News 3/26

[FLCeltsFan]

www.bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/celtics/view.bg?articleid=1082940&format=text
C’s set for rising Suns

By Mark Murphy | Wednesday, March 26, 2008 | www.bostonherald.com | Boston Celtics

Photo by Matthew West
Timing appears to have no effect where the Celtics [team stats] and Phoenix Suns are concerned.

The Celtics played one of their worst games of the season Feb. 22 in Phoenix, a game that also marked Shaquille O’Neal’s Suns debut.

The Suns proceeded to go through a considerable adjustment fitting in the big guy. Phoenix, however, arrives for tonight’s game at the Garden with the puzzle solved. Before Monday night’s overtime loss on the road to the Detroit Piston, the Suns had won seven straight games and were playing their best basketball of the season.

No surprise there, according to those Celtics who know both the Suns and O’Neal - and the obvious strengths of both.

“From the beginning I thought that would be a great trade,” Paul Pierce [stats] said after yesterday’s practice. “It was just going to be a matter of time before they figured everything out. I always thought they would be the team to beat in the West this year.

“They’re going to be tough for anyone to beat in a seven-game series. We just have to play good basketball this time, because that was one of our worst shooting games. I know it was my worst of the season (2-for-13 shooting from the field, eight points).”

The loss in Phoenix was the third straight on a 2-3 western road trip last month, marking the C’s only three-game losing streak of the season.

Curiously enough, the Celtics once again are in a two-loss rut, only their third losing streak this season. Monday’s lifeless collapse against Philadelphia followed Saturday’s loss in New Orleans.

It might not be a good time to face a Suns team that has ironed out the challenges that followed the O’Neal trade, but the Celtics seemed to be barely aware of the other team after focusing on their own lapses at practice.

“Any time you make a trade it takes time to get it together, but my mind isn’t on them or who they have at all,” Ray Allen said. “I’m just thinking about everything that we have to do.”

Part of that task tonight will involve stopping the player who is, once again, the NBA’s most immovable force. O’Neal’s immense presence now comes in the midst of the league’s most transition-oriented scheme.

“He’s such a force,” Sam Cassell said. “To me he’s still the most dominant player in the league. We’ll have to share the load with him, and Shaq is definitely a big load.”

Eddie House, who came off the Phoenix bench behind guard Steve Nash two seasons ago, has a good idea of how the equation works.

“They’re gonna do that,” House said of Phoenix’ recent seven-game winning streak. “Shaq gives them second chances. And when you give a guy like Steve second and third chances with the ball, he’s going to pick you apart.”

Said coach Doc Rivers: “They’re getting it together and playing terrific basketball. I (praised) the trade the day they made it, after they beat us and even when they were struggling. This is going to be a great test for us.”

Celtics notes

Before the 90-minute workout, the C’s hadn’t held a home practice since March 4. In light of fourth-quarter meltdowns against the Sixers and Hornets, the art of finishing was obviously part of the focus.

“We’re trying to get back to our defensive speed,” Rivers said. “We also have to be more confident with our first, second and third options. But we just didn’t play well (vs. Philadelphia).” . . .

James Posey, who missed the Sixers game to tend to what was described as family business, was not back for practice. Rivers expects the forward to be in uniform tonight.

[FLCeltsFan]

www.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/articles/2008/03/26/shaq_finds_his_place_with_the_suns?mode=PF
Shaq finds his place with the Suns
By Jackie MacMullan, Globe Columnist | March 26, 2008

Shaquille O'Neal's memory is excellent.

This is bad news for the doubters and haters who declared the decision of the Phoenix Suns to send Shawn Marion packing and replace him with the 36-year-old Diesel a colossal blunder.

Shaq, who will face the Celtics tonight at the Garden, can tick off the litany of reasons why the pundits declared he was certain to fail: too old, too stubborn, too injury-prone, too immobile, too big, too egotistical.

The early returns were not good. His indoctrination into the Suns' free-flowing, fast-break style was underwhelming. The team struggled to score, Shaq looked uncomfortable in his role, and Phoenix simply could not stop anyone.

The coach, Mike D'Antoni, preached patience, but no one was listening. D'Antoni was drowned out by the thrashing general manager Steve Kerr and Shaq were enduring for messing up one of the elite teams in the West.

"We knew it would take time," D'Antoni explained, "because we had to change the way we played. When we added Tim Thomas [in 2006], we didn't miss a beat. When the Lakers added Pau Gasol, they didn't, either. But when you take a big piece out and put a completely different big piece in, you are going to have a few frustrations.

