Doc mistakes from this game

[cmoney]

He was alright, and tonight was especially tough given the Perk injury, Rondo just completely falling apart before our eyes, and KG's foul trouble.  However, a couple of key points:

1.  Stuck with Sam Cassell too long.  Sam gave us a nice boost.  For that I thank him. But once you go to the Pierce/KG high screen and roll, House is the better option.  He's a much better shooter and a better defender.

2.  The ongoing PJ Brown saga.  I'm developing a reputation as a PJ hater. I think far too many people are blind to his ineffectiveness.  To some degree tonight, our hands were tied.  With KG off the floor, PJ practically has to play cuz he's the only one left to match up with Gasol's size.  I'm OK with that. 

My problem is playing PJ alongside KG.  That makes no sense.  He can't hang with Lamar.  He an awful rebounder (3 tonight in 25 minutes, par for the course in the playoffs thus far).  He offers us nothing offensively.  Powe is like, a historically good rebounder thus far into his career.  An Offensive REbound percentage of 15% is insanely good, as is his DRB% of ~20%.  When you need boards, HE IS YOUR BEST OPTION.  Yet we kept going one and dones and LA had a few key offensive boards in the 4th.  If Perk is hurt, we need PJ AND Leon to contribute.  Play each to their strengths. 

3.  Going away from Ray Allen in the 4th.   Lakers were going with a Fisher/Farmar backcourt.  Ray can abuse that. Sure, the screen and roll was working nicely, but on the few times that gets broken up, get something for Ray. 

That's it.  Not the worst Doc performance ever, but as always could use a little improvement. 

[soap07]

1.  Stuck with Sam Cassell too long.  Sam gave us a nice boost.  For that I thank him. But once you go to the Pierce/KG high screen and roll, House is the better option.  He's a much better shooter and a better defender.

Come on. Cassell did fine in the fourth quarter. Even after he stopped scoring, he barely touched the ball and it's likely that the same thing would have happened to Eddie.





My problem is playing PJ alongside KG.  That makes no sense.  He can't hang with Lamar.  He an awful rebounder (3 tonight in 25 minutes, par for the course in the playoffs thus far).  He offers us nothing offensively.  Powe is like, a historically good rebounder thus far into his career.  An Offensive REbound percentage of 15% is insanely good, as is his DRB% of ~20%.  When you need boards, HE IS YOUR BEST OPTION.  Yet we kept going one and dones and LA had a few key offensive boards in the 4th.  If Perk is hurt, we need PJ AND Leon to contribute.  Play each to their strengths.


Well, let's see. LA had most of their key offensive boards with PJ out of the game and a small lineup on the court. What does that tell you? PJ can hit a 10 foot jumper, and that's all you need him to do offensively. And really, is anyone going to claim that PJ Brown can't board? That's the one thing definitively that everyone on the forum can agree on: PJ's rebounding prowess. Powe was getting killed out there. Too slow for Lamar, too small for Gasol.

[Change]

Hey stop it! Its not easy trying to manage a game with Perk being out, rondo playing terrible, Powe being useless. Besides House and Posey our bench players are limited skills wise. Doc just tries to shuffle guys around and sadly it didn't work tonight. I'm still optimistic we just have to seize the moment.

"Close doesn't Count"
Lets go C's

[cmoney]

Powe wasn't useless.  People always say this when he gets 4 minute opportunities.  He had 2 boards in 5 minutes tonight.  i.e. 1 less than PJ in 25. 

People are just so quick to forget Powe was an absolutely great bench player all season, then when he gets burn he kills the Lakers in game 2. 

Before this game, when you hear that Perk is hurt, do you expect MORE Leon or LESS Leon?  Giving him minutes is just common sense.  When KG is out there, the matchups are better with Leon, and it gives PJ some needed rest given the extended minutes he was forced to play in the first half. 

Come on. Cassell did fine in the fourth quarter. Even after he stopped scoring, he barely touched the ball and it's likely that the same thing would have happened to Eddie.

agreed and it's my smallest gripe BUT you're being results oriented.  WHether the ball ever got to him is irrelevant.  You want the better shooter and better defender in that situation, period.

[cmoney]

And really, is anyone going to claim that PJ Brown can't board? That's the one thing definitively that everyone on the forum can agree on: PJ's rebounding prowess.

