Explain One Play: Four Verticals w/ Jenny Boucek (Patreon)

Going 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!