A closer look at the Celtics 21 series

Photo by Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty ImagesEarly offense reigns supreme in the NBA. If you can generate solid scoring opportunities before your opponent has a chance to fully set their defense, you’re operating from a position of strength, and generally speaking, begin to set the pace of the game.

Coaches have multiple sets and series that they like to deploy when looking to generate early offense, with one of the most common series being ‘21’ — a guard-to-guard action that occurs on the wings during a five-out offensive alignment.

For description purposes, the series is known as ‘21’ because it involves the point guard (the 1) and the shooting guard (the 2). If your team generally operates…