"We were actually playing well, but we were losing, and we really weren't sure why. We knew it would come. The guys never lost faith. But that doesn't mean there weren't a lot of sleepless nights."

After experimenting with a few different sets, including playing Shaq at the high post, D'Antoni decided to plunk his new big man on the block and leave him there. With O'Neal comfortably settled into the low post and his teammates spreading the floor around him, Phoenix morphed into a better 3-point-shooting team, a more prolific scoring team, and a better rebounding team.

The Suns ripped off seven wins in a row before losing to Detroit in overtime Monday night, holding opponents under 42 percent shooting. As Phoenix veteran Grant Hill duly noted, scoring never has been an issue for the Suns, but stopping teams has. No longer.

Think point guard Steve Nash is happy about the recent developments? During the winning streak, Nash shot 60 percent (48 for 80) from the floor, in part because nobody dares to leave the big man alone under there.

So now the Suns can play two ways: their traditional up-tempo pace, or a halfcourt, pound-it-inside Eastern Conference style.

"I love playing for this coach and I love playing with these guys," said O'Neal yesterday. "We have professionals who know what to do. No one is asking me to play with Chris Quinn or Ricky Davis. I'm actually on a team again."

Note the swipe at his former employers, the Miami Heat. When Pat Riley engineered the blockbuster trade that brought Shaq to South Beach, O'Neal promised to deliver a championship. He did, but the cost of sticking with an aging roster has left the franchise in a freefall ever since.

The once-blissful marriage between Shaq and Riles ended badly. As their championship core crumbled, so did their relationship. Heat officials believe Shaq quit on them and point to his chronic hip problems that prevented him from playing in Miami but have not stopped him from averaging 29.3 minutes a night with the Suns. Conversely, Shaq believes Riley quit on him and saddled him with the blame for the franchise's implosion.

"I guess when you have a lot of power, you can do what you want," O'Neal said. "Me? If I ever came into that kind of power, I think I'd be willing to admit it if I messed up."

O'Neal's comments were met with silence out of Miami yesterday.

"I know what they said about me," Shaq said. "Grant [Hill] called me up and told me, 'They said you don't want to play no more.'

"Ever since I was a little kid, I've been the scapegoat when things went wrong. When I was in the classroom and somebody threw something at the teacher, she'd turn around and look at me first. She'd give me that look like, 'Shaq, you're a clown, it's got to be you.'

"I understand being the scapegoat comes with being the superstar. When it all goes right, you get the credit. And when it doesn't . . . I guess this is what you get.

"I can accept being the scapegoat when we do things my way and they don't work out. But when you have no control how things are handled, and you are still the scapegoat, I don't go for that."

O'Neal claims he's content with his reduced role in Phoenix and promised his new teammates he didn't need "no touches, no plays, no nothing." He said a conversation with Bill Russell earlier this season convinced him he shouldn't even glance at his statistics.

"He told me every big man in the history of the league saw his numbers go down toward the end of their careers," Shaq said. "I looked it up on the Internet. He was right.

"This team won 50 games last year without a big man. Steve Kerr said, 'We don't need 27 [points] and 10 [rebounds] from you. We need someone to slow up Tim Duncan and put a body on Yao [Ming] and [Andrew] Bynum.' "

Shaq, who is averaging 11.9 points and 10.5 rebounds in 17 games with Phoenix, is a first-ballot Hall of Famer. His legacy is secure, but, he conceded, he's aware of the image he's developed after acrimonious departures from Orlando, Los Angeles, and now Miami.

"I have not left any of the teams on good notes," O'Neal said. "We players have our own little fraternity. We talk about stuff, so I've got to figure the coaches do, too. They are probably saying I'm an [expletive]. So I came to Phoenix prepared to show them what kind of person I am."

This is the first time he's come to the Garden when the Celtics were legitimate contenders. O'Neal anointed Boston "the best team" yesterday.

"I like how unselfish their top three guys are," said Shaq, "and I like that they are having a good time. They also have all these other great pieces, like James Posey.

"I'm telling you, if we don't have him in Miami, we wouldn't have done it. He's willing to take charges, to take the big shots.

"I'm looking forward to [tonight]. I've never played them when they were Boston Boston. Back when they had those teams with Rick Fox and 'Nique [Dominique Wilkins], they were only Sort Of Boston.

"Now it's Boston Boston."

It's too soon to say whether Shaq can make Phoenix the Suns Suns. D'Antoni firmly believes his new roster gives his team a better chance at advancing in the postseason.

The big man on the block concurs.

"I'm not worried about what anyone says," Shaq said. "I've already had my Wonder Years. Now maybe I can bring these fellas a little happiness, too."

[FLCeltsFan]

www.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/articles/2008/03/26/defense_played_at_this_stop?mode=PF
Defense played at this stop
Cassell does his part with Celtics
By Peter May, Globe Staff | March 26, 2008

Here's a bell-ringer, as they used to call big, big stories a long time ago, just before Sam Cassell broke into the NBA: The newest Celtic has twice as many blocked shots as 3-point field goals - and six times as many steals.

Is it too late to start the campaign for Defensive Player of the Year?

"I'm trying, I really am," Cassell said yesterday, when asked about his defense, generally not one of his strong points. "I'm getting steals and everything."

Then he laughed. He probably gets asked about his defense as much as he does about his choice of hair care products.

Anyone with a casual knowledge of the NBA knows why Cassell is in Boston - and it's not to be a stopper. He's here to make big plays, make big shots, and mentor Rajon Rondo, all of which he's happy to do.

But as long as he's here - and, believe it or not, yesterday was his first practice as a member of the Celtics - he might as well drink Tom Thibodeau's Kool-Aid, which the assistant coach has been dispensing to willing and eager swallowers since October. It's all about the defense.

Maybe that explains Cassell's six steals in eight games. Or his two blocked shots. His only 3-pointer was a big one, the game-changer against the Spurs. He has missed his other seven attempts from international waters and is shooting just 34.5 percent since donning the green and white.

His offense will come. But shortly after Cassell signed with the Celtics, there were whispers about his lack of defensive ability. Flip Saunders, who coached Cassell in Minnesota, joked that the team needed to play a zone when Cassell was in the game because he didn't do the pick-and-roll especially well, if at all.

But when you sign on with a team that has been as defensively tuned in as this season's Celtics, you have to at least be willing to try. Ergo, Sam the defender.

"We talked to him about it before we signed him," coach Doc Rivers said. "And you know what? He really has been into it. He's been good.

"In the Dallas game, we kept him on the floor because the defensive flow of the game was great with Sam in.

"Look, Sam wants to win. That's the bottom line. And when guys want to win, they'll let go of some of those old habits to try to win. That's where Sam is at right now. Plus, he also knows he's not going to play 40 minutes a night, so the minutes he does play, he can use to apply on the defensive end."

The attention to defense is just one of the many ways Cassell is trying to fit in with his new team. Yesterday marked his three-week anniversary as a member of the Celtics. He has participated in eight games since making his Boston debut March 10. Rivers said yesterday that Cassell might know three of Boston's set plays ("I know all of 'em," Cassell protested) and that practices like yesterday's and those to come mainly will be for his benefit and P.J. Brown's.

That's fine with Cassell. He's still in adjustment mode, and, with 12 games left, he knows why he's here - and it isn't to win games against lottery teams in April. It's to win playoff games in May and June. So he can live with the poor shooting for now.

"Doc told me, 'Just get comfortable, play your game,' " Cassell said. "He feels I'm passing up shots I normally take. But when you come to a team that's 30 games over .500, you just can't all of a sudden start doing your own thing. You've got to get in where you fit in. So sometimes I find myself taking a step back.

"But I can't complain. I played well in San Antonio when the team needed me to play well. And that's what it's going to take.

"It's going to come. I'm not worried about me playing well, because when it's time for me to showcase what I can be for this team, it will be handled. It hasn't been a struggle. I'm just not at my comfort zone yet."

After tonight's game against Phoenix and Friday night's against the Hornets, the Celtics will have 10 games remaining, all against Eastern Conference teams, including nine against teams with losing records. The one exception: April 9 at Washington. However, of those losing teams, four - Indiana, Atlanta, Chicago, and New Jersey - are in contention for the No. 8 playoff spot and a first-round meeting with Boston . . . James Posey was not at practice yesterday. He also missed Monday's Philadelphia game for what Rivers said were "family matters." The team is not sure of his status for tonight's game . . . Rivers on the Suns, who had a seven-game winning streak snapped Monday in Detroit: "They're playing terrific basketball. I liked the [Shaquille O'Neal] trade the day they did it. I liked it after they beat us [in late February] and I liked it when they were struggling. I figured it would give them a better chance [in the playoffs]. As good as they're playing now, I think they'll be better in playoff games when the pace slows down." Rivers said he thought O'Neal wasn't just a good fit for Phoenix, "He's a good fit for any team. When you add that size and weight and athleticism and skill level, it's a good fit for any team." Cassell on Shaq: "They changed the game because of him. But we've got Kendrick Perkins and we've got Kevin [Garnett], and we're going to do it by committee. It's not Shaquille against one guy. Everyone shares the load, and Shaq is definitely a big load."

