Dr. Jack on the Celtics' offense

[Alexander Wang <awang@MIT.EDU>]

I think the following answer by Jack Ramsay reiterates what has already 
been said on the list at times, but it's good to hear it from the pro - and 
someone who has close access to O'Brien's thinking too.

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The Celtics are committed to throwing up threes regardless if they're 
having a good or bad shooting night. I think they would have a better 
offensive balance with an inside and outside threat by keeping Antoine 
Walker down low while Paul Pierce and Joe Johnson hung around the 
perimeter. What's your take on the Celtics' style of play?
Gary, Fairhaven, Mass.

Dear Gary,
The Celtics have to generate offense from a limited base. They are without 
a great penetrator, have no real post-up threat -- 'Toine gets stuffed 
trying to score from there -- and the big men (Tony Battie, Vitaly 
Potapenko and Mark Blount) have no back-to-the-basket games. The 3-point 
shot is a principal weapon for them. Coach O'Brien creates those shots with 
a combination of screen and rolls on the ball, and a series of single and 
double screens off the ball. I sometimes gasp at their shot selection -- 
especially Walker's -- but under the circumstances, it's a necessary part 
of their offense. And, the bottom line is that they're winning.

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It also illustrates what could greatly improve the Celtics' offense - a 
low-post threat at the center position or (more realistically, probably) a 
great penetrating point guard.

Alex