Nets (12-15) at Celtics (10-16) Game #27 12/26/14

[kozlodoev]

Trying to explain strange player rotations. We have players that can play defense but can't play offense. We have players that can play offense but can't play defense. Sound reasonable?

That doesn't explain the Turner, Nelson, Smart switches we've seen at PG the last three games.  And it doesn't explain playing Bass 4 minutes and Wright 6 minutes this game.  I mean, what's the point?  And it also doesn't explain why Boston's best players consistently rack up fewer minutes that the best guys on the other team.

Mike

Stevens likes his 10 man rotation, most NBA coaches go 8 or 9 at most.

Edit: The PG situation is one where I think he's just struggling to fill Rondo's role on the team. Smart has been playing SG most of his minutes prior to the trade so he doesn't have any comfort with his options.

In fact, he went 11 deep this game (the 11th man got 4+ minutes). He has no idea how to coach at this level -- I'm not sure whether it's painful or sad to watch.

In fact, I am now starting to think Ainge envisioned the rebuild to last ~4 years, and good old Brad will be shown the door the second we're ready to field a really competitive team. No other explanation of what we're seeing.

[MBunge]

Wow---we're winning the entire game--and up like 11 points with 10.5 minutes to go---Zeller is taken out (Gorman says "we'll see him return")---and we lose a very close game--with Zeller NEVER getting back in the game---while Plumlee out hustles our entire team....Nice going Stevens.

The media was always on Doc's side, even when the Celts were worse than they are now.  That's not going to be the case with Stevens.

Mike

[kozlodoev]

Wow---we're winning the entire game--and up like 11 points with 10.5 minutes to go---Zeller is taken out (Gorman says "we'll see him return")---and we lose a very close game--with Zeller NEVER getting back in the game---while Plumlee out hustles our entire team....Nice going Stevens.

The media was always on Doc's side, even when the Celts were worse than they are now.  That's not going to be the case with Stevens.

Of course. Doc wasn't incompetent.

[hwangjini_1]

unless, of course, we redefine competent to include placing a priority on team rebuilt, player development, experiments with match ups, experiments with diads and triads, learning about players and play in the nba as CBS is given lots of rope to experiment and make mistakes, and NOT define competency strictly as wins or loses for a team that is intentionally devoid of great talent.

there are alternative explanations for CBS decisions than solely incompetence. i am not ruling it out as one partial explanation in certain areas since no coach is good at all things just as no player is good at all things. however, i would think that placing such a judgement upon CBS and his brief career and in this situation would be glib, if not rash, to say the least.

[MBunge]

unless, of course, we redefine competent to include placing a priority on team rebuilt, player development, experiments with match ups, experiments with diads and triads, learning about players and play in the nba as CBS is given lots of rope to experiment and make mistakes, and NOT define competency strictly as wins or loses for a team that is intentionally devoid of great talent.

there are alternative explanations for CBS decisions than solely incompetence. i am not ruling it out as one partial explanation in certain areas since no coach is good at all things just as no player is good at all things. however, i would think that placing such a judgement upon CBS and his brief career and in this situation would be glib, if not rash, to say the least.

If Stevens and/or Ainge don't understand the importance of winning, then incompetent would not be too strong a word.  This team wins about 25 games again and players will stop listening to them.

Mike

[hwangjini_1]

unless, of course, we redefine competent to include placing a priority on team rebuilt, player development, experiments with match ups, experiments with diads and triads, learning about players and play in the nba as CBS is given lots of rope to experiment and make mistakes, and NOT define competency strictly as wins or loses for a team that is intentionally devoid of great talent.

there are alternative explanations for CBS decisions than solely incompetence. i am not ruling it out as one partial explanation in certain areas since no coach is good at all things just as no player is good at all things. however, i would think that placing such a judgement upon CBS and his brief career and in this situation would be glib, if not rash, to say the least.

If Stevens and/or Ainge don't understand the importance of winning, then incompetent would not be too strong a word.  This team wins about 25 games again and players will stop listening to them.

Mike

i just dont see it as being this simple and straightforward, though i can see your basic point.

i, for one, am happy that player development is more important to CBS and ainge than winning an additional handful of games this season. win-loss records can be viewed across seasons - losses this season might allow for more wins next season if players develop properly.

i am unhappy that green, bass and nelson get the playing time they do. are you suggesting that these players should get more time if it meant a few more wins for the celtics? if so, we will agree to to disagree.

the players above may increase the odds of winning a game here or there, but it also could delay development of younger players. i understand it is helpful for the kids to play with vets and the role vets can play as leaders. easy for us to spout opinions on a blog, but this is a difficult balance to put into play in the real nba world.

maybe this helps explain, in part, some of CBS decisions - how to best balance player development with winning. i dont think there is a single, perfect balance since this team is so inconsistent. by its nature it will create a lot of "poor" decisions given the makeup of the team and the tensions between these goals.

[MBunge]

unless, of course, we redefine competent to include placing a priority on team rebuilt, player development, experiments with match ups, experiments with diads and triads, learning about players and play in the nba as CBS is given lots of rope to experiment and make mistakes, and NOT define competency strictly as wins or loses for a team that is intentionally devoid of great talent.

there are alternative explanations for CBS decisions than solely incompetence. i am not ruling it out as one partial explanation in certain areas since no coach is good at all things just as no player is good at all things. however, i would think that placing such a judgement upon CBS and his brief career and in this situation would be glib, if not rash, to say the least.

If Stevens and/or Ainge don't understand the importance of winning, then incompetent would not be too strong a word.  This team wins about 25 games again and players will stop listening to them.

