?

I grew up a fan of the Pacers. There's a picture of me somewhere holding a Reggie Miller jersey that was given to me as a gift for my birthday when I was 12 years old. My favorite player growing up was Jermaine O'Neal. I purchased and owned a Better Basketball DVD that featured him, and I would try to emulate his footwork in the post at open gyms, which surely was identical in execution and obviously quite useful for a rail-thin, 5-foot-6 forward whose team didn't run that type of offense. The inside of my locker was also plastered with magazine clippings about the team, as is the case for most middle school girls (there are dozens of us!). Now, as you may know, there is a "Lifelong Fan" shirt for sale through the Basketball, She Wrote shop at Teepublic.

With that being said, as I wrote in the introduction to that specific item of apparel, my goal is always to be as objective as possible in my analysis. Truth be told, I’ve found it difficult to be a “fan” the longer I’ve done whatever you call what I do. So much so, in fact, that I actually struggled to find my bearings during the intervening month when I was out of circulation and unsure of what would be next for me. When I no longer had reason to look for story angles or grow in my knowledge, it was almost like I had forgotten how to watch just for the sake of entertainment. Of course, there was also the whole thing where watching was an active reminder of what I was no longer doing, so that was challenging as well. Still, basketball and I found each other again, just like we always have -- and that's where my lifelong fandom truly lies.

Mark Schindler: What’s your favorite part of basketball minutiae? Like the one thing that happens in a game or possession that will make you smile regardless of who is playing, the score, etc?

Hi, Mark. Remember the days of yore, back in January, when we used to talk into microphones with each other about stuff like this? Ahh, memories. As you might recall, tiny details are sort of my jam. I'm also just curious by nature and have an affinity for magnifying aspects of the game that run contrary to conventional wisdom. In part, that's why I hand-tracked all of Tyrese Haliburton's jump passes from last season. I wanted to see if the math would support what my eyes were telling me about him being, quite clearly, an icon of basketball counter-culture.

Along those same lines, there can be a tendency to undervalue the nuances of creating advantages with hand-offs, as the general thought can sometimes be that swapping anyone into that role, where the ball is merely tossed from one player to the next without manipulating the defense, would produce the same outcome. I disagree, at least in some cases. There can be real nuance and skill involved in knowing when to pitch-ahead, drop-off, or simply run a traditional hand-off, which is to say nothing of generating open attacking lanes for the hand-off receiver by forcing overs and punishing unders with lateral adjustments, reverse pivots, and quick slips. To answer, whenever a hand-off operator trusts in their own screening technique so much as to bounce their teammate into the catch, I smile.

Don't believe what you've heard. Hand-off assists are advantage assists (sometimes).

Basketball Poetry: How do you actively try to improve as a writer?

Practice. I'm always writing, even if I have no plans to publish what I'm writing. In fact, that's how the introduction to this blog was born. After the decision was made by Vox to no longer support Indy Cornrows, I had a lot going on in my life and I soon found that dealing with all the life stuff was a lot harder without writing as an outlet. There was one morning where I got up and just decided to write for myself. When I got done, those words, relating my changing relationship with my sister and an episode of Gilmore Girls to reconnecting with readers after being estranged, were what was on the page -- and, in that case, I ended up publishing them.

I'm also an avid reader. I love classic literature, in and of itself, but I also think there can be value in absorbing how writers from other genres craft sentences and present ideas. Lastly, I'm of the opinion that writing is always going to be better when the subject is one that you are interested in and knowledgeable about, which, for me, means treating basketball like a course in continuing studies.

Stats Center: A hoops scouting report on Dean Forester, please! What position would he play, what are his best / worst attributes, and will he eventually be sent to Sacramento?

Uh-oh. As everyone who read my previous mailbag might remember, I am staunchly Team Jess. In part, that's because Rory and Dean had absolutely nothing in common. He was safe, when she needed to feel safe after transferring to Chilton and feeling overwhelmed during her first year of college. To that point, his player comparison might actually be Darren Collison, who was mentioned earlier last week on this blog. Sure, Collison led the league in assist-to-turnover ratio during the 2018-19 season as the starting point guard for the Pacers, but he was rarely shifting the defense, with most of his assists occurring around the top of the key, ably slipping paint-by-number pocket passes to teammates out of the pick-and-roll (for midrange twos!), as opposed to getting downhill and generating advantages with any modicum of risk. That's the equivalent of Rory asking Dean what he thought of her article in the Yale Daily News about the Life and Death Bridge and him responding, "I liked it," without providing any other feedback.

In essence: meh.

For whatever reason, the show really made a point of emphasizing how tall he was and the value he added in changing the water bottle for Lorelai. So, maybe, he would be a point forward, who (prepared to be wowed by how many clichés are about to be used) makes the right play, albeit without much pizazz, while starring in his role. He also had that dog in him, perfectly matching the corniness of that phrase, when he stood up to Tristan at the dance. Dean is just so Dean. If he gets traded, he would probably be a role player-journeyman, where multiple teams talk themselves into him being a complementary piece for an extended postseason run only to find out that they eventually need an upgrade. Again... Team Jess, forever.

rug: How do you watch basketball? I mean that somewhat literally. I’m a recent convert, having started watching in earnest 4-5 years ago. I arbitrarily decided to support the Pacers, from way down in New Zealand, and haven’t looked back. Maybe more intelligently asked, my question is — how do you understand basketball?

First of all, thanks for the support from New Zealand. I continue to be amazed by how global the fandom is for the Pacers and, by extension, Basketball, She Wrote. It's much appreciated and very cool. Ok, so, I actually received a very similar question to this last month. I'm fortunate because I grew up as a coach's kid. I tagged along on a lot of scouting trips, many of which turned into me watching my dad watch the game as much as I watched the actual game. I was always blown away by how he could take in so much information at once, scribbling detailed notes about player tendencies, while also noticing play-calls from the sidelines and diagramming sets. Meanwhile, I would be there barely able to keep up with keeping a basic shot-chart.

