Sheldon Williams Now Has Doc's Attention - ESPN BOSTON

Celtics coach Doc Rivers didn't sound ready to pull the plug on the Rasheed Wallace experiment quite yet, but admitted that, if Wallace's defensive play doesn't improve moving forward, he's willing to consider utilizing Shelden Williams more off the bench instead.

"[Wallace] has to play better, bottom line," said Rivers, who has given Wallace plenty of rope this season. "He has to play better defense -- the offense will come -- but he has to be a better defender. And we can't wait for him. He has to be a better defender for us."

Wallace, underwhelming for much of the 2009-10 season, continues to provide little in the way of production in the postseason despite all the playoff experience he brought with him to Boston. After logging a mere two points and two rebounds over 13 minutes in Saturday's Game 1 loss, Wallace is now at minus-20 in the plus/minus for the postseason, the lowest number on a team that's won four of the six games it has played.

Rivers seemed unwilling to completely yank Wallace from the rotation, but noted that Williams won't be overlooked.

"{Williams] enters the discussion every day," said Rivers. "He's definitely in the discussion, there's no doubt about that."

The 35-year-old Wallace is averaging 3.5 points on a mere 35 percent shooting and 2 rebounds per game this postseason. This from a player who has averaged 14.2 points on 44.5 percent shooting and 6.5 rebounds over 159 career playoff games. What's more, he's slow to react on defense, often getting raced past by ball-handlers and struggling to corral 50/50 balls against more athletic big men.

Asked if Wallace's minutes could be on the decline, after already slipping in the first round, Rivers said simply: "It could be. The bottom line is he has to play better. And we'll give him every opportunity to play well."

Williams, who is playing in his first playoff series in his four years in the league, has appeared in only one game, logging 18 minutes against Miami in the Game 2 that Kevin Garnett was suspended for.

Asked about more potential playing time before that game, Williams said he doesn't change his preparation.

"You prepare like you prepare for every game," he said. "If it happens or if it doesn’t happen, you go in the same way... Like I said, I go into the game preparing to play, and if it plays out like that, I’ll be ready."

Wallace is clearly the superior player when he plays to his abilities, but his abilities appear to have diminished rapidly this season. Even with numerous starts for injured Garnett, Wallace did not register a single double-double this year. Even Williams registered one double-double at the start of the year while playing in place of injured Glen Davis.


PS IT'S ABOUT TIME DOC!

112288

thank god...i am so tired of that douche

Williams might not be the sharpest tool in the shed or play the "smartest" basketball but he brings effort and hustle.

Wallace probably has the tools but not the effort.

In this case I will take the effort.

Shelden Williams has to be special. He won the heart of one of the world's most beautiful women, Candace Parker. Candace, by the way, has 2 NCAA titles, and an Olympic Gold Medal to her credit. She also has Shelden's baby girl! That alone rises Shelden above used up 'sheed!-MD.

Sheed doesn't even raise his arms to full extension on defense,I'm very sick of his game.

would LOVE to see shelden get some minutes. i have said that before during the playoffs on a couple of other threads, and am amazed and delighted to see Doc is actuallly open to that.

thx, 112288, i'd missed the article ... gotta go check out Globe's celtics news ...

Michael

Shelden's offense is far, far more limited than Sheed's. His hands are much harder than Sheed's (comparable, I'd say, to Perk's). His feet aren't that quick either moving laterally, maybe a little better than Sheed's (not hard since Sheed doesn't move laterally at all). His passing and courtvision are inferior to Sheed's. He lacks Sheed's length.

One thing Shelden has that Sheed doesn't, though, is ganas. Shelden WANTS it. Bad. He attacks the offensive boards like the way Leon did. He's a disrupter and will, no doubt, park LBJ on his royal ass if that is what is necessary to prevent a layup.

Right now, I'd say ganas is more valuable than a more talented player who isn't playing well.

Sheed's admitted attitude this year has been "nobody can tell me nothin' because I've been in the league so long I've seen it all". Oh yeah? Have you seen what it's like being an unnecessary 5th wheel, Sheed?

Play Shelden more. If nothing else, it'll make the Cleveland coaching staff and players re-think their play and having them react to us is better than the other way around.


Bob

.

bobheck

I concur. Perfect post as usual. Where you watchin the game tonight?

jeb

jeb65 wrote:bobheck

I concur. Perfect post as usual. Where you watchin the game tonight?

jeb

jeb,

3rd stool from the end on the right at my favorite local pub in San Carlos.

bob

.

BobH: Is that San Carlos Boozer?-MD. (LOL)

ESPN with their finger on the pulse as usual

goin to be fun watching Barkley backpeddle if we can win this thing.

OOOOOOOOOOH YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

112288

cowens/oldschool wrote:Sheed doesn't even raise his arms to full extension on defense,I'm very sick of his game.

On the outside chance that there is a connection between his playing and your comments please keep trashing Sheed, it's working so far.
Sometimes it's good to be a towel.