Mike

i just dont see it as being this simple and straightforward, though i can see your basic point.

i, for one, am happy that player development is more important to CBS and ainge than winning an additional handful of games this season. win-loss records can be viewed across seasons - losses this season might allow for more wins next season if players develop properly.

i am unhappy that green, bass and nelson get the playing time they do. are you suggesting that these players should get more time if it meant a few more wins for the celtics? if so, we will agree to to disagree.

the players above may increase the odds of winning a game here or there, but it also could delay development of younger players. i understand it is helpful for the kids to play with vets and the role vets can play as leaders. easy for us to spout opinions on a blog, but this is a difficult balance to put into play in the real nba world.

maybe this helps explain, in part, some of CBS decisions - how to best balance player development with winning. i dont think there is a single, perfect balance since this team is so inconsistent. by its nature it will create a lot of "poor" decisions given the makeup of the team and the tensions between these goals.

If player development were really Stevens' goal, we would be seeing more established rotations and more clearly defined roles.  We certainly wouldn't have seen Nelson rushed in a panic to the starting lineup.

Mike

[kozlodoev]

unless, of course, we redefine competent to include placing a priority on team rebuilt, player development, experiments with match ups, experiments with diads and triads, learning about players and play in the nba as CBS is given lots of rope to experiment and make mistakes, and NOT define competency strictly as wins or loses for a team that is intentionally devoid of great talent.

there are alternative explanations for CBS decisions than solely incompetence. i am not ruling it out as one partial explanation in certain areas since no coach is good at all things just as no player is good at all things. however, i would think that placing such a judgement upon CBS and his brief career and in this situation would be glib, if not rash, to say the least.

If Stevens is PURPOSEFULLY trying to do what you describe, and has only gotten so far a year and a half in, he probably needs to be downgraded from incompetent to completely and utterly hopeless. If he's still "learning about the players" and "trying diads and triads" a year and a half in, he's truly worse than I thought.

[LB3533]

unless, of course, we redefine competent to include placing a priority on team rebuilt, player development, experiments with match ups, experiments with diads and triads, learning about players and play in the nba as CBS is given lots of rope to experiment and make mistakes, and NOT define competency strictly as wins or loses for a team that is intentionally devoid of great talent.

there are alternative explanations for CBS decisions than solely incompetence. i am not ruling it out as one partial explanation in certain areas since no coach is good at all things just as no player is good at all things. however, i would think that placing such a judgement upon CBS and his brief career and in this situation would be glib, if not rash, to say the least.

If Stevens is PURPOSEFULLY trying to do what you describe, and has only gotten so far a year and a half in, he probably needs to be downgraded from incompetent to completely and utterly hopeless. If he's still "learning about the players" and "trying diads and triads" a year and a half in, he's truly worse than I thought.

Kozlo, you're one of my favorite cblog posters....so with all do respect....Stevens is going to need some more leeway here.

This new season "just" started. After the Rondo trade. Stevens has virtually 40-50% new players when you combined new drafted players and new former Mavs' players.

So for our head coach to learn more about what he has got to work with.....it is a necessary evil if you will.

It's not just the head coach's job to learn about these players, assistants need to learn too.

The players, ahem, teammates....need to learn one another as well. I am all in full support for each person to learn more about one another....the more, the better.

[nickagneta]

Young players should earn playing time not be given it. Giving players playing time they have not earned stunts a players growth and maturity as a player.

Stevens is right to play Bass and Nelson and some others over the youth because they have earned that time. If it means more wins this year, so be it, that's supposed to be the goal of playing a professional basketball game anyway.

Stevens benching of Sully seemed to work as he came back yesterday with a very good effort and game.

Young players gotta know that poor effort and play has consequences. In this way, I feel Stevens is doing the right thing.

Now some of his rotations, his systems, his play calling and his game management, I think that's fair game to be critical of, regardless of the players being played.

[kozlodoev]

unless, of course, we redefine competent to include placing a priority on team rebuilt, player development, experiments with match ups, experiments with diads and triads, learning about players and play in the nba as CBS is given lots of rope to experiment and make mistakes, and NOT define competency strictly as wins or loses for a team that is intentionally devoid of great talent.

there are alternative explanations for CBS decisions than solely incompetence. i am not ruling it out as one partial explanation in certain areas since no coach is good at all things just as no player is good at all things. however, i would think that placing such a judgement upon CBS and his brief career and in this situation would be glib, if not rash, to say the least.

If Stevens is PURPOSEFULLY trying to do what you describe, and has only gotten so far a year and a half in, he probably needs to be downgraded from incompetent to completely and utterly hopeless. If he's still "learning about the players" and "trying diads and triads" a year and a half in, he's truly worse than I thought.

Kozlo, you're one of my favorite cblog posters....so with all do respect....Stevens is going to need some more leeway here.

This new season "just" started. After the Rondo trade. Stevens has virtually 40-50% new players when you combined new drafted players and new former Mavs' players.

So for our head coach to learn more about what he has got to work with.....it is a necessary evil if you will.

It's not just the head coach's job to learn about these players, assistants need to learn too.

The players, ahem, teammates....need to learn one another as well. I am all in full support for each person to learn more about one another....the more, the better.

Sorry, to me he looks like he has no idea what he's doing. He looks the part this year, and he looked the part last year. If I were a player on this team, I don't think I would know why I am on the court en I am, and vice versa.

Also, I don't think you're learning anything about players by trotting them out there for 5 minutes a game -- and he doesn't look like he has any sort of understanding about the guys that have been here since day 1 of his coaching career.