Re: The Debacle

["hironaka@xxxxxxxxx"<hironaka@xxxxxxxxx>]

> ---------- Initial message -----------
> 
> From    : owner-celtics@igtc.com
> To      : Celtics@igtc.com
> Cc      : 
> Date    : Thu, 6 Feb 2003 12:42:20 EST
> Subject : The Debacle
> 
> >  -Over 16+ minutes combined, Boston was held to all 
of 2 
> > points of offense while giving up 57 points.
> 
> 
> This is mind boggling.  Can that be right?  I wonder if 
that level of 
> ineptness has EVER been exhibited before in an NBA game.
> 

I should clarify that. I was referring to three different 
and distinct stretches during the Detroit game mentioned 
earlier in the post, which in total combined for over 16 
minutes. The worst of it was that 34-2 run in the second 
half, just after Kedrick hit his one and only 3-point 
shot. 

It was kind of a rough math, probably give or take a few 
seconds, which I got from the printable play-by-play 
summaries linked to game summaries and boxscores at 
NBA.COM.

In any case, the last week's results made me fear that 
when it comes to the Celtics, no 10-point lead is safe. 
We twice got off to good first quarter starts on offense 
only to allow these 18-1 type blitzes through breakdowns 
and shoddy defense.

That's why last night's results were so satisfying. 
Boston never gave up many points in a row without 
responding.

In general, I think the Celtics have generally played six 
straight quarters of good defense, even if it isn't 
reflected in the boxscore.

After the first half against New Orleans, I truly feared 
that other teams were catching on to how to exploit the 
holes in the Obie-Harter system, especially the second 
time around against us. Things seemed very ominous, as 
far as our playoff series aspirations.

But in fact, it thankfully seems to be more a case of the 
Celtics being way out of synch and half-ass. Its obvious 
in a night and day way.

When the Celtics play the system right, our defenders 
have a perfectly adequate answer even to ball movement to 
the weakside (supposedly the biggest hole in the defense).

You can't just swing it around the horn against that 
level of defense, when the Celtics are swarming and 
buzzing around. You are forced to lob it up over to the 
far corner or up over Battie's arm directly into the 
post. Either way there is a chance at a deflection.

For a minute they had me really scared, but now I have a 
bit more of a restored faith in the basic integrity of 
the defensive system. It wasn't ball movement that killed 
us in the first half versus New Orleans, or in the 
Detroit and Indy games. We just didn't stick to the plan, 
and a few guys were gimpy (notably Delk and Battie, maybe 
Walker) or possibly mailing it in (Shammond?). We can't 
let a hot shooter like Wesley or Mashburn such away our 
overall defensive intensity like that. Whatever the 
excuses, that first half defensive performance was 
pathetic. I hope we never see anything like last week 
again this season.



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