TA and the officiating

[Ryan W]

--- Kim Malo <kmalo17 at verizon.net> wrote:

> At 03:06 PM 5/3/2008, Ryan W wrote:
> >I think you have a good read on what's happening in
> >Doc's head.
> 
> Now THERE'S a disturbing thought : )
> 
> >   But I think he's not trying hard enough
> >with the hand he's been dealt.  We're talking about
> an
> >extra 5 mins of rest in the first half for Ray. 
> It's
> >not that hard to find it but it is especially
> >important that we find it on the road.
> 
> OK, but seriously do you think 5 min rest would make
> that much 
> difference? I can understand wanting to throw the
> changeup to keep 
> them offbalance, but I'm not so sure minutes per se
> were an issue. I 
> can't say we looked noticeably tired at the end or
> that I think 
> that's why Ray missed that last shot. While he may
> feel that he needs 
> the minutes to get into the flow of the game. One of
> the earlier 
> season things that made an impression on me when
> people were looking 
> at us not getting quite the lights out shooter we
> thought with Ray 
> (although both shooting % were dead on for his
> career stats and both 
> better than the prior year) was Bulpett noting that
> he was more apt 
> to make the clutch 4th quarter shots than shots
> earlier in the game, 
> and suggesting he needs extensive time to warm up,
> like a pitcher 
> who's better as a starter than out of the bullpen
> for the same 
> reason. That's largely held true.

I'm not sure how much I buy the excuse that he needs
40 minutes to warm up.  The guy spends 3 hours before
the game getting work in.  He's 32 years old, on the
downside of his career, and a 5 minute break in the
2nd leaves more in the tank for the 4th quarter.

More than that, a Cassell/Ray Allen backcourt is
terrible defensively, and slow offensively.  Either
Rondo or Tony Allen, I think, can offset these
deficiencies, and I'd like to see Tony or Rajon in
there when Sam's in there, just to offset his old ass.
 The Tony Allen decision is bigger that just what Tony
brings.  It's about protecting Sam's deficiencies and
not playing Ray 40 minutes a night.  So, in the
totality of things, you play Tony Allen not because he
'earned it' per se, but because as this team is
currently constituted he needs to play....  

> 
> >You're right, Cassell has been bad for the team
> when
> >he's not making shots, and that's a bad bad thing
> >(even when he's making shots, it's kinda bad in
> terms
> >of what it does to the offensive flow--though I
> >thought he was much better at keeping that flow in
> >game 5).  The same truism applies to House, but
> House
> >adds more of the little things, like some defense
> and
> >speed to bring the ball up.
> 
> Yes he does, although I'm wondering where his head
> is at - that game 
> where he refused to take some open shots (although
> he seems to have 
> backed off that) was almost like he was sending a
> message to the 
> coaches either that a) he was more than just a
> shooter or b) that 
> they really needed him shooting.

House has been on a ton of teams for a reason, and I
think his moodiness (which I've heard rumors of in the
last 3 weeks) might be one of the reasons.  The other
reason?  He doesn't exactly have a history of
performing well in the playoffs.  That said, he was a
big part of the spirit of this ballclub and to see him
thrown to the curb after no fault of his own is unfair
to him and his sacrifices to this ballclub.  Where's
the UBUNTU for him?  Sam's knifed our UBUNTU, me
thinks.

> 
> >As for Tony, you know, he's not that bad
> 
> OK, let me repeat, although I really, really
> shouldn't have to. I 
> have NOT, repeat NOT been saying Tony IS that bad
> per se. What I HAVE 
> been saying is that he's looked that bad going into
> the playoffs. And 
> people can deny it until they're blue in the face,
> but he has been - 
> not just invisible because not helpful but actually
> and more 
> importantly disruptively bad

Yeah, yeah.  I know where you stand and you're
correct, Tony was given minutes and didn't exactly
look great out there.  He had confidence issues,
defensive concentration issues, and dribbling issues
anytime he tried to dribble.  I get all that.  I'd
still play him right now regardless.  Concentration
issues are not as prevalent in the playoffs given the
weight of the situation.  And against the Hawks and
the particular matchup problems they present, I think
Tony needs to play EVEN if he sucked during the last 2
months of the season.  Have a sit down with him, tell
him we need aggressive defense and straight-line
drives to the basket, and then bring him in with the
first team, replacing Ray Allen (that particular
lineup is our second best according to 82games.com)
and see what happens.  On the second unit, he can get
into more trouble, but with KG, Paul, and Rondo out
there, he's not going to get many touches, and the
one's he does (loose balls, steals, offensive
rebounds) are the areas on the court where he probably
can do the best right now.  Doc has his reasons, and
you've done a good job explaining them, but even
though there's a solid rationale to not play him, I
still think it's a stupid decision because it ignores
the team wide value of Tony Allen playing (there's the
value that Tony brings as a player, and then the value
that playing Tony Allen brings to the team when he
plays--and the latter is greater than mere points,
rebounds, assists, turnovers and the like--it can only
be measured subjectively and has to do with how Tony's
athleticism changes the tenor of the game.  If we had
another player who could effect such a change, that'd
be great--but we don't and so if we want such an
effect we need to play Tony).  Facing game 7, it's a
little late to start calling for Tony, but if we're
lucky enough to make it out of this round alive, I
think for our long term viability we NEED to play
Tony.  Doc might not agree, might have fine reasons to
disagree, but in the end it's going be a question of
getting our best players to play their best ball, and
I think Tony's a part of that equation and Doc is
doing a disservice to the team by not at least
exploring it.  Against a young and athletic team that
gives you matchup problems, you might, just might want
to play your young and athletic bench players.  I'm
just saying, that's something you might want to do. 
Doc has yet to coach himself out of the 1st round, and
it's decisions like the Tony Allen decision that our
doing him in time and time again.  He's a
conservative, reactionary coach, who only makes
changes retroactively.  Did Tony struggle in the last
2 months playing with the 2nd team in games that
didn't mean anything?  Yes.  Is Tony still our best
option off the bench in terms of providing energy,
defense, and penetration from the perimeter?  Yes. 
Play Tony Allen!  

In closing let me add something that we've all come to
know much much too intimately these last 2 weeks.  The
regular season doesn't mean a thing in the playoffs. 
I don't care if Tony Allen couldn't get it done in
meaningless games in March and April, just like I'm
sure the Hawks didn't care that our 2nd team beat them
in the 3rd to last game of the season.  It's about
doing what we need to do to win NOW.  What happened in
the regular season is meaningless.  

Ryan



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