Yesterday's practice was the first for the Celtics since March 4. (The team had planned to practice last Friday in Dallas, but called it off.) Rivers has been conscious of wearing down his veterans, so he decided to cancel this morning's shootaround . . . Rivers on baseball's spring training: "To have a camp in Orlando, Fla., for a month would be perfect." He actually did have that for five years - as coach of the Magic.

[FLCeltsFan]

aol.nba.com/celtics/news/blog/post-ups.html
Finally, Celtics Back at it in Waltham
4:17 p.m.: It's been a while since the Celtics have staged a full-fledged practice at the Sports Authority Training Center at HealthPoint (March 4 was the last practice in Waltham), and for Doc Rivers' Celtics, the 90-minute plus session was well worth it. Rivers said his team needed to work on getting it's defensive speed back, and also seeking out the second and third option on offense, something they'll have to do come playoff time if the team is to have any sort of success.

Rivers also said he's still trying to work Sam Cassell and P.J. Brown into the mix, noting that the team hadn't had an official practice since acquiring Cassell. And while the practice was originally scheduled to be on the shorter side, the team went about 20 minutes longer than expected as it worked through fixing the mistakes that led to losses against New Orleans and Philadelphia.

"We started off slow, like we were not going to practice hard, and then we picked it up," Rivers said, noting that the team wouldn't have a shootaround Wednesday. As for fatigue playing a roll in the team's last two losses, Rivers wasn't buying it.

"I don't believe in the fatigue thing. I think mentally, you can fight anything," Rivers said. "If it was there, we weren't mentally tough enough."

Wednesday, the Celtics meet the new look Phoenix Suns, who handed Boston its third consecutive loss of a West Coast road trip back on February 22. It was Shaquille O'Neal's second game with the team, and the Suns were still figuring out how to integrate Shaq into their system. More than a month later, the Diesel and the Suns are running like a well-oiled machine.

"Oh, they've gotten it together. They'd won seven in a row going into last night, they're playing terrific basketball," Rivers said. "I liked the [Shaq] trade the day they did it, I liked it after they beat us, and I liked it when they were struggling. It gave them a chance, and as good as they're playing now, I think they'll be even better in playoffs games [that] slow down, with the physicality of Shaq."

Speaking of Shaq, Cassell told reporters that he thinks O'Neal is still the most dominant force in the NBA.

"They changed the game because of him, but we've got Kendrick Perkins and we've got Kevin, and we're gonna do it by committee," Cassell said. "It's not Shaquille against [just] one [guy] on our team. Everyone shares the load and Shaq is definitely a big load."

Shaq has definitely changed the way teams will approach playing the Suns, and while he didn't appear to be at the height of his powers in Miami before the deal, the big man seems renewed in Phoenix. The Celtics hope the same will be said of Cassell, who's seen inconsistent playing time (and inconsistent output in those minutes) since coming to Boston early this month. Rivers estimated Cassell knows "about three plays."

Himself a late-season acquisition, Cassell said he's still not playing up to his own capabilities thanks to the lack of practice time.

"It's going to come. I'm not worried about me playing well, because when it's time for me to showcase what I can be for this team, it will be handled," Cassell said. "It hasn't been a struggle. I'm just not at my comfort zone yet."

Then again, the Celtics don't want to be falling into a comfort zone just because they've already clinched the Atlantic Division and have a five-game lead on the Pistons in the Eastern Conference. They've got 12 games left in the regular season and Ray Allen says he doesn't expect a letdown in the effort department.

"I don't think it changes. You go out there with the same type of intensity," Allen said.

James Posey (personal reasons) did not practice today.

Check the audio archive for interviews with Rivers, Pierce and Cassell.

[FLCeltsFan]

www.enterprisenews.com/sports/x1582716156
Celtics looking to get back to winning ways
The Phoenix Suns and New Orleans Hornets, the only teams the Celtics haven’t beaten this season, come to town with the playoffs looming.
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By Jim Fenton
ENTERPRISE STAFF WRITER
Posted Mar 26, 2008 @ 02:30 AM

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BOSTON — There are only two teams that the Boston Celtics have not defeated this season while piling up 55 victories.

