Photo via CBS New York
by Alex Rose
Upon arriving to the hospital on February 26, 2007, Shaun Livingston was told there was a possibility that his left leg would need to be amputated. Those are words that would make any human being’s stomach take a free-fall to the bottomless pit of sorrow and disappointment. For the 4th overall pick in the 2004 NBA draft, those words were a death sentence to Livingston’s hopes of becoming a perennial All-Star. On the day in which Livingston and his insurmountable odds would cross paths, Shaun tore his ACL, PCL, and lateral meniscus while attempting a fastbreak lay-up against the Charlotte Bobcats. Once pegged as the league’s next Penny Hardaway, the combo guard’s potential accolades were surpassed by the number of different uniforms he wore. From 2008 to 2012, he either played for or was traded to nine different teams.
Grinding behind the scenes, Livingston was attempting his comeback to basketball while his ill-famed injury remained a casual talking point in NBA circles. It was basketball’s version of a high speed car crash. You really don’t want to look, but your eyes slowly creep back to the scene. After all, one YouTube video of Livingston’s injury has hit almost 700,000 views.
Livingston has used his opportunity with the Brooklyn Nets to eradicate that memory from our minds. The “what have you done for me lately?” application to Shaun’s situation may seem unorthodox but it holds true as if it were any other case. Well lately, Livingston has become the Nets most important player. Starting 41 games this season, he had served as the reliever to Deron Williams when he went down with injuries early in the year. His versatility, along with adaptability, allows Jason Kidd to be more malleable with his lineups. Livingston does not receive enough credit for his willingness to be Kidd’s guinea pig. Never afforded the opportunity to develop his own role, he’s thrown the NBA’s cookie-cutter mold into the garbage, and while he doesn’t do anything at an elite level, he does it all for Brooklyn.
Livingston has become Brooklyn’s best perimeter defender. At 6’7” with an incredible wingspan, he has used his superior length to disrupt passing lanes. Despite his wiry frame, he remains slithery around screens, which allows him access to lazy passes:
His team-leading 50 steals since January 1st have helped jumpstart a Nets defense that has put the clamps down defensively over the past two and a half months. Per NBA.com/stats, Brooklyn has the sixth-best defense in the league during that span after ranking 28th up to that point. It is no coincidence that Livingston’s playing time has increased by an average of six minutes per game since that transformation began. The Nets are are 4.1 points per 100 possessions worse with Livingston off the floor, the second-highest drop-off among Nets guards, right behind the 4.4 mark Deron Williams is responsible for when he is off the court. He creates havoc off the ball by disrupting the opponent’s timing, but his 6’11″ wingspan allows him to be an on-ball vice grip. In the image below, he gets a hand on Durant’s crossover before he can turn the corner:
He can disrupt the ball-handling of smaller, quick guards, too:
With players like Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett on the 18th hole of their careers, the Nets have the third-oldest active roster in the league behind the Dallas Mavericks and the Miami Heat. They certainly haven’t relied on an up-tempo style of play as they grind out a lot of offensive sets. After all, Joe Johnson continues to be Iso-Joe. That doesn’t necessarily mean their transition defense is lacking because according to teamrankings.com, they’re 14th in fastbreak points allowed per game. But how can they stay afloat with players that don’t have the legs or the ability to change sides of the floor? Slowing the pace, along with taking care of the ball to the tune of 14.5 turnovers per game provides a great foundation. Livingston, though, helps prevent leak-outs and masks the deficiencies they have with overall team speed. Here, Livingston is able to get back on defense and forces Crawford to make an errant pass backwards when he gets caught under the hoop:
His length was on full display last Wednesday when he secured a victory against the Miami Heat. The same play that allowed Miami to steal a game last year in the Eastern Conference Finals did not work because Livingston is able to reach across LeBron’s body to tip the intended pass away:
Behind Kevin Garnett’s defensive-minded intensity and championship professionalism, the Boston Celtics were able to ride a transcendent defense to a title in 2007-2008. He couldn’t do it alone, and neither can the Nets. Certain players receive no attention for allowing their superstar teammates do maximize their particular skill sets. The Shane Battier’s, Derek Fisher’s, and Jason Terry’s of the basketball world are in the dark when the spotlight shines on their teammates. If Brooklyn makes noise in the playoffs, Shaun Livingston definitely won’t be in any type of spotlight, but he won’t be far away from it either.