Secrets Behind Celtics’ Player Development: Brain Research & 'Making Players Fail'
2026 · Basketball · Basketball
Secrets Behind Celtics’ Player Development: Brain Research & 'Making Players Fail'
Secrets Behind Celtics’ Player Development: Brain Research & 'Making Players Fail'
2026
Basketball
How did the Boston Celtics come to build what may be the best player enhancement/development staff in the NBA? Craig Luschenat, Director of Player Enhancement for the Celtics, joins the podcast to discuss some of the behind-the-scenes secrets that has led to the recent development of a long list of impactful players, from Luke Kornet and Sam Hauser, to Jordan Walsh and Neemias Queta, to Baylor Scheierman and Ron Harper Jr., and a list that continues to this day. Luschenat reveals that a lot of it has to do with how the brain works and forms new neural connections. That’s why Boston’s staff leverages its youth and creativity to make players fail as much as possible on the practice court. 00:00: What is player enhancement/development? 02:30: Balancing team needs vs. player growth 03:30: Developing younger players vs. older players 04:45: How the Celtics build out an individual plan for each player 07:00: Explanation of different types of film sessions 09:00: Establishing a plan, and then putting it into action 13:45: How do the Celtics tweak players’ shooting form? 16:00: How the Celtics challenge elite shooters like Sam Hauser 16:45: What a day and week looks like for players 19:15: What has led to the establishment of this culture? 20:45: Explaining what player enhancement meetings entail 22:10: Craig Luschenat’s big breaks and how he got to the NBA 22:40: All of the people involved with player enhancement each day View From The Rafters is presented by @xfinity _______ Subscribe Here ☘️ https://www.youtube.com/celtics _______ Keep up with the C’s Twitter ☘️ https://twitter.com/celtics Instagram ☘️ https://www.instagram.com/celtics/ Facebook ☘️ https://www.facebook.com/bostonceltics TikTok ☘️ https://www.tiktok.com/@celtics Snapchat ☘️ https://www.snapchat.com/add/celtics LinkedIn ☘️ https://www.linkedin.com/company/bostonceltics/ _______