Boston Celtics ATOs: Dive Series

A deeper look into the Boston Celtics playbook and their Dive Series - currently the NBA's best After Time Out team.

The third part of the focus on the Celtics After Time Out playbook is going to be their Dive Series. Just like football, basketball coaches like to put together a series of plays out of the same formation to disguise and surprise the defense.

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Part 1: Boston Celtics ATOs: Creative Guard Design

Part 2: Boston Celtics ATOs: Iverson Series

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The Boston Celtics “Dive” series is inspired by the Spurs dive action as the basic entry to push the trailer into the lane and have the big low come up and ballscreen at the top of the key. As offenses evolved in the NBA, it has now become a trigger for multiple actions and counters.

An example of the Spurs running similar After Time Out counters like in this flare play for Tony Parker to start a game in the 2006-07 season.

This is a play that Budenholzer ran all the time in Atlanta in his motion offense inspired by the Spurs as well: