POST GAME LAC - HOME

bobheckler wrote:

NYCelt wrote:

dboss wrote:

bobheckler wrote:This is a good example of why Jayson Tatum might lose his starting job.  

https://mobile.twitter.com/Tom_NBA/status/964166037305479168



bob


.

Bob he made a mistake and should have stayed home.  Not sure that means he losses his starting job.  

dboss

Yeah, just a mix-up with Monroe on the switch.

dboss,

A combination of poor communication by Monroe, not letting Tatum know that he was coming up with his man and court recognition by Tatum that, when he stepped up on the high pnr, his man would be WIDE open because there was no way Monroe or Horford could possibly have gotten there in time anyway.

I'm still sticking with my original thought, either Brown or Tatum or both will be coming off the bench after the All-Star break.


bob


.

You are such a hard task master.

gyso wrote:

bobheckler wrote:

NYCelt wrote:

dboss wrote:

bobheckler wrote:This is a good example of why Jayson Tatum might lose his starting job.  

https://mobile.twitter.com/Tom_NBA/status/964166037305479168



bob


.

Bob he made a mistake and should have stayed home.  Not sure that means he losses his starting job.  

dboss

Yeah, just a mix-up with Monroe on the switch.

dboss,

A combination of poor communication by Monroe, not letting Tatum know that he was coming up with his man and court recognition by Tatum that, when he stepped up on the high pnr, his man would be WIDE open because there was no way Monroe or Horford could possibly have gotten there in time anyway.

I'm still sticking with my original thought, either Brown or Tatum or both will be coming off the bench after the All-Star break.


bob


.

You are such a hard task master.  

gyso,

I just hate losing, in all its myriad shapes and forms and disguises.


bob



.

well, I just hope IF Brad is shaking up the lineup that we've finally seen the LAST of Baynes starting.

please say it's true

kdp59 wrote:well, I just hope IF Brad is shaking up the lineup that we've finally seen the LAST of Baynes starting.

please say it's true

Who replaces him without a major drop off in defense?

Fun fact: In the past 3 games (all losses), Baynes has played 21, 13, and 15 against IND, CLE, and LAC, respectively.



KJ

Dboss,

I'll take a crack at it with my half a penny's worth:

“Stretch the defense to the full 94 feet. . . . “

I would settle for the back-court defenders and wings picking up their man at ¾ court or even at half-court. The purpose of a press is to also force the pace of the game, to be more up-tempo. The press doesn't have to be full tilt helter-skelter, just enough to put pressure on to push the play. The question is whether the C's are ready, willing, and able to play at that pace.

The extended D also lends itself to a transitional game that is counter-intuitive to how the C's have been playing all season. They'd rather set up and position themselves at the perimeter to take 3 pt. shots than play in transition. Even when they've had fast-break opportunities, they have at times found ways to squander them or have kicked the ball back out for a 3 pt. shot. An adjustment to their gameplay philosophy would need to happen. The defense needs to commit to an aggressive “attack” mode rather than just reacting to their opponents' offensive plays. The return of Smart, the C's pit bull, will help set the tone for that to happen.


“Take away the opponents half-court offense by utilizing some zone variations. . . . “

In some ways, teams do this now with their bigs down low - a “match-up zone” where the defender covers a certain area but plays man to man within his designated area. You'll then see the big drop off his man to give weak-side help when the play calls for it.

Crisp ball movement from side to side (passing, not dribbling) and flooding the zone will exploit a zone's weakness, so will effective outside shooting. Teams with good perimeter shooters will tear a zone apart and a lot of teams have at least 1 or 2 in their arsenals. It's one of the reasons why you hardly see zone defenses in the NBA.

Generally speaking, zone defenses are not conducive to active “deny” or “In your face” D, e.g., if you're on the top defending and your man penetrates to go inside, you release him to the down low defender – that doesn't really allow for active “deny” or “In your face” D.

Again, the C's haven't been in an attack D mode for a while and the lack of that aggression has resulted in poor D, both inside and out.

“Implement a two-man trap on both the end lines and baselines combined with timely weakside rotations.”

