Post by moreese on Feb 18, 2008 15:20:29 GMT -5
Since KG and Perkins have been out due to injury, recent emergence of guys like Glenn Davis and Leon Powe, along with sustained solid play by the likes of James Posey brings up an interesting debate. Come playoff time, what 5 players will the Celtics be finishing games with? Clearly the first 4 are a lock, but the 5th spot gets very interesting for Doc Rivers.
Leon Powe has emerged with the absence of both Garnett and Perkins as a very valuable asset on the offensive end of the floor, and the on the boards. He is possibly our best finishing big man on the block, looking almost like a smaller Dwight Howard with his relentless pursuit of the rim. He has flourished on both ends of the court as an amazing rebounder and his blue collar attitude makes him very easy for guys like Pierce and Rondo to play with. However his overall basketball IQ is a bit lower than our other bigs, and he often gets confused in defensive rotations, especially when a play breaks down and he is forced into making a decision of whether or not to stay home and defend the rim or pick up someone else's man.
Glenn Davis has suffered through what most rookies have to endure playing under Doc Rivers, and that is a short leash. Many have labeled his play inconsistent, however so are his minutes. Inconsistent minutes produce inconsistent results, bottom line. The best thing about Davis has been his ability to shine in big moments, most notably his 4th quarter performance in the win at Detroit, and his most recent defense against Tim Duncan in their win at home agains the Spurs. Duncan's numbers were nothing to sneeze at (22 14 and 6) however Davis never allowed Duncan to get in a rhythm, therefore the Celtics were not forced to adjust by sending a double team. This was critical in containing the rest of the Spurs, which was the difference in the game really. On top of this Davis has surprised with his team defense, inspiring Jeff Van Gundy to go as far as saying that the Celtics would be able to rely on him come playoff time. Combine that with his hands and ability to be in the right spot at the right time on both ends of the court, and this makes things harder on Doc.
James Posey has and will continue to be a huge piece for the Celtics. He gives the team a lot of what we relied on from Scalabrine, with his ability to extend the defense with long range shooting, and on the defensive side of the ball he is a great utility man, being able to guard multiple positions and play solid team defense. He also brings the experience, the ring and a great fire that he seems to play with every night. The only concern with him is that if he finishes a game, he will be at the 4 and this makes us very perimeter oriented, probably too much so. Since Garnett tends to be more of a fascilitating and jump shooting big man, it seems to make more sense to pair him with a bruiser like a Perkins, Powe or Davis down the stretch of games to compliment him better.
Then there is Kendrick Perkins. A man who has certainly blown away expectations this year, becoming a much better compliment to Garnett than people had perceived in the beginning of the year. His defense and rebounding is more than what you can ask of any big man. His unselfish nature has made him, along with Rondo, a great fit for a team boasting 3 hall of fame candidates. However one has to wonder if he won't hurt us against the NBA powers such as San Antonio, Detroit and the numerous West contenders. He is extremely slow in finishing dump off passes, not a good free throw shooter and constantly second guesses himself on the block. This is a weakness that good teams will try to exploit, making him the one that beats them. He seems to have emerged as a much better starter for this team than a finisher.
I deliberately left out Scalabrine from this conversation because he clearly should not even be playing, never mind finishing any games come playoff time. I don't think we have to worry about that either, since the emergence of the Powe's, Davis' and consistency of Posey will leave Doc no choice but to keep the red head on the pine where he belongs. All in all my choice as of right now would be to go with Davis, since I feel he doesn't really hurt us anywhere. The biggest knock on him has been that sometimes he tries to do too much on the court, but I've never considered that a negative. I'd much rather have a guy who is out there trying to make plays than someone who is trying not to make mistakes. Great teams can smell fear, and Perkins, Scal and Powe all represent fear in some area of their game. Powe is clearly fearless on the offensive end, but his lack of understanding with defensive concepts would have me nervous if I were Doc heading into the playoffs. If Davis can step up against the likes of Duncan, then who can't he compete with?
Leon Powe has emerged with the absence of both Garnett and Perkins as a very valuable asset on the offensive end of the floor, and the on the boards. He is possibly our best finishing big man on the block, looking almost like a smaller Dwight Howard with his relentless pursuit of the rim. He has flourished on both ends of the court as an amazing rebounder and his blue collar attitude makes him very easy for guys like Pierce and Rondo to play with. However his overall basketball IQ is a bit lower than our other bigs, and he often gets confused in defensive rotations, especially when a play breaks down and he is forced into making a decision of whether or not to stay home and defend the rim or pick up someone else's man.
Glenn Davis has suffered through what most rookies have to endure playing under Doc Rivers, and that is a short leash. Many have labeled his play inconsistent, however so are his minutes. Inconsistent minutes produce inconsistent results, bottom line. The best thing about Davis has been his ability to shine in big moments, most notably his 4th quarter performance in the win at Detroit, and his most recent defense against Tim Duncan in their win at home agains the Spurs. Duncan's numbers were nothing to sneeze at (22 14 and 6) however Davis never allowed Duncan to get in a rhythm, therefore the Celtics were not forced to adjust by sending a double team. This was critical in containing the rest of the Spurs, which was the difference in the game really. On top of this Davis has surprised with his team defense, inspiring Jeff Van Gundy to go as far as saying that the Celtics would be able to rely on him come playoff time. Combine that with his hands and ability to be in the right spot at the right time on both ends of the court, and this makes things harder on Doc.
James Posey has and will continue to be a huge piece for the Celtics. He gives the team a lot of what we relied on from Scalabrine, with his ability to extend the defense with long range shooting, and on the defensive side of the ball he is a great utility man, being able to guard multiple positions and play solid team defense. He also brings the experience, the ring and a great fire that he seems to play with every night. The only concern with him is that if he finishes a game, he will be at the 4 and this makes us very perimeter oriented, probably too much so. Since Garnett tends to be more of a fascilitating and jump shooting big man, it seems to make more sense to pair him with a bruiser like a Perkins, Powe or Davis down the stretch of games to compliment him better.
Then there is Kendrick Perkins. A man who has certainly blown away expectations this year, becoming a much better compliment to Garnett than people had perceived in the beginning of the year. His defense and rebounding is more than what you can ask of any big man. His unselfish nature has made him, along with Rondo, a great fit for a team boasting 3 hall of fame candidates. However one has to wonder if he won't hurt us against the NBA powers such as San Antonio, Detroit and the numerous West contenders. He is extremely slow in finishing dump off passes, not a good free throw shooter and constantly second guesses himself on the block. This is a weakness that good teams will try to exploit, making him the one that beats them. He seems to have emerged as a much better starter for this team than a finisher.
I deliberately left out Scalabrine from this conversation because he clearly should not even be playing, never mind finishing any games come playoff time. I don't think we have to worry about that either, since the emergence of the Powe's, Davis' and consistency of Posey will leave Doc no choice but to keep the red head on the pine where he belongs. All in all my choice as of right now would be to go with Davis, since I feel he doesn't really hurt us anywhere. The biggest knock on him has been that sometimes he tries to do too much on the court, but I've never considered that a negative. I'd much rather have a guy who is out there trying to make plays than someone who is trying not to make mistakes. Great teams can smell fear, and Perkins, Scal and Powe all represent fear in some area of their game. Powe is clearly fearless on the offensive end, but his lack of understanding with defensive concepts would have me nervous if I were Doc heading into the playoffs. If Davis can step up against the likes of Duncan, then who can't he compete with?
That's why we're 41-9..Like CF said we have a "bench by committee"