Doc Wants to Get Physical - Oh Really!

Doc wants to get physical

“The game was called very physical — (the referees) allowed them to be physical, and I didn’t think we handled that very well. When you think about how many plays we had at the basket where they stripped us or took the ball away — usually if you hold onto that it’s at least a foul, but we didn’t hold onto the ball tonight. I just thought they were the more physical team.”

Perhaps that was the most troubling note of all.
“We knew they were the more athletic team,” Rivers said. “But we can’t allow them to be the more physical team as well.”

Herald - Celtics don't rise for bell

When was the last time Doc called out the guys for lack of physicality? When the Celtics are playing at maximum effort, there's only one team in the league that can out-bang (did I just make up a word?) them and that's LA.

They do have an excuse: two of their most physical players remain on the bench (Glen Davis should return Sunday). A lot of the blame will fall on Nenad Krstic:

And if there's one thing Krstic has learned so far, it's that it doesn't take much to throw an entire defensive coverage scheme out of synch.

"You just need one guy to make a mistake and the whole defense becomes a little weaker," Krstic said. "That's happening right now, especially with first unit. I'm still learning. Sometimes I make a mistake, so guys try to help me. All the new guys are really trying to fit in. Everybody's playing hard. Everybody giving 100 percent. So it's not like the effort isn't there. It's just… getting more familiar with the system."

While Krstic has certainly had his share of issues defensively, he did just drop 16 points and 15 rebounds - his first double-double with the Celtics - which came after a 20-point, nine-rebound effort against the Los Angeles Clippers.

I love the dynamic Krstic brings to the offense and I'm more than happy to sacrifice some defense. Can you really blame the defense after holding a team to 89 points?

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At least the issue is clearly delineated, and all parties involved are working hard to address it. Nineteen games (or whatever it is), and seven or eight good practices (which is about the normal ratio) should be sufficient for the first team to work the kinks out and make appropriate adjustments.

The greater issue will be the bench, which really needs Glen Davis and Delonte West (at a minimum) in order to gain sufficient chemistry and gather some momentum.

I hate to think what shape this team would have been in during the past seven games with not a single really healthy center. It's been tough enough with only one...and a new guy at that. Fortunately, I think Krstic has turned out to be two or three times the player I was expecting.

It will be interesting to see whether, in strengthening their interior defense, Oklahoma City may have compromised the efficiency of their offense. I don't buy any theories that, because the Thunder don't focus on their center offensively, there will be little effect. The center gets touches in any offense in order to prevent the offense from playing four on five, and touches very often equal turnovers or slowed ball movement where Perk is involved. Along with moving picks and technical fouls.

Sam