Doc says Jason Terry is "slow as (expletive)"

The Greats don't speed up, they slow down. That's what happened with Pierce after Doc got here. That's what happened with Kobe after Shaq left. The game becomes slower for them. Marcus Banks, probably the fastest player in the league at one time, never learned that. Basketball is not about running fast and jumping high. It's about executing under pressure, it's about getting the defense off-balance and taking the offense out of its rhythm by anticipating their next move.


http://bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/celtics/view/20221024terry_creates_buzz_with_big_shots/



Jason Terry creates buzz with big shots






By Steve Bulpett / Celtics Beat
Wednesday, October 24, 2012 - Updated 2 hours ago



















You’re going to like Jason Terry, and only a small part of it has to do with
his quick wit, laughter and the fact he is willing to engage fans during
games.

You’re going to like him if you’re a Celtics [team stats]
follower, but those basketball fans who wish ill for the Shamrock AC
will be greatly disturbed by the fact Terry has the ability — and
propensity — to solve a serious problem for the Green. When all else
fails on an offensive possession, Terry seemingly is at his best.

“Oh, that’s my time,” said the veteran guard, who was acquired as a free agent during the summer. “No question.”

Put aside for a moment that Terry shot 51 percent from the floor and
was a torrid 69.2 percent (18-of-26) on 3-pointers in the preseason.
Those numbers are hard to ignore, but please try, just for a while.

Most telling was how good Terry was when the shot clock was running
down and other options had been exhausted. Last week in Brooklyn, he
twice bailed the Celtics out of bad possessions by calmly dropping in
treys.

It did not go unnoticed.

“I remember one he hit out by the top of the key,” point guard Rajon Rondo [stats]
said. “I even turned and said, ‘Wow, that was a big shot by J.’ I mean,
that’s what we need, guys who can make plays. He can create his own
shot, and that’s big. That speaks volumes for our team.”

It speaks a book or two about Terry, as well.

At 35, he has been around the NBA block and knows how to handle
himself when times get crunchy. He is a 38 percent career 3-point
shooter, and not surprisingly, he has hit 39.4 percent from beyond the
arc in the playoffs. When the Mavericks made their run to the 2011
championship, Terry dialed long distance at a 44.2 percent clip. He hit
half of his 20 treys in the 2012 postseason.

Terry is supremely confident in his skills, and he knows where to find an open look when things break down.

“That’s what he does,” coach Doc Rivers said. “That’s why we went and got him, because not only can he score,
but he can score off the dribble. He made those two 3’s off the dribble
that you mentioned, and we haven’t had that — I guess Paul (Pierce) at
times — but Ray (Allen) was more catch and shoot on 3’s. Now having an
off-the-dribble shooter is nice.”

Though coming in a meaningless exhibition game against the Nets,
Terry’s shots were indicative of a trend that continued two nights later
in Albany, N.Y., when he hit 4-of-6 3-point attempts and scored 22
points against the Knicks. Terry smiled when reminded of the shots in
Brooklyn.

“It hadn’t happened all preseason, but the ball was ending up in my
hands, and that’s when I’m at my best,” he said. “When the team needs me
most and they’re counting on it most, like in the end-of-game
situations, that’s when I’m at my best. I shoot shots at the end of the
clock like it’s the end of the game.

“It’s definitely a veteran thing. I learned from a great guy in
George Gervin in our workouts in the summer. He tells me, ‘Slow is
quick.’ And I had to really listen to what he said. It’s changing speeds
and changing pace, and sometimes when you’re slow, you’re quick. I
mean, the defense doesn’t know what you’re doing. If you hurry, you run
into your defender, and then you’ve accomplished nothing. So I had to
slow myself down a little bit but still be quick at the same time.”

Rivers laughed when Terry’s pace was noted.

“He’s in no hurry. Well, he can’t be,” the coach said. “He’s slow as (expletive).

“It’s amazing. The young guys laugh. They’re amazed at how often he’s open. They’re like, ‘I
don’t get it. He’s not that quick.’ But he’s smart, which gives him a
step. That’s really going to help us. He’s a guy who can hit big shots.”

That quality will make Celtics [team stats] followers appreciate him. To those supporting other teams, it’ll make
Jason Terry a joyful, high-sock-wearing bearer of bad news.




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