Over the course of the next three nights, the Celtics will get a chance to add the Phoenix Suns and New Orleans Hornets to their long list of victims.

The Celtics continue a four-game homestand by playing the Suns tonight (7:05, TV: Comcast SportsNet and ESPN; radio: WEEI-850 AM) and the Hornets on Friday night.

They present two difficult challenges for a Celtics’ team that has dropped back-to-back games after winning four in a row on the road.

The Celtics will be trying to avoid only their second three-game losing streak of the season when they take on the Suns.

With just 12 games remaining in the regular season, the Celtics are looking to stay away from any extended dips before the playoffs begin.

“It’s important to get back on track,” said Paul Pierce. “You just don’t get into the playoffs and turn it on. It starts right now, these last games, to get momentum going for the playoffs.

“It’s definitely important to stop the bleeding while you can. You can’t lose two, three or four in a row because if it happens in the playoffs, you go home. So we want to stop it now.”

The Celtics were magnificent on their swing through Texas last week, getting wins over San Antonio, Houston and Dallas.

They built a lead over the Hornets on Saturday night, then stumbled in the fourth quarter, and they followed that up with a rare home loss to the Philadelphia 76ers Monday with another final-period collapse.

For the first time in three weeks, the Celtics had a practice session in Waltham on Tuesday afternoon, giving them a chance to fine-tune things in the more than 90-minute workout.

“It’ll probably come at a good time right now with these three games this week,” said Kevin Garnett of practice. “We’ll come in and work on some things and specify certain things to go over.

“Fourth quarters, we know we’ve got to get better. We’ve got to get back to playing good basketball, sharing the ball, being aggressive and finishing off games.”

The Suns took care of the Celtics in Phoenix on Feb. 22, 85-77, handing Boston its third straight loss to open a post-All-Star break road trip.

That was the second game for Shaquille O’Neal with the Suns since being traded from the Miami Heat, and the Celtics did little right in one of their ugliest performances of the season.

The addition of O’Neal has worked out just fine for the Suns, who had a seven-game winning streak snapped in overtime by the Detroit Pistons Monday night. Phoenix was 3-6 in the first nine games with O’Neal in the lineup.

O’Neal (11.9 points, 10.5 rebounds) has adapted to his new role of scoring less, and Amare Stoudamire (24.7 points, 9.2 rebounds) has flourished in his normal power forward spot. The Celtics will also have to cope with Steve Nash, Leandro Barbosa, Raja Bell and Grant Hill.

Once the Celtics are finished with the Suns (47-23), they must deal with the Hornets, who entered Tuesday with the best winning percentage in the West with a 47-21 record.

“We’re playing two fantastic teams,” said Coach Doc Rivers. “Both of them have beaten us at their place. I don’t think I’m going to need to give them a rah-rah speech for either of those games.

“Phoenix is terrific. They’re playing terrific and New Orleans, we just saw and they beat us. I think we’ll be ready for the games. I don’t think they’ll be any problem with that.”

Posey is absent:
Forward James Posey, who missed Monday’s game because of “family matters,” did not practice on Tuesday. Rivers expects him to be available against the Suns … Phoenix has won five straight games against the Celtics and is 10-2 in the last 12 meetings. The Suns have not lost in Boston since 2001 in a game that went into overtime … After playing the Hornets, the Celtics will be done playing Western Conference teams. Boston is 23-5 against teams from the West.

[FLCeltsFan]

www.patriotledger.com/sports/x927438659

From the bottom
Celts’ Powe worked his way up from nothing
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By Mike Fine
The Patriot Ledger
Posted Mar 26, 2008 @ 12:09 AM

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WALTHAM — The two reconstructive knee surgeries were child’s play. The fact that he has persevered in Boston after an iffy rookie season has been a piece of cake.

Leon Powe’s real personal battles were fought long before he ever appeared in a high-level basketball game.

Know why he’s so motivated to perform in the NBA? Because he came from less than nothing, and he never forgets it.

“It’s everything for me,” said the Celtics forward, who has 13 double-figure scoring games, plus three double-doubles, since mid-January, when he became a member of the rotation. “I came up from nothing, so I don’t take anything for granted. And when you don’t take anything for granted you tend to work a little bit harder, and that’s what I do.”

