Best of Tommy - Suns 2/19

Tommy Heinsohn ‏@CSNTommy 12h
What might #Celtics do at #NBATradeDeadline? "They have 5 power forwards, alright? So they don't NEED 5 power forwards."


Tommy Heinsohn ‏@CSNTommy 12h
"Most aggressive, played really good defense ... Brandon Bass really kind of gets the nod tonight" for the #TommyAward! 18 pts, 8 REB


Tommy Heinsohn ‏@CSNTommy 13h
On #Celtics' 2nd-half issues: "They relied on a half-court offense. Their half-court offense is not that good."


Tommy Heinsohn ‏@CSNTommy 15h
On Gerald Green's rough beginning with #Celtics: "Worst thing that happened to him was he won the Slam Dunk Contest in his rookie season."


Tommy Heinsohn ‏@CSNTommy 16h
On #NBATradeDeadline rumors: "Rajon Rondo is the biggest piece of the building of this basketball team!"


Tommy Heinsohn ‏@CSNTommy 12h
"I don't think #Rondo is a key guy in a trade because I think Rondo is a key guy for the future of this team."



bob


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The lack of a truly effective halfcourt offense is a familiar refrain. I'm not at all sure that Rondo's approach to the halfcourt game does anything to enhance it. He's the player who's most in charge of making sure they have adequate clock time to try two or three options if the first one or two don't work. Although not counted as turnovers, ineffective possessions that eventuate in hero shots are pretty close to the same thing.

Obviously, Rondo's not the only player operating in the halfcourt; and it's very likely that others bear some responsibility for the lack of ball movement, lack of player movement, lack of spacing, lack of effective picks, etc. But, even during the Garnett years, I was never nearly as impressed with the offense as with the defense in terms of being their ace card. The difference in those days was that, in KG and Paul Pierce, they had two players who were relatively competent in making hero shots.

Sam