Doctor’s Orders

[Kim Malo]

You know what, I wish more of these were more 
warm fuzzy territory if this is really where Doc 
thinks the primary problems are

http://www.nba.com/celtics/news/doctors-orders.html

Doc Rivers gives his offseason prescriptions for each Celtics player

By Jeff Twiss
Celtics.com
May 31, 2006

>The 2005-06 Boston Celtics saw their season come 
>to a close on April 19 with a victory over the 
>Miami Heat at the TD Banknorth Garden. But with 
>this conclusion came a realization that summer 
>plans were about to be made to get ready for the 2006-07 campaign.
>
>Head Coach Doc Rivers and his staff met with 
>each member of the team before they cemented 
>their final agenda for the next few months. The 
>head coach handed each their marching orders, or 
>in this case, the Doctor's orders for what to 
>concentrate and work on over the summer. Here is 
>a brief summary what Doc has 'prescribed' for each player:
>
>Tony Allen - "To continue with his ball handling 
>offensively. Defensively, just work on positioning."

Sigh. Will they please get over this idea Tony is 
a PG. Yes, his ballhandling has improved - he no 
longer pounds the ball into the floor like he's 
trying drive in nails with a hammer attached to a 
pile driver. Yes, he can push the ball nicely and 
run some breaks as an alternate ball handler. But he's NOT a PG. NOT. NOT. NOT.

>Dan Dickau - "Getting healthy. That's the number one key for him."

Damn, I thought that was getting traded. Does his 
former cheerleader wife (Heather, for those 
cranking up google images as we speak) get a job 
training the dance team or something and that's 
why he stays, since obviously game presentation is a top priority...

>Ryan Gomes - "Ryan Gomes, let me see
 face-up 
>jump shot from the elbow spot and learning how 
>to hold off bigger guys defensively."

Fair enough.

>Gerald Green - "The list is very long but right 
>now, to simplify the list, is learning how to 
>score without the ball. I think he has proven 
>that he can score with the ball. It's learning 
>how to move and score without the ball."

Isn't that sort of a team wide problem, other 
than Gomes? Drives me crazy how often we have 
someone get trapped with the ball because his 
teammates have just stood there and watched, and 
continued to. MOVE without the ball and for 
cripes sake go give someone an outlet when they're in trouble.

>Orien Greene - "Orien Greene - conditioning is 
>one thing and a spot-up jump shot."

Conditioning? Now that's an interesting thing. 
And I'm sorry, but why no mention of improving 
his skills in running an offense and *learning to 
hit the bloody bunnies* it's not the jump shots 
that are the biggest problem - those aren't as 
bad as perceived -  it's a PG who can't hit a bloody layup or tip in.

>Al Jefferson - "For Big Al - a face-up jumper 
>would be nice for him to add to his game, the 
>same thing at the elbow and then his defensive positioning."

Please, please tell me it's not in that order. 
And what about all that talk of him working on 
conditioning in the offseason? Shouldn't that be near the top of the list...

>Dwayne Jones - "Dwayne Jones - really just 
>learning our system...he is just too new."

Fair enough, although I'd add trying to come up 
with at least one go to offensive move he feels 
comfortable with, just to make him less one sided a player to help him earn PT.

>Raef LaFrentz - "Raef has to be better 
>defensively in the pick and rolls and he has to 
>improve post play against smaller opponents, 
>meaning when guys switch on him. Raef has to be 
>able to take advantage of that."

Investigate testosterone patches to add 
aggressiveness to all aspects of play. Could have 
sworn Mark Blount used to use them on the days of 
those games he decided to play. Surely there must 
be a stock of them leftover somewhere around there

>Michael Olowokandi - "Conditioning and knowing our system better."

WHY???? Please, oh PLEASE tell me we're not bringing him back.

>Kendrick Perkins - "Perk - elbow jump shot, 
>being a better passer and seeing the ball on help side defense."

LEARN TO STOP PUTTING THE BALL TO THE FLOOR ALL 
THE TIME TO GET YOUR BALANCE ON OFFENSE. Perk, 
this is your rebound. Now this is your rebound on turnovers.

>Paul Pierce - "Defensive transition is big for 
>him and the continued development of trust in 
>his teammates, which isn't a basketball skill 
>but very important. For a basketball skill, 
>learning to be a better pick and roll player."

*shrug*

>Brian Scalabrine - "Scal - learning and 
>accepting our system and staying within himself. 
>I think the in-between shot instead of taking it 
>all the way to the basket. I think the pump 
>fake, two-dribble jump shot would be a great shot for Scal to have."

You know what, this isn't bad, especially the 
learning to stay within himself part. Of course 
my hope is that the inner self he learns to stay 
within has a magnetic attraction to benches.

>Wally Szczerbiak - "Wally - getting healthy and 
>us continually learning from what the best way 
>is for him to score. He needs to improve in pick 
>and roll offense. He doesn't know how to play it 
>and that's an area, I think, that he can be a good player at it."

Doesn't know how to play the pick and roll???????????? HUH???????????????
Yes, I agree that he could be very good at it, in 
part because of his passing skills if that 
doesn't create an open shot paired with his post 
up skills, and I've no problem with suggesting he 
improves in using it, but I just can't believe he 
doesn't know how to play it. At least on offense. Defense, OTOH....

>Delonte West - "Defensively, he still has to 
>improve but more importantly is his right hand. 
>He has to be a better right handed player, he 
>has to be able to finish lay-ups right handed 
>and to pass right handed consistently."

Um yeah. And also perhaps work on being able to 
do more than just execute the play called, become 
the more creative PG you've got the leadership 
and work ethic to turn yourself into. While also 
working on defense to come up with a way through 
positioning, etc to at least make it a bit harder 
for other PG to blow by him and/or speed up his 
response time (*before* they're 2 feet behind him) when they try

Kim