Interesting tidbit about Ray Allen and Paul Pierce

Buried in an article on si.com was this item that I thought might be of interest:

3. Ray Allen and Paul Pierce, partnering up off the ball

As Boston’s core players have continued to age, the Celtics’ coaching staff has had to get creative and add some popular motion and flex-style sets that Boston didn’t run much before this season. The Celtics have leaned much more on the “horns” set-up you see around the league, in which an offense starts out with one player handling the ball at the top of the arc, a big man at each elbow and a wing player in each corner. The point guard will typically pass the ball to one of the bigs at the elbow and cut down to set a pick for one of the players in the corner, triggering a series of screens and cuts all over the place.

Boston has recently introduced a variation on this that starts with Pierce handling the ball and Rajon Rondo at one of the elbows — a very unusual set-up. Pierce will pass to Rondo and then run down to one of the corners to set a pick for Allen. Having two elite shooters who nonetheless have very different scoring games set picks for each other puts a lot of pressure on defenders, who must decide whether to switch or chase.

Just a little something to look for during the course of a game.

Here's the link to the full article, most of which discusses OKC's vulnerability to the Spurs:

http://nba-point-forward.si.com/2012/03/19/monday-musing-oklahoma-city-has-major-problems-with-the-spurs/?sct=nba_t12_a0

Outside,

Good catch; I'll watch for it. Now if I could just get the time to watch a game lately. I have at least been torching that "previous" button on the remote during tournament games to check in!

It's a nice way to adapt a strategy (for this team) that makes sense when you've got two accomplished shooters on the floor.

I see that Ray Allen has also gone to bigger shoes over the past couple of seasons to improve his shooting. That should start a run around the league for the shoe reps.

Regards

Outside,

Good find. That's the sort of inside stuff that really brings the game to life.

Sam

Makes sense really, getting Pierce and Allen involved in the switches and screens and Rondo with a good position to make a pass.

Rondo is pretty decent at posting up pgs and also if Rondo has the ball closer to the basket they cant play/help off him like they can do if he is supposed to be an outlet option.