Brady Heslip Thriving Under David Arseneault Jr's Unique System in D-League
If Brady Heslip ultimately finds his way to the NBA, it will be due to the excellence of his picture-perfect shooting stroke.
Fortunately for the former Baylor Bears star, there is no better place for him to showcase that jumper than in The Biggest Little City in the World, playing under the wacky, captivating and all-out entertaining system of David Arseneault Jr.
The name likely rings a bell because Arseneault's father is the head coach at Grinnell College, where he developed a unique system that led to Jack Taylor shattering the NCAA single-game scoring record with 138 points in 2012.
Arseneault Jr., 28, calls it "organized chaos": Full-court press for the entire game, constant five-man substitutions, an emphasis on getting three-pointers and layups early in the shot clock.
Many have criticized the Grinnell system to no end, but others have undoubtedly been tickled with intrigue. Like the Sacramento Kings, who hired the younger Arseneault in October to bring his system to the D-League as head coach of the Reno Bighorns.
The science experiment has yielded mixed results. Per NBA.com, the Bighorns (3-4) are first in the league in offensive rating (110.6) but third-to-last in defensive rating (112.1). Defensive possessions like this, via CrabDribbles.com's Scott Rafferty, are common:
Although it may turn out to be nothing more than unbridled entertainment (the Bighorns' 123.09 possessions per 40 minutes are over 11 more than the next-fastest team), it's proving to be the perfect stage for Heslip's skill set.
As the go-to option on the uptempo team, Heslip has been mind-numbingly potent on the offensive end. He scored 40 points and knocked down 11 threes in his debut. He followed that up with 38 and three games later dropped 45 while connecting on a record-breaking 13 treys.
"You may think he's a 6-foot-1, 160-pound guard with a science teacher's haircut," his agent, Bernie Lee, said, via the New York Times' Scott Cacciola. "But he has Kobe Bryant's jump shot and drive to compete."
Through seven games, Heslip is averaging 33.3 points per game. It's not just the volume, either, as he is a scorching 54.7 percent from the three-point line and has a silly 72.3 true-shooting percentage. He is knocking down more threes per contest (8.3) than he has total assists (six).
Those are beyond video game numbers. And while they're obviously partly a product of the system, they are helping him amass national attention:
"He can do one thing probably better than anybody in this entire world, and that's make 3-point shots — with guys covering him, when he's open, on the move, off the catch, off the dribble," said Arseneault, via the Reno Gazette-Journal's Chris Murray.
Heslip's size and lack of lateral quickness make him a potential liability on the defensive end. But there's little question the sharpshooter could play a limited role off the bench in the NBA, serving as a three-point specialist off the ball.
Under Arseneault, he'll have as many opportunities as he needs to prove exactly that.
