Explain One Play: Four Verticals w/ Jenny Boucek
Added 2024-06-13 12:31:12 +0000 UTCGoing long with Jenny Boucek on the ins and outs of running routes in basketball
By: Caitlin Cooper I @C2_Cooper
It's officially the offseason for the Pacers, but the extended run to the Eastern Conference Finals opened the door for me to do something I've always wanted to do -- which is sit with an NBA coach and discuss the subtle details of a specific set or action. As you may recall, ahead of Game 4 against the Boston Celtics, Rick Carlisle took the opportunity during his media availability to credit one of his assistants for coming up with a creative, end-of-game play which the internet very lovingly took to referring to as the "four verticals” set.
In order to get insights into the "why's", "when's" and "how's" of that play, I went straight to the source, talking to Pacers Assistant Coach Jenny Boucek about drawing inspiration from other sports, how the play evolved and was perfected over the course of the season (hint: this wasn't the only time they ran it!), and the potential broader applications of creating momentum. Plus, there are also some delightful nuggets about her past life playing flag football, collaborating with Sue Bird, and behind-the-scenes offerings on how the coaching staff approaches special plays and embraces innovation. Overall, I couldn't have asked for a better conversation with Basketball, She Wrote meeting Basketball, She Coached. Enjoy!
Comments
Great analysis and breakdown. It’s fascinating to hear how coaches draw on concepts from other sports. Watching elite athletes execute plays with so many options is overwhelming for this fan. Fun!
Brad Cangany
2024-06-13 20:28:55 +0000 UTCI enjoyed this podcast almost as much as the actual play, great interview! I was one of the people on the internet going bonkers over the genius of the play right after it happened. One thing the interview pointed out that I hadn’t seen was that Doug was wide open, too. I wonder if Mathurin would have been in Nesmith’s place if he had been available and would have hit the shot: the big moment doesn’t scare him.
Josh Cole
2024-06-13 15:30:58 +0000 UTCLoved this
Norma
2024-06-13 13:43:29 +0000 UTCGreat stuff! It is interesting how NBA teams have to use game time as practice time (for lots of reasons), schedule limitations being one. I liked the apparent focus on minutiae by specific staff members. Every second matters
Lifenthusiast
2024-06-13 13:33:51 +0000 UTCI’m so excited to read/watch this. Pre-comment for emphasis!
Lifenthusiast
2024-06-13 12:39:24 +0000 UTC
