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Post by DERRENMATTS on Nov 6, 2006 11:01:30 GMT -5
Or so it seems. You can draw the same conclusion by 1) hearing Jefferson say that the 2nd unit runs different plays than the 1st unit (and the second unit seems to be the one that gets the team running), and 2) by watching the starting unit. It is so apparent that they aren't even going to consider running unless its gift wrapped and waiting at our doorstep.
To begin the game, no one hustles down court to attack before the defense sets up. Every just wanders back at a casual pace and from there we begin our set offense. And that's what it is--a called play on almost every single possession. The only time we look good is when plays need to be altered because of the defense, and it forces us to creatively find a way to put the ball through the hoop.
Telfair seems to have the chains on him to keep the running down to a minimal. But he's actually one of the brighter spots, despite this. He and Wally are finding ways to mesh even in the slow down halfcourt sets, and when the opportunity does come to run, he's looking for Wally. He was really smart against the Wizards because he knew Wally had the hot hand, so he kept going to him. Even though Telfair isn't being used the way he should (sort of like his Portland situation all over again), I feel like he is finding ways to make it work.
And whatever happened to our pressure defense? In preseason, we were stealing so many passes, which in turn, led to more fast break opportunities. But now, we're lucky to get 3 a game (Iverson gets that much by himself).
Hmmmm .... maybe we are tanking this season.
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Post by FLCeltsFan on Nov 6, 2006 15:34:56 GMT -5
I just posted this on Loy's Place, but Celtics.com has an article that talks about how Doc is simplifying the offense and putting in basically 2 plays in hopes to get the running game going. I have been preaching over and over how Doc is over coaching and how we need to simplify things and I am overjoyed to read that he is doing it. Hopefully he is simplifying the defense as well. aol.nba.com/celtics/news/notes/notes110606-practice.html?rss=true
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Post by DERRENMATTS on Nov 6, 2006 16:33:02 GMT -5
Does simplifying include running the pick and roll? That's one of the simplest plays in the book, no matter what level you are at--and we are not doing it. I mean, we do have playmaking PG's who can excel at running the pick and roll. What good is having a playmaking PG who gets the ball taken out of his hands while the ball gets fed to a big man in the high post so that he can in turn feed the ball to Pierce in the low post? All the while, Telfair is asked to line up behind the arc (and to his credit, he has been knocking them down at a very good rate) and Rajon is just left standing there watching the play go on without him.
I don't even think the pick and roll is something we practice. FL, tell me if you see what I'm seeing. No one sets good picks and if we happen to use it, its hardly a pick at all (either that or we get called for a moving violation).
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Post by FLCeltsFan on Nov 6, 2006 16:37:41 GMT -5
I agree that I haven't seen us successfully use the pick and roll. Sometimes I see Perk set a pick but it usually is just a pick out of nowhere and they don't complete the play from there.
Another thing is that we don't defend the pick and roll... We get beat by that play just about every game.
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Post by DERRENMATTS on Nov 7, 2006 10:43:17 GMT -5
Yeah, we get beat pretty often on picks. Its a matter of going under the pick, and not trying to fight through the pick. Let the PG's beat us with a long jumper rather than getting to the hoop for an easy bucket.
Seriously, its time we sped up the game. Lets do what we said we were going to do this season and run like there is no tomorrow.
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Post by DERRENMATTS on Nov 7, 2006 20:54:21 GMT -5
Many of you might be wondering, how we are doing in the running game. Well, here's the stats for our three games thus far:
vs. the Hornets: 20 fastnreal pts vs. the Pistons: 4 fastbreak pts vs. the Wizards: 14 fastbreak pts
Yep, that's why we're not winning. We alter our roster to play small ball but play anything but the small ball game. We aren't running at all. I say get the ball in Telfair and Rondo's hand and let everyone keep up with them. Whoever doesn't run gets benched for those who are going to run.
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Post by The Eye of the Q is upon you! on Nov 7, 2006 23:17:29 GMT -5
The PG's dribble the ball over half court - PFFT there goes the running game. If they time the passes right then they get numbers and can attack the basket in transition. Obviously, they aren't getting it yet. Also bad is their defense and rebounding. Doc has no answers there.
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Post by DERRENMATTS on Nov 8, 2006 10:55:52 GMT -5
When the PG's don't run its either because 1) no one else is running with them, and 2) Doc probably wants them to run halfcourt plays. I mean, even Rajon was walking the ball upcourt against the Wiz--and he knows that's not his game; that's not how he does things.
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Post by sprash98 on Nov 8, 2006 12:36:45 GMT -5
Wait a min. We actually HAD a game plan??? Sounds like news to me.
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Post by DERRENMATTS on Nov 8, 2006 16:41:36 GMT -5
Wait a min. We actually HAD a game plan??? Sounds like news to me. Yeah, we do have a gameplan. Its just not one that works.
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Post by The Eye of the Q is upon you! on Nov 8, 2006 23:30:43 GMT -5
Many of you might be wondering, how we are doing in the running game. Well, here's the stats for our three games thus far: vs. the Hornets: 20 fastnreal pts vs. the Pistons: 4 fastbreak pts vs. the Wizards: 14 fastbreak pts Yep, that's why we're not winning. We alter our roster to play small ball but play anything but the small ball game. We aren't running at all. I say get the ball in Telfair and Rondo's hand and let everyone keep up with them. Whoever doesn't run gets benched for those who are going to run. I doubt we had 10 points in transition all night. Charlotte was on the FT line 50 times for one thing. For another we were a turnover machine all night. I'm frankly surprised we won the game tonight. The Celtics are still behind at least 28 other teams out there.
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Post by BCHISTORIAN on Nov 9, 2006 1:46:27 GMT -5
it's getting uglier day by day. doc just doesn't make necessary changes, he doesn't even want to play defense.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 9, 2006 8:41:45 GMT -5
I thought Rondo and Telfair were here in order to have a running game? They were doing pretty well during preseason why all of a sudden Doc decides to revert back to iso with Pierce and Wally. We seriously need a coach who will live or die by their gameplans.
It's seriously puts this team in horrible position when you playing towards telfair's weakness. He need the ball in his hand in order and be able to command the offense. It's only a matter of time before Doc sees the door and I hope it happens sooner than later.
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Post by BCHISTORIAN on Nov 9, 2006 9:17:26 GMT -5
i would like to see it happen very soon as well
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Post by FLCeltsFan on Nov 10, 2006 13:34:31 GMT -5
I was thoroughly disgusted when reading the articles in the today's papers.
First was this quote from Pierce (who last week said that he felt this team was built to run all season long)
Ok, this sounds like the first team is going to be a half court team but that the second team will still be an uptempo team. We will still be running half of the time, right? WRONG!
Doc says that he put West back in as PG because the team (even the second team) is no longer playing the uptempo style that fits his talents.
Danny has spent three years building a running team capable of playing up tempo basketball for 48 minutes. He got two of the fastest PGs in the league and just 4 days ago said he loves both of them because we can play uptempo ball for 48 minutes. And now he says we are no longer playing the uptempo game that fits both of our PG's talents.
I am disgusted. If Danny doesn't do something soon, this season will be worse than last and several very talented players will take a step backward in their development.
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