Those areas and the corners are where traps are most effective but I'd try it where and when the opportunity arises. A 2-3 half-court zone trap might also be effective – I believe that I've seen the C's use it a few times in certain situations. A trap opportunity from a switch may also be availed.

“On those high screens you have to fight over the top. . . . “

I agree that the C's need to fight to go over, rather than go under the screen, but it is easier said than done. As you noted, when they go under, they often get caught in a mismatch because of a resulting switch and/or they'll give up an easy drive to the hoop. Using jump switch options are effective ways to counter those screen plays. Part of the problem is that the C's have young tyros who are still learning the ropes and they've been taken to school because of it. Experience from seeing it enough times will eventually help them anticipate and recognize those screens beforehand. Right now the C's are weak on PnR's - it's a work in progress.

I'm repeating myself but the bottom line is the C's need to be committed to playing aggressive “attack” defense . . .  as a team, and not just with one or two players. Another problem the C's have is that they're not boxing out and are giving opponents open lanes for easy offensive rebounds and put-backs. The C's defenders need to put a body on their opponents. It's a misnomer that basketball is a non-contact sport, it's just not a collision sport like football.

Besides musing about various defensive schemes, we have to keep reminding ourselves that the C's are a very young team. They have two key players in the starting line-up with minimal NBA experience – Brown in his 2nd yr. and Tatum in his rookie yr.  Consequently, a lot of defensive assignments are being missed - growing pains. I also wonder if the C's, particularly Tatum and Brown, have anything left in the tank for the rest of the season. They look and have played as if they're mentally and physically drained. Hopefully, the All-Star break will be the elixir the entire team needs to revive itself.

In spite of the skeptical talk about Monroe's weak defense and with the little amount of playing time he's had so far, his D has been a pleasant surprise for me. He's made his presence known with rebounds, blocks, and by just claiming valuable space in the middle. He may not have much foot speed, but the C's will need his inside scoring on offense. It will be up to Brad to find more pertinent playing time for Monroe to take advantage of his assets.

Well, I've used up my half a penny's worth and then some, so I'll just shut up and end it here.

Sandpd wrote:Dboss,

Generally speaking, zone defenses are not conducive to active “deny” or “In your face” D, e.g., if you're on the top defending and your man penetrates to go inside, you release him to the down low defender – that doesn't really allow for active “deny” or “In your face” D.

Sandpd and dboss,

Excellent strategy points all around by the two of you. My bet is both of you have played and likely coached more than a little. Nothing speaks like experience.

Sandpd in particular...

My guess is you said 'generally' in the passage above for a reason. One aggressive defensive element a zone is very well suited for is trapping. It is, of course, used at some point by almost any team employing some form of a zone. If done properly, and the three non-attacking defenders bump and cover correctly, the only open man is on a wing or in a corner farthest off the ball. Used at the right time, there are good odds of forcing a turnover here.

Regards

Sandpd wrote:Dboss,

I'll take a crack at it with my half a penny's worth:

“Stretch the defense to the full 94 feet. . . . “

I would settle for the back-court defenders and wings picking up their man at ¾ court or even at half-court. The purpose of a press is to also force the pace of the game, to be more up-tempo. The press doesn't have to be full tilt helter-skelter, just enough to put pressure on to push the play. The question is whether the C's are ready, willing, and able to play at that pace.

The extended D also lends itself to a transitional game that is counter-intuitive to how the C's have been playing all season. They'd rather set up and position themselves at the perimeter to take 3 pt. shots than play in transition. Even when they've had fast-break opportunities, they have at times found ways to squander them or have kicked the ball back out for a 3 pt. shot. An adjustment to their gameplay philosophy would need to happen. The defense needs to commit to an aggressive “attack” mode rather than just reacting to their opponents' offensive plays. The return of Smart, the C's pit bull, will help set the tone for that to happen.


“Take away the opponents half-court offense by utilizing some zone variations. . . . “

In some ways, teams do this now with their bigs down low - a “match-up zone” where the defender covers a certain area but plays man to man within his designated area. You'll then see the big drop off his man to give weak-side help when the play calls for it.

Crisp ball movement from side to side (passing, not dribbling) and flooding the zone will exploit a zone's weakness, so will effective outside shooting. Teams with good perimeter shooters will tear a zone apart and a lot of teams have at least 1 or 2 in their arsenals. It's one of the reasons why you hardly see zone defenses in the NBA.

Generally speaking, zone defenses are not conducive to active “deny” or “In your face” D, e.g., if you're on the top defending and your man penetrates to go inside, you release him to the down low defender – that doesn't really allow for active “deny” or “In your face” D.

Again, the C's haven't been in an attack D mode for a while and the lack of that aggression has resulted in poor D, both inside and out.

“Implement a two-man trap on both the end lines and baselines combined with timely weakside rotations.”

Those areas and the corners are where traps are most effective but I'd try it where and when the opportunity arises. A 2-3 half-court zone trap might also be effective – I believe that I've seen the C's use it a few times in certain situations. A trap opportunity from a switch may also be availed.

“On those high screens you have to fight over the top. . . . “

I agree that the C's need to fight to go over, rather than go under the screen, but it is easier said than done. As you noted, when they go under, they often get caught in a mismatch because of a resulting switch and/or they'll give up an easy drive to the hoop. Using jump switch options are effective ways to counter those screen plays. Part of the problem is that the C's have young tyros who are still learning the ropes and they've been taken to school because of it. Experience from seeing it enough times will eventually help them anticipate and recognize those screens beforehand. Right now the C's are weak on PnR's - it's a work in progress.

I'm repeating myself but the bottom line is the C's need to be committed to playing aggressive “attack” defense . . .  as a team, and not just with one or two players. Another problem the C's have is that they're not boxing out and are giving opponents open lanes for easy offensive rebounds and put-backs. The C's defenders need to put a body on their opponents. It's a misnomer that basketball is a non-contact sport, it's just not a collision sport like football.

Besides musing about various defensive schemes, we have to keep reminding ourselves that the C's are a very young team. They have two key players in the starting line-up with minimal NBA experience – Brown in his 2nd yr. and Tatum in his rookie yr.  Consequently, a lot of defensive assignments are being missed - growing pains. I also wonder if the C's, particularly Tatum and Brown, have anything left in the tank for the rest of the season. They look and have played as if they're mentally and physically drained. Hopefully, the All-Star break will be the elixir the entire team needs to revive itself.

In spite of the skeptical talk about Monroe's weak defense and with the little amount of playing time he's had so far, his D has been a pleasant surprise for me. He's made his presence known with rebounds, blocks, and by just claiming valuable space in the middle. He may not have much foot speed, but the C's will need his inside scoring on offense. It will be up to Brad to find more pertinent playing time for Monroe to take advantage of his assets.

Well, I've used up my half a penny's worth and then some, so I'll just shut up and end it here.

Sandpd

Thanks for your significant input.  This is the type of discussion that does not simply dwell on statistical information.  I do want to clarify some of my thoughts.

As you know there are different variations that can be utilized to press an opponent.  My reference to playing defense for 94 feet should not be construed as a man to man full court press.  Although that option could at some point be implemented.  I was thinking more along the lines of using the guards to pressure the opponents ball handlers.  Basically make them uncomfortable.  Make it a chore for the opponent to get the ball over half court in the 8 second allotted time.  Teams absolutely hate to be pressured before they even can get into their offensive sets.  So while a press can speed up the game, my thoughts are to speed up the time that an opponent has to make a decision by actually taking time off the 24 second shot clock.  The back end of this strategy requires that our frontcourt players position themselves to challenge the passing lanes so that they do not get beat over the top.  So many games come down to a few possessions.  The Celtics may be able to help themselves by creating a few more difficult possession for their opponents.    I think the Celtics are blessed with a tandem of defensive minded guards that have the skill, athleticism and stamina to defend the entire court.

The term that you used, "attack defense" is exactly what I am trying to convey.

The press, traps and zone variations should be opportunity driven and/or utilized to curtail offensive runs by the opponent.

You are correct with the fact that the Celtics have a ton of young and inexperienced players.  But I think a guy like Smart should be our middle linebacker.  Let him call the defensive sets.  Let him get his teammates in the right positions.

Again Thanks to both you and NYCelt.  I am very much on the same page with you guys and at the same time this is in no way intended to impugn the thoughts and ideas of our esteemed board members.