Part of what started to click for me was watching what was happening away from the ball instead of the ball. That helped me to recognize patterns in movement. Then, even if I didn't know the specific terminology, I could pick up on what occurred when things didn't go to plan, be it due to a change in coverage or an ad lib made by a player. For everything in-between, I will once again recommend the Basketball Action Dictionary, written by my friend @Bowser2Bowser. It has detailed and clear explanations of everything from pick-and-roll coverages to off-ball screens and cuts with visual examples of each. Like was the case with my dad, sometimes the first step is being in the same room with someone smarter than you who is willing to answer questions. The Basketball Action Dictionary can fill a similar role.

Ben Xiao: What's your favorite half time show or time out segment?

Whatever this is. I have no idea, which is what makes it so mesmerizing. If you click this link and watch the video, it would seem as though the purpose was to dive into a pool of 2,000 rubber ducks and find three Kings mini-balls within 30 seconds for some type of prize package. What unfolds, though, is basically living art, providing commentary on prioritizing self-care while raging against the (game-ops) machine, as the fan dressed like Kevin Huerter just wriggles around in the plastic pool without making any attempt, whatsoever, to complete the challenge.

Even while being booed, he just kept swimming to the beat of his own drum. It's inspiring, really.

Zachary Barnett: What former Pacer player would you want to sit down and pick the basketball brain of?

Probably Domantas Sabonis. The segment he did with De'Aaron Fox, walking the NBA Today crew through Sacramento's "Pistol 5" action was superb. There weren't many, if any, features written on him when he played for the Pacers, so he didn't often reveal the beauty of his basketball brain, as Tyrese Haliburton so often does on The Old Man and the Three podcast with J.J. Redick. Talking to him at the same time as Haliburton would be like taking a masterclass on the art of the pick-and-roll, with the former sharing insights on when, how, and what rolls create advantages and the latter explaining his artistry for manipulating passing windows while also reading tertiary defenders outside the action. What a treat it would be to understand how quickly they both process the game, wow.

Keith Correll: Assuming the Pacers miss the playoffs, will you be writing about the playoffs anyway? Are there any 1st round matchups you are looking forward to? Do you have a finals matchup prediction???

Maybe, if something catches my eye. I wrote a deep dive about how multiple teams were using late-pivots to create advantages with guard screens last season, so never say never, assuming there is some application to the Pacers.

Overall, my preference is to be descriptive, not predictive. As such, there will be no prognostication from me at this publication about which teams will win or lose, only analysis as to how they won or lost.

As for the first-round match-up, Cavs-Knicks as the 4-5 is intriguing. Donovan Mitchell has shot 38 percent on 5.7 pull-up 3-point attempts per game this season, which can be problematic against drop coverage, such as that played by the Knicks with Mitchell Robinson. One of my favorite things about the Knicks, though, is the proliferation of lefties in the starting lineup. Donovan Mitchell was red-hot from deep against New York in October, going 8-of-13 from behind the arc, but he had more trouble in the two most recent games, shooting 32 percent on the road at Madison Square Garden.

Something that stands out against him from the coverage is the opposite hand contests, including from Quentin Grimes -- who, himself, is right-handed, but is using his left to contest against a right-handed shooter.

With his ability to fight over screens with the fluidity of running water, Grimes also gave Haliburton some trouble this season, including beating him to his spot even after surrendering a screen rejection. Notably, Grimes didn't play in the first game of the regular season series back in October, when Mitchell had a better shooting night. If handedness isn't compelling enough of a draw, there's also the whole thing where the Knicks were going to trade for Mitchell and then didn't. Narratives, yay!

Bryan Toporek: Who's your favorite non-Pacers player to watch that's currently in the NBA?

Steph Curry. It's not just the combination of infinite range, sagacious off-ball movement, and unwavering confidence; it's the way in which his dominance is recognizable even when the ball is nowhere in his vicinity, as equal parts human torch and human magnet.

To watch him is to see how dangerous a few casual steps can be, a presence with his mere presence -- and a true joy, both in the shadows as well as the limelight.

Life Enthusiast: Any plans to consistently podcast? Appreciate the recent appearance on Setting the Pace, but we miss the top-tier analysis you provide in verbal format. Congrats on the new Patreon!

A lot of you have asked about this, and I genuinely appreciate the interest as well as the condolences that were extended about the Indy Cornrows podcast coming to an end. I'm glad to know that so many of you enjoyed listening to my nerdy ramblings and probably all too frequent popsicle mentions. As you mentioned, Alex and Facci have been kind enough to have me on their show twice recently, with the plan being for me to come on once a month moving forward. In case anyone missed it, here's a link to that episode.

Last week, following the win over the Raptors, I also joined Samson Folk and Trevon Heath over on Raptors Republic's YouTube channel for a wide-ranging discussion of basketball topics, including the growing trend of roamer bigs, whether defense can catch up to offense, the game between the Pacers and Raptors, and much more.

Special thanks to them for inviting me on and highly recommend giving them a follow, if you don't already. Their pod is Raptors-centric, but they also talk about hoops in general, as well as the NBA at-large. Also, maybe go like the video and leave a nice review? Right now, I don't currently have plans to start my own podcast. In order for that to be a thing, I would probably need to start a podcast about searching for someone with whom to start a podcast. So, if you're reading this and that interests you, message me with your application -- I guess?

In the meantime, Basketball, She Wrote will have to suffice for the absence of Basketball, She Spoke.