Few things in basketball gets this author more excited than whenever conventional thinking is defied.
Opening quarter possessions and possessions after a timeout (ATO) are arguably the most fascinating to watch, due to the anticipation of seeing what the head coach has cooked up. Steve Kerr has been lauded for many things as a coach, but ATO play design hasn’t been one of them — not because he isn’t good at them, but because several other aspects of his coaching have been more pronounced (for better or worse).
Kerr’s play calling should deserve more limelight; one reason why is because he takes stock of the personnel he has to play around with, is well aware of their skill set, and places them in spots where their individual excellence contributes to the excellence of the collective.