RE: Merry Xmas Atlanta

["R. Singh" <keltsfan@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Steve, 

My point is you don't need an effective post up game to not shoot three
pointers.  Heck New Jersey hasn't had a post up game since Kidd arrived
but their half court offense produces 15 foot jumpers all night long.
Look at Sloan in Utah, midrange jumpers and layups is typical of their
offense. Is Ostertag an offensive force inside? Kirilenko is a face the
basket type player. 

I understand that Williams is gone and has been replaced by McCarty who
only wants to shoot from the arc but the Celtics offensive problems are
a result of systemic issues. It still relies too much on isolation.
Dribble drive and kickout. Was that way when Williams was here (he was
just effective at getting to the rim and/or the foul line) and is much
more so now since Pierce now has one less player to take the ball out of
his hands. Everything is create off the dribble for a layup or kickout
out for the open three.  The off the ball motion we saw glimpses of here
and there during the season is gone. There is little motion left in the
offense other than the player that has the ball and consequently the
high percentage mid range shots we were beginning to see have
disappeared.  

When the Celtics were at their best this season, you could look down the
boxscore and see 24-26+ assists spread very well among 8-9 players.
Everyone was passing the ball, trying to find the higher percentage shot
inside the arc whether it be a layup or the 15-18 footer. Not so lately.

Anyway, good chatting with you.

Hope your holidays are going well.

Ravi 




-----Original Message-----
From: owner-celtics@xxxxxxxx [mailto:owner-celtics@xxxxxxxx] On Behalf
Of CeltsSteve@xxxxxxx
Sent: Wednesday, December 24, 2003 6:16 AM
To: Celtics@xxxxxxxx
Cc: Celticsstuffgroup@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: Merry Xmas Atlanta


In a message dated 12/23/03 10:26:07 PM Pacific Standard Time, 
keltsfan@xxxxxxxxxxx writes:

> Steve,
> 
> While I agree with your points regarding Baker and Pierce in tonight's

> game,
> it is up to the coach to put a stop to the three point madness and
Pierce's 
> Walkeresque desires. 
> 
> What has happened in the last four or so games is a complete return to

> the
> O'Brien offense of seasons past, whether he has designed it to be that
way or 
> not.  Gone is the ball movement to find easy shots 15-18 feet from the
basket 
> and in.  It's either in the post or whip it around the perimeter for a
three 
> point shot.  Very little in between game...those high percentage shots
are 
> becoming less frequent and the result is less assists per made basket
and the 
> lower shooting percentage
> that became the norm since the Pitino era started.  
> 
> Maybe the coach doesn't want this.  If so, it's up to him to stop it. 
> Yes
> Baker couldn't make a shot tonight but does that mean the only other
option is 
> to fire up threes as if Antoine Walker and JR Bremer were still in
green?  - 
> Ravi


 
Ravi,

While I agree with your observation of the increase in 3 point attempts
and 
your point re: the coach's responsibility, they traded away Williams who
was 
adept in the low post but now other than Baker who do they have? Mihm's
game 
from what I've seen is primarily as a face up jump shooter and McCarty
who is now 
getting the backup "4" minutes never was or will be a post up player.
Davis' 
game is as a slasher not as a post up player. That leaves Pierce and
Baker as 
the primary low post or post up options. Given it is been a mere 8 days
since 
the trade and there have been 4 games sandwiched in with limited
practice 
time, with all due respect it is unrealistic to expect the coaching
staff to have 
integrated 3 more new players into the defensive schemes which is the
first 
priority and then to have reworked the offense to replace Williams' low
post 
contributions as well. Especially since they don't have a PG capable of
creating 
easy offense or better looks for his teammates in the manner you
described. 

In Pierce's defense and to his credit he is trying to incorporate others
into 
the offense over that 4 game span as his shot attempts are down (16 FG
per 
game) and way down from the Cavalier game a day and a 1/2 before the
trade (25 
FG attempts). Unfortunately, though, his shooting percentage during
those same 
four games is way down as well -- dropping to 35% (23 for 64).

People lament not going inside to Baker enough but last night he got 11
shot 
attempts and Blount had 7 and Mihm had 2 so that's 20 FG attempts right
there 
from the bigs. The problem is they only got 77 shot attempts the entire
game. 
Baker just wasn't hitting his shots last night so I can excuse a poor
shooting 
performance since he's been consistently in the Top 3 in FG% all season
and 
Blount had been shooting lights out over the past several games but he
was in 
foul trouble and eventually fouled out last night. What I can't accept
or 
excuse is the fact that Baker logged 30 minutes last night and managed
to grab (?)  
[or did it fall into his hands or did he track down an errant/long
shot?] one 
damn rebound in that entire span. Your team is getting hammered (again)
on 
the boards and you know your shot isn't falling so you try to help the
team in 
other ways. Last night Vin had 0 assists and 0 blocked shots. The lone
rebound 
he managed was on the defensive boards. I'm sorry but that's
unacceptable. 
Completely unacceptable. He mailed it in and maybe it's time for some
tough love 
from O'Brien. Sit his a@@ on the pine and let Perkins take a crack at
it.

But I digress. Only managing 77 shot attempts is far too few if you want
to 
be a "running" or up-tempo team. They need to be getting at least 90
shots per 
game and more like 95 or 100. The problem though as everyone knows is if
you 
can't rebound you can't run. Oh yeah, the C's also don't have a true
creating 
PG that can penetrate and get others easy baskets, either; at least they
don't 
have someone that can do it on a regular basis. 

So we're right back to getting someone who has the desire to rebound
because 
rebounding is all about desire to want to get the damn ball. And were
also 
back to the issue of getting a PG that can create tempo and easy
opportunities. 
And needing some practice time to get everyone in sync until they do get
the 
first two.     
    
CeltsSteve 

``Time, practice, patience, attitude, unselfishness'' - Jim O'Brien