Less than nothing? His father left his family high and dry in Oakland when he was 2. His mother did anything and everything to eke out some kind of living, including selling leftovers from flea markets. Powe and his brother were often left to fend for themselves, with some supervision from their grandmother, but one day, when grandma wasn’t looking, younger brother Tim got a hold of a book of matches and set the family’s home on fire.

Powe and his family were left homeless, drifting for seven years trying to make some sense of their life. Meanwhile, his mother just kept having kids. Five more, seven in all. With so many kids around, with his mother trying to earn some money, Powe found himself missing school, eventually skipping the fifth grade entirely.

‘‘My mother couldn't afford a babysitter so I had to stay home and take care of my brothers and sisters,’’ he once said. ‘‘I had to do this so my mom could go to the flea market and sell stuff.’’

He said he once told his mother to stop having kids; he was afraid there wouldn’t be enough money to feed them all.

And when she found herself in legal trouble over reporting income and welfare fraud, the kids were scattered around the Bay Area in foster care. Powe took it upon himself to stay in touch with each of them, keeping his brothers and sisters together, in a sense. His mother died at age 40. He became the man of the family, kept his wits and his sanity about him, hooked up with some really good people, mentors such as Jonas Zuckerman, his sixth grade teacher, and especially Bernard Ward, a convicted drug user who turned his life around, worked the motivated Powe out on the courts of Oakland and saw him through Oakland Tech, where he received every honor in the book, leading the team to a state finals berth. He averaged more than 27 points, 14 rebounds and three blocks there.

He was good enough to get into Cal, where he became the first freshman in the history of the Pac 10 to lead the league in rebounding and the sixth player in league history to lead in rebounding and scoring. He was good, he was strong and powerful, with a deft shooting touch and an insatiable desire to better himself on and off the court. But there were problems. Seriously.

At Oakland Tech, he’d blown out his knee as a junior, requiring reconstructive surgery. He returned for his senior season. At Cal, during a routine physical in 2004, doctors determined he needed further knee surgery. In fact, it was two surgeries, one of them reconstructive – again.

Powe again came back with a vengeance. He came back for his junior and senior seasons, was drafted by Denver in the second round of the 2006 draft and shipped to Boston because Director of Operations Danny Ainge thought he was worth acquiring.

Now, Powe is in the NBA, although this road hasn’t been simple, either. Last season, coach Doc Rivers saw him struggling to just learn the plays. He got some late-season time as the team regressed, and it helped. He came back last summer, and since joining the regular rotation, getting his opening when Kevin Garnett was injured, he’s been impressive.

“It just shows a guy with a positive attitude,” said teammate Paul Pierce. “He didn’t let the things he’s been through bring him down. I think he let it motivate him early in the year when he couldn’t get off the pine. He stayed motivated, came to the gym every day.”

Rivers is his biggest fan.

“I’ve always believed in him. I really have,” he said. “He’s just so good in what he does, and you just kept thinking he’s going get it and we’ve got to be patient, and he’s getting it.

“He’s the best story to me in my career. As a coach I guess you shouldn’t cheer for a guy, but I openly do. I’m human, too, I guess, so that’ll never change.”

Powe hasn’t always been as upbeat as he is today, father of a 2-month-old daughter who’ll never want as he did. Despair was always hovering somewhere overhead. “Sometimes I thought that,” he said, “but I had good people around me and my mom didn’t raise me to anything negative, so when something comes up negative I try to think positive and make the best of the situation.”

Even if Powe doesn’t make it big in the NBA, he’s already done that.

[FLCeltsFan]

www.basketballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=235

The Celtics Defense
Tom Thibodeau Q&A


by Kevin Pelton
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One of the biggest free-agent additions of the summer of 2007 came not on the court but on the sideline. Tom Thibodeau, long Jeff Van Gundy's right-hand man in New York and Houston, left the Rockets after Van Gundy's departure and joined Doc Rivers in Boston to take responsibility for the Celtics' defense. While Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett are the most important newcomers in Boston, Thibodeau deserves credit for molding the team's several new parts into a cohesive defensive unit that ranks as one of the best in modern NBA history.

Earlier this season, I took a look at the Celtics defense and noted that, measured by Defensive Rating relative to league average, Boston was playing the best defense since 1973-74, when the league began tracking turnovers, allowing us to calculate per-possession defensive ratings. The Celtics have slipped slightly from that lofty perch, but not far. Their Defensive Rating is now 8.8 percent better than league average, which would rank them second in NBA history behind the 2003-04 Spurs, who were 9.3 percent better than league average.

