Cast your mind back to the early months of the season, when the Boston Celtics were dominating on the offensive end and playing one of the most aesthetically pleasing styles of basketball in the NBA.
Players were cutting without the ball. The rock was oftentimes made to be the fastest player on the floor, and the shots the Celtics generated weren’t just wide-open; they were all within the flow of the offense and designed to punish a defender for ever attempting to help off on the perimeter.
Those early games were based on having a five-out offensive system (all players positioned around the perimeter) with a rotation of players who could all handle the ball, create for themselves and/or others, score on multiple levels, and create mismatches with screening actions while playing at pace.