As the Celtics head around the final stretch of this improbable season, I remain confident that they will give it all the have.

Also wanted to let everyone know that my wife Bonnie gave me a Kyrie Irving jersey for Valentines Day! Number 11 is in the house.

I would start Monroe with Al and give them signifcent time playing together. Make sure Monroe gets some looks down low as he can also initiate the offense with the pass from there. Got to still find time for Theis and Baynes, we don’t run that much already, playoffs come down to grinding halfcourt basketball, might as well get as much as we can from our assets, hopefully we can get even better looks as the offense has struggled all year. The 2 players I would limit are Semi and Morris, neither impacts winning IMHO.

to my perhaps impaired vision. I would be starting

Horford
Irving
Smart
Brown
with either
Monroe or Morris depending on the per game match ups.

then I would tighten the bench down to

Tatum
Rozier
Morris or Monroe
Theis

that's it unless its a blowout. Brad needs to tighten the rotation to get ready for the playoffs.

Smart is best at PG with Irving primarily at the 2.

Tatums play of late has earned him a spot on the bench.

I know many sing Baynes' praises, but to me he belongs on the deep bench now that we have Monroe as a Big.

there is a reason Baynes has played about 14-16 minutes per game every season he's been in the NBA, IMO.

Kdp59, I think your ideas are spot on

Baynes and Monroe allow Al Horford to not take a beating from oppositional beasts. For all of Baynes' faults, there's no way getting around the fact that when he plays big minutes (20+), the team wins at an outstanding rate.

Monroe is called Moose. Marcus Morris is called ball hog. You have to take your lumps with player flaws to maximize odds. If the other team has no real center and is mostly little guys, then fine, let's go small.

If Morris must start, then give Tatum the scorer role off the bench with guards Terry and Marcus. Monroe must become a major rotation player. Hopefully this week off will help his integration. The new players in Cleveland seem to be fitting in.

I'd love to be a fly on the wall in practices and meetings. I guess they can't reveal everything. We can only guess from what we see and read. Marcus Smart had personal problems. Morris is a ball hog. Baynes and Gortat are starting to slow down. Horford looked very out of it last game.

It's all about conserving juice at this point.

This is what I'd do:

starting lineup-
PG Kyrie
SG Smart
SF Brown
PF Horford
C Baynes

Bench-
PG Terry
SG Brown/Smart/Kyrie
small bigs: Tatum/Morris
big bigs: Monroe/Theis

The guards rotation should always include two of Kyrie, Marcus, Terry and Jaylen with Shane as deep bench.

That is a stacked roster. It goes ten deep, 12 if Larkin and Hayward make it back.

The Celtics should still be able to go deep into the playoffs.

Phil Pressey wrote:Baynes and Monroe allow Al Horford to not take a beating from oppositional beasts. For all of Baynes' faults, there's no way getting around the fact that when he plays big minutes (20+), the team wins at an outstanding rate.

Monroe is called Moose. Marcus Morris is called ball hog. You have to take your lumps with player flaws to maximize odds. If the other team has no real center and is mostly little guys, then fine, let's go small.

If Morris must start, then give Tatum the scorer role off the bench with guards Terry and Marcus. Monroe must become a major rotation player. Hopefully this week off will help his integration. The new players in Cleveland seem to be fitting in.

I'd love to be a fly on the wall in practices and meetings. I guess they can't reveal everything. We can only guess from what we see and read. Marcus Smart had personal problems. Morris is a ball hog. Baynes and Gortat are starting to slow down. Horford looked very out of it last game.

It's all about conserving juice at this point.

This is what I'd do:

starting lineup-
PG Kyrie
SG Smart
SF Brown
PF Horford
C Baynes

Bench-
PG Terry
SG Brown/Smart/Kyrie
small bigs: Tatum/Morris
big bigs: Monroe/Theis

The guards rotation should always include two of Kyrie, Marcus, Terry and Jaylen with Shane as deep bench.

That is a stacked roster. It goes ten deep, 12 if Larkin and Hayward make it back.

The Celtics should still be able to go deep into the playoffs.