So, during media availability at the All-Star Game in New Orleans, I avoided the reporters flocking to Kobe Bryant and LeBron James and sought out Thibodeau (idly chatting with a member of Houston's PR staff) to talk defensive philosophy, the individual talents of many of the Celtics, and more.

Kevin Pelton: Over the course of your career, you've been associated with a number of outstanding defensive teams. How does this year's Celtics team compare to the best of those?

Tom Thibodeau: Right now, I'd say the New York teams were much more physical because at that time you were allowed to play much more physical and we had greater size. This team is probably a little bit more versatile. We have guys that can play multiple positions and I think Garnett makes us very unique because of his ability to guard multiple positions. Then a guy like [James] Posey is a terrific team defender, so he gives us that balance there. There's room for improvement with our team right now. We're still moving along and we have to be able to sustain it over the course of the season and obviously carry that through the playoffs. Each and every day, we're still working at it.

KP: This Celtics team ranks amongst the league leaders in steals, while most of your teams have not forced a lot of turnovers or come up with a lot of steals. How is this group different?

TT: It's still the same type of defense that we've always played. Our big thing is to get back, get set, apply hard ball pressure, keep the ball out of the paint, challenge shots and then finish your defense with the rebound. Once we do those things, we want to also use our instincts and [Rajon] Rondo's terrific at reading the ball and getting into passing lanes and that sort of thing, so we want to take advantage of those skills. And of course Garnett is terrific at extending the defense, so we move up the floor with him. I think you combine all those things and the fact that our three top players--Kevin, Paul [Pierce] and Ray are committed to defense, so each and every day they practice hard. They don't take any practices off...a guy like [James] Posey [either], all those guys. Their commitment--and it started from day one--is really what set the tone for us.

KP: How much does it help you to have the star players buy in to the importance of defense?

TT: That's the big thing, I think. From day one, Doc sold the vision about how important defense was going to be. Kevin, Ray and Paul have been terrific carrying that vision out. I think when your three top players practice hard every day and commit to doing it, I think it leads to everyone else following it. We have experienced veterans that have also come from very good defensive teams. When you look at a Posey and an Eddie House, those guys are committed to playing strong defense. Then when you look at a guy like [Kendrick] Perkins, who oftentimes gets overlooked--his size and his ability to shut down the lane is critical. Rondo, his ability, his quickness is so important for us.

KP: How much does Rondo's ability to pick up the ball full court help your defense?

TT: A lot. He has a lot of responsibility with our defense. Obviously, when the ball is shot, he has to protect our basket first and then come up the floor. He's been able to do both. He sets the tone. What he's doing on the ball really sets the tone for our defense. He's gotten better and better at his ball pressure. His individual and team defense has continually improved as the season has gone along. And I think he's doing a great job of running our team. So I think he sees his responsibility to run the team, to play great defense and then take the opportunities that he has to hit the paint, get in the lane and take the spot-up shots. He's done that consistently for the last two months of the season.

KP: How unique is Garnett's ability to step out to defend the pick-and-roll and get back to his man or switch if needed?

TT: The thing that I think makes Kevin so special is that he's a multiple-effort guy. He can do several different things on the same possession. He has the ability to show on a pick-and-roll, get back into the lane, make the next rotation, challenge a shot, go get a rebound. Oftentimes you see him making two, three and four efforts on the same possession. I think, in order to be a great defensive team, that's the type of mindset that you have to have.

KP: Were you surprised by how Glen Davis was able to hold Tim Duncan in check last Sunday and what he's done defensively this season? (The week before the All-Star break, as detailed by John Hollinger, Davis defended Duncan down the stretch in a 98-90 Boston win over San Antonio at TD Banknorth Garden without Garnett or Perkins.)

TT: I'll be honest, it hasn't surprised me because I watched him from day one. He has surprised me, I take that back, in some ways because he's much more advanced than I thought. In terms of being a rookie, he's not only pretty good individually but he's very good team-wise. The thing that I think makes him so special is the fact that he combines strength with great lateral quickness, so he has the ability to hold his position and defend the post-up and he also has the ability on pick-and-rolls to show, get back into the play and things like that. I think his strength, along with his lateral quickness, has been a great asset for him, but usually it takes rookies a little bit longer to understand what team responsibilities they have to fulfill and he's picked that up really quickly. So I would say that part has surprised me.


KP: How do you evaluate a defense?

