Breakdown A Team Effort

by Jeff Clark on Apr 30, 2008 1:38 AM EDT in Boston Celtics News & Links

Ray Allen isn't exactly Kyle Korver on defense, and he was the one guarding Joe Johnson. But Ray Allen was caught in a pick-and-roll almost every single possession, which meant that it was up to the team to react and adjust. Tony Allen would have been in the same situation. The problem against the Hawks is that the Celtics team did a bad job of adjusting once Johnson had wriggled free of his initial defender.
In other words, they didn't play good team defense....
The problem wasn't the absence of Tony Allen. The problem was the inability of the five guys on the floor, who did all right most of the year, to make the necessary adjustments to stop Johnson. Or, if you want to throw Rivers under the bus, the problem was the coach leaving five players out there who didn't make the necessary adjustments to stop Johnson.

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Excellent point. And like someone mentioned in the Simmons chat, if you throw Doc under the bus, you have to stuff Thib under there as well. We tend to forget that this collection of players & coaches are playoff rookies as a team.

by LuckyNumber07 on Apr 30, 2008 6:49 AM EDT reply actions

It is a very fair criticism to ask why Doc didn’t put APosey or T Allen on Johnson when it was clear Ray couldn’t stay with him. May is correct that Johnson never got picked up by KG or Perk when he got in the paint – KG because Smith was hot too. But where was Perkins?

by Wildblu1 on Apr 30, 2008 7:40 AM EDT reply actions

Perkins was on the freakin Bench thanks to NURSE!!

by AdrianoMG6 on Apr 30, 2008 9:50 AM EDT reply actions

Why didn’t Doc make an adjustment to how they are defending the pick and roll?

by Wide Load on Apr 30, 2008 10:24 AM EDT reply actions

Great point. That’s what I was wondering when I was watching the game. If Ray keeps getting beat, and I’m sure everyone on the floor knew he was going to get beat in that situation, then I at least want someone to knock him on his butt when he gets into the paint.

by DingDongDel on Apr 30, 2008 12:18 PM EDT reply actions