Marcus Morris  is called  ball hog by who else besides you? Don`t mistake your opinions for actual  fact.

I consider Morris one of the few guys on this team who can create for himself and score fairly consistently. It`s all perspective I guess.

Morris is an overrated defensive player, too slow to defend most 3’s and too small to defend the legit 4’s, he’s a terrible rebounder, can’t run, terrible finisher, always misses bunnies in close and can’t pass to save his life. There is no ball movement when he is on the floor, if his shot is off he gives you nothing.

jrleftfoot wrote:

Phil Pressey wrote:Baynes and Monroe allow Al Horford to not take a beating from oppositional beasts. For all of Baynes' faults, there's no way getting around the fact that when he plays big minutes (20+), the team wins at an outstanding rate.

Monroe is called Moose. Marcus Morris is called ball hog. You have to take your lumps with player flaws to maximize odds. If the other team has no real center and is mostly little guys, then fine, let's go small.

If Morris must start, then give Tatum the scorer role off the bench with guards Terry and Marcus. Monroe must become a major rotation player. Hopefully this week off will help his integration. The new players in Cleveland seem to be fitting in.

I'd love to be a fly on the wall in practices and meetings. I guess they can't reveal everything. We can only guess from what we see and read. Marcus Smart had personal problems. Morris is a ball hog. Baynes and Gortat are starting to slow down. Horford looked very out of it last game.

It's all about conserving juice at this point.

This is what I'd do:

starting lineup-
PG Kyrie
SG Smart
SF Brown
PF Horford
C Baynes

Bench-
PG Terry
SG Brown/Smart/Kyrie
small bigs: Tatum/Morris
big bigs: Monroe/Theis

The guards rotation should always include two of Kyrie, Marcus, Terry and Jaylen with Shane as deep bench.

That is a stacked roster. It goes ten deep, 12 if Larkin and Hayward make it back.

The Celtics should still be able to go deep into the playoffs.

Marcus Morris  is called  ball hog by who else besides you? Don`t mistake your opinions for actual  fact.

Marcus Morris is called "the black hole" aka ball hog by many of the participants on the Game On thread. This is not just recently, this has happened ever since he hit the floor for the Celtics and we saw his iso tendencies.

It seems that his every assist made is a cause for celebration.

NYCelt wrote:

Sandpd wrote:Dboss,

Generally speaking, zone defenses are not conducive to active “deny” or “In your face” D, e.g., if you're on the top defending and your man penetrates to go inside, you release him to the down low defender – that doesn't really allow for active “deny” or “In your face” D.

Sandpd and dboss,

Excellent strategy points all around by the two of you. My bet is both of you have played and likely coached more than a little. Nothing speaks like experience.

Sandpd in particular...

My guess is you said 'generally' in the passage above for a reason. One aggressive defensive element a zone is very well suited for is trapping. It is, of course, used at some point by almost any team employing some form of a zone. If done properly, and the three non-attacking defenders bump and cover correctly, the only open man is on a wing or in a corner farthest off the ball. Used at the right time, there are good odds of forcing a turnover here.

Regards

NYCelt,

Watching the Olympics has temporarily diverted my attention and activity at this forum, hence my delayed reply. Anyways, thanks for your comments. For clarification, I was alluding to zones not affording the optimal setting for defenders to specifically engage in “deny” or “In your face” defense which does not preclude that there are other aggressive defensive forms of defense such as traps that you clearly described. I was trying to point out as an example when the defender releases his coverage as his man goes through his zone. That release point to allow the pass-through is a momentary easing up, a soft spot. It is similar to the seams of a zone in the secondary in football– the vulnerable area that quarterbacks like to attack.

dboss wrote:

Sandpd wrote:Dboss,

I'll take a crack at it with my half a penny's worth:

“Stretch the defense to the full 94 feet. . . . “

I would settle for the back-court defenders and wings picking up their man at ¾ court or even at half-court. The purpose of a press is to also force the pace of the game, to be more up-tempo. The press doesn't have to be full tilt helter-skelter, just enough to put pressure on to push the play. The question is whether the C's are ready, willing, and able to play at that pace.