I've documented it plenty.  Actual DATA shows his rebounding "prowess" is a myth.   He's averaging ~6reb/36min in the playoffs.  That's not very good for a 6'11" center.  For comparison, Powe is averaging 8/36min as a 6'8" PF.  Powe is undoubtedly a better rebounder than PJ. 

[RockinRyA]

the few minutes that powe was on the floor the celtics got killed.. what more if we extend that 4 minutes? LA was finally figuring him out.. and if he misses on rotations hes more of a liability

[TheShowPowe]

I love the people that consistently judge Leon off of a couple of minutes. First Soap07... Lamar has scored 2 points on Leon this series and Leon's drawn 4 charges. Leon put Lamar on the bench with foul trouble in the 2 games he got minutes. So Leon is owning Lamar there. Second, This was the first time this young guy has ever started a postseason or NBA Finals game in his life. It's going to take a couple minutes to settle in. It's not like coming off the bench at all. I didn't see anyone doing anything during those 5 minutes he was out there. I quite frankly at this point rather see the Celtics going to Leon in the post instead of KG. Leon will at least take it to the hoop hard and draw some fouls. He's played both great offense and great defense there isn't many negative things you could say about him in this series. There's always going to be people doubting Leon but he always proves you people wrong.

PJ Brown is fine if he's subbing in for the 5 spot. But it should have been Leon and and KG most of the time instead of PJ and KG. PJ has no production in this series. He's good to give the starters a rest. 

[tanner]

Not going to second-guess Doc in this one.  So many things he had to deal with this game.  No Perk, crappy PG play, KG in foul trouble, subpar contributions from Leon and PJ Brown, another horrific start.  Hope we do better in Game 6 and close out the Lakers.

[Hrvoje]

Doc mistake was not to #&#@%!*$(%& all of you doubters

[crownsy]

honestly the only problem i had with doc last night was no time out after pierce got the rebound with 45 seconds left.

I mean, i guess the argument would be he wanted them to run, but pierce took like 6-8 seconds to get mugged getting that rebound, the lakers were back.

I would have called a timeout there and set up a play, instead they tried to rush down the floor and bryant got the "steal".

I was screaming at my TV for a timeout when paul came out of the pack with the rebound and got across half court.

[CoachBo]

If he made any mistake it was giving Rondo too much time. I thought Cassell was fine in his time on the floor, especially in the first half where he ran the club the way Rondo's supposed to be doing.

The bigger problem we have now is Rondo's offensive ineptitude and how it leaves us 4 on 5. I question right now whether he should even start Tuesday's game.

[crownsy]

of course he should, for one thing, he's miles better in boston, not a huge shocker for a 1st year starter.

and for another, sam, while he didn't take to many moronic shots last night outside of the three for no reason and the contested shot right after he got in the game, doesn't play defense. He gave up 6 easy points to farmer on backdoor cuts.

not to mention sam's about 100 years old, doubt he's going to be real effective if he has to play 25+ minutes as the starter.

Of course he starts, but you have to keep a semi-short leash.

[CoachBo]

I disagree. The site of the game has no bearing on Rondo's negative impact on the half-court offense. He won't shoot, can't shoot and isn't moving the basketball.

He is not an offensive threat, either shooting or penetrating, and his inability to run the offense was huge in the first half problems. Bryant CANNOT be allowed to roam and help if we intend to win Tuesday night.

Frankly, he has lost the starting job in my view.

[crownsy]

reality disagrees with you.

this isn't a new strategy, the've been doing it since atlanta. And, not suprisingly, rondo has struggled on the road against the double off.

yet rondo's splits are night and day home vs away. he plays much better at home, games one and 2 he did fine, and despite ESPN's love of phil jackson, and declaring this a brillant new strategy he developed in game 3, rondo's defender has been roaming off him in games 1 and 2 too.

love how you rip the starting role off him after one bad game though, over react much?

as i said, of course you start him, he's our best PG. but, keep a short leash on him if he struggles.

[wdleehi]

the few minutes that powe was on the floor the celtics got killed.. what more if we extend that 4 minutes? LA was finally figuring him out.. and if he misses on rotations hes more of a liability

The Celtics got killed for the rest of the quarter after he left as well.


He has a tough matchup out there with the starters.  He is (and could have helped) better when he is against other bench players. 




The biggest mistake I keep seeing out there is not taking advantage of Fisher enough when he is on Ray.