TT: You're constantly evaluating your defense in terms of one, your ability to get back and your floor balance; you don't want to give up easy baskets. Then you want to keep the ball out of the paint. Then you want to evaluate whether you're challenging shots properly, whether you're rebounding the ball well enough. Then you look at your schemes to make sure that you're executing those things correctly. It's a constant battle, because you can't work on everything but you're trying to build all those habits that make you have a consistent defense. You're always working defensive transition, pick-and-roll defense, low-post defense, one-on-one defense. It comes down to the basic premise of keeping the ball out of the paint. We feel if you take easy baskets away and force teams to shoot contested twos, then you're going to have a good defense.

KP: What role do numbers, including those you track yourselves (like deflections or contested shots) play in that evaluation?

TT: We track everything, because I think it gives you a gauge of where you are defensively. You may have a number of games in a row where you're not practicing a lot and you see there's slippage, so you have to try to correct those things in your walkthroughs, in your team meetings and things like that. You're studying all the time, watching film, but then you're using those numbers to either confirm or let you know that this is an area that we need to work more on or make some corrections in.

KP: As you move toward the playoffs, what is going to be important for you guys?

TT: In the playoffs, you have to have a balanced team. You have to play well on offense and defense. You can't be just good in one area. We want to be good in both areas. We're balanced. We want to make sure that we're a low-turnover team, that we're taking high-percentage shots. We want to play inside-out. Those are the things that we work on every day. When you look at the playoffs and watch how teams play, often the first thing that will be taken away is transition. Then it comes down to your execution. So you have to be good in transition and then you also have to be good in a halfcourt set. Just as important is your defense. I think you have to be strong in all areas of your game to advance in the playoffs, so each and every day that's what we strive to work on. We want to continually improve as the season goes along. We're trying to build the right habits that will make us successful in the playoffs.

[FLCeltsFan]

blogs.metrowestdailynews.com/celtics/?p=1131
Post-deadline from Sixers game
Posted on March 25, 2008 by Scott Souza
Filed Under Uncategorized |

BOSTON - When you get beyond the spectacle of a 19-point Philly run, there were some interesting things that worked - and some that didn’t - and some that give a glimpse on what to expect over the final dozen games of the season.

The first note of interest was the player rotations that saw Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen all on the bench for the first time (barring injuries) in a competitive game this season. Doc Rivers, who had said before the game he didn’t plan on doing much different in the short term as the playoffs approach, acknowledged after the game that this is something different he plans to do as the playoffs approach.

While the reserve lineup opened the 11-point lead early in the fourth quarter behind Sam Cassell and Eddie House, as typical with all reserve lineups, it had a hard time maintaining the control. The problem grew when Rivers inserted the starters one by one and they couldn’t recapture that control.

The typically blunt Kendrick Perkins said after the game that it is up to the players to adjust to that:

“I just think, man, you’ve got to be ready when you check in - period,” he said. “No matter how long you sit, you’ve got to be ready when you check in. That’s just point-blank. There ain’t no excuses. He’s the coach. He calls the rotation. Whatever he calls, we’ve got to be ready.”

The issue for Rivers becomes how to divide minutes among 11 or 12 players after dealing with a 9- or 10-player rotation most of the season. The one thing about the Texas trip was that, with Ray Allen and Tony Allen both injured, there wasn’t the minutes crunch that may ensue over the final weeks of the season. Even last night, he was without James Posey.

So when all players are available, Rivers will have to find players such as Cassell and PJ Brown sufficient minutes to get in the flow of the game, without lessening the minutes of the starters and players such as Tony Allen, Leon Powe and Glen Davis to the point where they can’t find a rhythm.

Just when you thought the coach might be able to escape “rotation” criticism.

It was interesting to see the Ray Allen-Cassell-House combination last night and you can see where that might be effective in spurts with Cassell controlling the play and two outside shooting threats on his either side. The fact that all three could take point guard duties on a given play is also an interesting wrinkle. Whether you see that as much with Posey available remains to be seen.

It was also nice to see the ball movement early last night with Ray Allen and Rondo each with five assists in the first half and Perkins (4 assists in the game) hitting Paul Pierce twice from out of the paint for open 3-pointers. Unfortunately, the extra pass became a turnover late in the game for the second straight contest.

Rivers said last night that while Posey was not expected at practice today, he should be back for Wednesday’s game against the Suns.

He also said that with the team coming off losses to each of the next two opponents - the Suns and Hornets - motivation should not be an issue. They are the only two teams that Celtics have not beaten this season.