The extended D also lends itself to a transitional game that is counter-intuitive to how the C's have been playing all season. They'd rather set up and position themselves at the perimeter to take 3 pt. shots than play in transition. Even when they've had fast-break opportunities, they have at times found ways to squander them or have kicked the ball back out for a 3 pt. shot. An adjustment to their gameplay philosophy would need to happen. The defense needs to commit to an aggressive “attack” mode rather than just reacting to their opponents' offensive plays. The return of Smart, the C's pit bull, will help set the tone for that to happen.


“Take away the opponents half-court offense by utilizing some zone variations. . . . “

In some ways, teams do this now with their bigs down low - a “match-up zone” where the defender covers a certain area but plays man to man within his designated area. You'll then see the big drop off his man to give weak-side help when the play calls for it.

Crisp ball movement from side to side (passing, not dribbling) and flooding the zone will exploit a zone's weakness, so will effective outside shooting. Teams with good perimeter shooters will tear a zone apart and a lot of teams have at least 1 or 2 in their arsenals. It's one of the reasons why you hardly see zone defenses in the NBA.

Generally speaking, zone defenses are not conducive to active “deny” or “In your face” D, e.g., if you're on the top defending and your man penetrates to go inside, you release him to the down low defender – that doesn't really allow for active “deny” or “In your face” D.

Again, the C's haven't been in an attack D mode for a while and the lack of that aggression has resulted in poor D, both inside and out.

“Implement a two-man trap on both the end lines and baselines combined with timely weakside rotations.”

Those areas and the corners are where traps are most effective but I'd try it where and when the opportunity arises. A 2-3 half-court zone trap might also be effective – I believe that I've seen the C's use it a few times in certain situations. A trap opportunity from a switch may also be availed.

“On those high screens you have to fight over the top. . . . “

I agree that the C's need to fight to go over, rather than go under the screen, but it is easier said than done. As you noted, when they go under, they often get caught in a mismatch because of a resulting switch and/or they'll give up an easy drive to the hoop. Using jump switch options are effective ways to counter those screen plays. Part of the problem is that the C's have young tyros who are still learning the ropes and they've been taken to school because of it. Experience from seeing it enough times will eventually help them anticipate and recognize those screens beforehand. Right now the C's are weak on PnR's - it's a work in progress.

I'm repeating myself but the bottom line is the C's need to be committed to playing aggressive “attack” defense . . .  as a team, and not just with one or two players. Another problem the C's have is that they're not boxing out and are giving opponents open lanes for easy offensive rebounds and put-backs. The C's defenders need to put a body on their opponents. It's a misnomer that basketball is a non-contact sport, it's just not a collision sport like football.

Besides musing about various defensive schemes, we have to keep reminding ourselves that the C's are a very young team. They have two key players in the starting line-up with minimal NBA experience – Brown in his 2nd yr. and Tatum in his rookie yr.  Consequently, a lot of defensive assignments are being missed - growing pains. I also wonder if the C's, particularly Tatum and Brown, have anything left in the tank for the rest of the season. They look and have played as if they're mentally and physically drained. Hopefully, the All-Star break will be the elixir the entire team needs to revive itself.

In spite of the skeptical talk about Monroe's weak defense and with the little amount of playing time he's had so far, his D has been a pleasant surprise for me. He's made his presence known with rebounds, blocks, and by just claiming valuable space in the middle. He may not have much foot speed, but the C's will need his inside scoring on offense. It will be up to Brad to find more pertinent playing time for Monroe to take advantage of his assets.

Well, I've used up my half a penny's worth and then some, so I'll just shut up and end it here.

Sandpd

Thanks for your significant input.  This is the type of discussion that does not simply dwell on statistical information.  I do want to clarify some of my thoughts.

As you know there are different variations that can be utilized to press an opponent.  My reference to playing defense for 94 feet should not be construed as a man to man full court press.  Although that option could at some point be implemented.  I was thinking more along the lines of using the guards to pressure the opponents ball handlers.  Basically make them uncomfortable.  Make it a chore for the opponent to get the ball over half court in the 8 second allotted time.  Teams absolutely hate to be pressured before they even can get into their offensive sets.  So while a press can speed up the game, my thoughts are to speed up the time that an opponent has to make a decision by actually taking time off the 24 second shot clock.  The back end of this strategy requires that our frontcourt players position themselves to challenge the passing lanes so that they do not get beat over the top.  So many games come down to a few possessions.  The Celtics may be able to help themselves by creating a few more difficult possession for their opponents.    I think the Celtics are blessed with a tandem of defensive minded guards that have the skill, athleticism and stamina to defend the entire court.

