Evidence is clear: O'Brien's defense won't rest

["Stephen Beauregard" <sb@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Evidence is clear: O'Brien's defense won't rest
By Peter May, Globe Staff, 11/16/2003

The Celtics have played nine games. Their record in games in which either team
scores 100 points or more: 0-0.

      ADVERTISEMENT

Hitting the century mark in today's NBA is almost an occasion to book the
Canyon of Heroes. The Celtics fit right in: They aren't even averaging 90
points a game and are surrendering only 86.9, seventh lowest in the league.

Jim O'Brien has come out of the closet and admitted that he is "borderline
obsessive" about defense (borderline?) -- and it's showing. The last three
teams the Celtics played managed 76, 89, and 82 points. The Celtics lost the
game in which they allowed the 89 (to Chicago).

In league statistics covering Friday's games, the Celtics ranked third in the
defensive category many coaches think is the most important: opposition field
goal percentage. Boston foes have clanged it at 39.8 percent, and only the
Rockets and Spurs are stingier. The Celtics are also eighth in steals at 9.1 a
game.

O'Brien gave his troops the day off yesterday, but they'll be back at practice
today in preparation for tomorrow night's game in New York against the Knicks.
You can be sure defense will be emphasized, as it has been since O'Brien took
over in January 2001. But he had a big advantage over Rick Pitino (other than
his personality). He was the beneficiary of rules changes that went into
effect for the 2001-02 season, changes the Celtics embraced and have used to
become a much stronger defensive team.

"The rules changes dramatically changed the face of defense and the face of
NBA basketball," O'Brien said. "The whole schemes of defense have changed.
That's why the scores are lower. They didn't put in the new rules to increase
scoring. They put them in to make for more ball movement -- and they're
getting that. Because teams that aren't moving the ball are shooting a very,
very low percentage."

A quick look at the Celtics' defense under O'Brien shows how much the team has
improved. In 2000-01, the last year of the old rules, the Celtics allowed
teams to shoot 45.9 percent. The next season, the first full one under
O'Brien, that dropped to 42.5 percent; only the Lakers had a lower number.
Last year, the number rose to 43.5 percent, but that was still good enough for
sixth in the league.

O'Brien said what he's doing today from a preparation standpoint is not all
that different from what he and Pitino did in the late 1980s with the Knicks.
It's defense, defense, and defense.

"We spent an enormous amount of time on defense to the extent that we knew
every single call that the other team was making," O'Brien said. "The same is
true now." . . .

Since O'Brien said he was worried about turnovers, the Celtics have played
three games and committed only 35, including 8 in Friday's win over Cleveland.
That has dropped their average from 17.2 to 15.3 per game . . . November is
not Raef LaFrentz's favorite month. Or it shouldn't be. He will miss at least
five games while on the injured list with right knee tendinitis. Last year, he
missed 13 games, all in November, with a right ankle sprain . . . The Knicks
are in the midst of a tough stretch, with games Friday night against the Nets
(a loss), last night against the Pacers, tomorrow against the Celtics,
Wednesday against the Lakers, Friday against the Pistons, Saturday against the
Sixers, and a week from tomorrow against the Celtics again. The Knicks are
keeping their fingers crossed that Antonio McDyess might be ready to test his
repaired left kneecap against the Pistons.

Thanks,

Steve
sb@xxxxxxxxxxxx

[demime 1.01b removed an attachment of type image/jpeg which had a name of 350x850.jpg]