We’ve evolved as a basketball-consuming public. Monikers like “winning player,” “intangibles,” and “clutch gene” are still around, but they are subservient to efficiency metrics, advanced box score calculations, and expected shooting percentages. On balance, teams, fans, and analysts don’t make decisions based on “vibes” anymore. We have better stuff now.
But sometimes, it is important to pare things down to their barest state. The Boston Celtics have been struggling mightily, and while there are tons of advanced reasons for that, there is a very simple one: everyone not named Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown or Kristaps Porzingis haven’t been scoring.