The term that you used, "attack defense" is exactly what I am trying to convey.

The press, traps and zone variations should be opportunity driven and/or utilized to curtail offensive runs by the opponent.

You are correct with the fact that the Celtics have a ton of young and inexperienced players.  But I think a guy like Smart should be our middle linebacker.  Let him call the defensive sets.  Let him get his teammates in the right positions.

Again Thanks to both you and NYCelt.  I am very much on the same page with you guys and at the same time this is in no way intended to impugn the thoughts and ideas of our esteemed board members.

As the Celtics head around the final stretch of this improbable season, I remain confident that they will give it all the have.

Also wanted to let everyone know that my wife Bonnie gave me a Kyrie Irving jersey for Valentines Day!  Number 11 is in the house.

dboss,

As I mentioned to NYCelt, watching the Olympics has temporarily diverted my attention and delayed my reply. But thanks for the motivating framework on which I could give my feedback. Your added comments to clarify your thoughts need no further remarks from me since we were both thinking of tactics that can be described for the most part as a “soft press,” applying light or nominal pressure to spur the other team to move along   . . .  as you say, we're on the same page.

“. . . and at the same time this is in no way intended to impugn the thoughts and ideas of our esteemed board members.”

I too share those thoughts with you. Statistics can be a valuable tool, but they can only tell us where we've been, they do not offer solutions, e.g., they may tell us that the C's defense worsened with an increase of points allowed and may help identify where the problem is but they do not offer a way to remedy it. That's where game analysis and strategy come in.

. . . “Make it a chore for the opponent to get the ball over half court in the 8 second allotted time.  . . .”
On a similar vein, towards the end of quarters, the opposing team with possession in-bounds the ball from their end with a rolling or trickle pass to advance the ball uncontested so no time elapses. If it was my decision, I would have the defenders to at least feign a run at the ball to force the ball carrier to pick the ball up to activate the clock. Otherwise, it's a free ride for the other team and it gives them an unnecessary advantage. It may only be a minor detail, but it's one of my pet peeves.

I'll assume you'll be wearing your #11 jersey as you watch the C's tonight.

jrleftfoot wrote:

Phil Pressey wrote:Baynes and Monroe allow Al Horford to not take a beating from oppositional beasts. For all of Baynes' faults, there's no way getting around the fact that when he plays big minutes (20+), the team wins at an outstanding rate.

Monroe is called Moose. Marcus Morris is called ball hog. You have to take your lumps with player flaws to maximize odds. If the other team has no real center and is mostly little guys, then fine, let's go small.

If Morris must start, then give Tatum the scorer role off the bench with guards Terry and Marcus. Monroe must become a major rotation player. Hopefully this week off will help his integration. The new players in Cleveland seem to be fitting in.

I'd love to be a fly on the wall in practices and meetings. I guess they can't reveal everything. We can only guess from what we see and read. Marcus Smart had personal problems. Morris is a ball hog. Baynes and Gortat are starting to slow down. Horford looked very out of it last game.

It's all about conserving juice at this point.

This is what I'd do:

starting lineup-
PG Kyrie
SG Smart
SF Brown
PF Horford
C Baynes

Bench-
PG Terry
SG Brown/Smart/Kyrie
small bigs: Tatum/Morris
big bigs: Monroe/Theis

The guards rotation should always include two of Kyrie, Marcus, Terry and Jaylen with Shane as deep bench.

That is a stacked roster. It goes ten deep, 12 if Larkin and Hayward make it back.

The Celtics should still be able to go deep into the playoffs.

Marcus Morris  is called  ball hog by who else besides you? Don`t mistake your opinions for actual  fact.

Two people responded seeming to agree with me and you only have to hit the space bar once in-between words. Can you prove Marcus Morris isn't a ball hog or is that only your opinion?