Basketball’s most enjoyable sequences spring from spontaneous split-second decisions that are informed by skill and instinct. But the game isn’t entirely improv theater. With so many interdependent pieces constantly relying upon one another for collective success, familiarity is another key element that most teams enjoy whenever they can afford to have it.
The more comfortable a player is within their role, system and surroundings, the less likely they are to hesitate or make a mistake. Continuity—the act of keeping a previous year’s roster intact—helps, in theory, by breeding marginal edges when deployed against an opponent that is still in the process of self-discovery.