Emphasizing The Good
by Jeff Clark on Nov 4, 2009 7:46 AM EST
in Boston Celtics Articles
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PrintRasheed and Garnett don't get into the low post enough.
Rondo needs to develop a jumper.
Eddie isn't really a backup point guard.
Daniels is a tweener without a true position.
Hogwash! Nonsense! Ridiculous! Flibberflabber!
Doc Rivers is a genius. Think about it. If he focused on all the negative things you could nit pick about each and every player on this team, they'd spend so much time second guessing and overthinking that they wouldn't be focused on what makes them great.
Sheed and KG are really good at shooting from the outside, so that's what they do. They are virtually unblockable from 15 feet out. Their defenders are usually slow-footed behemoths that venture outside about as much as the typical hobbit leaves the Shire. (Yes, I realize how dated that reference is, and yes, I know I just compared 7 foot centers to hobbits, ...lets just move on) The point is, they like to shoot from outside. They are pretty good at it. Why not let them do it? Why not reward two guys that bust their butts on defense by letting them float a little on offense? (Especially when they can clear the lane for Neanderthals that actually like to hit people, ...you know, like Perk)
Rondo has worked on his jumper and we all would like him to be able to hit at least a midrange jumper from time to time. However, even without much of an outside game, he's doing pretty well thank you very much. Forget simple assists-to-turnover ratios. Right now you almost have to start inventing new stats for him. So far in 5 games he's turned the ball over only 12 times and stolen it 14 times. He's got a 1.4 assist-to-points ratio (52/37). Oh yeah, and he's the starting point guard on an 5-0 team and he's got a championship ring and a huge new contract. Eat your heart out CP3.
Eddie was put on this earth to do one thing exceptionally well, and that is to shoot the basketball. This whole business about him being too short to be a shooting guard and not a true point guard is just a distraction. All I know is that when you throw him the ball with a quarter of an inch of space he will catch, square, release, and follow through so fast that it seems like a blur on the screen.
Daniels is part of the reason he can focus on the catch and shoot because Daniels is perfectly happy bringing the ball over half court. He's perfectly happy playing 3 different positions on the court. He's perfectly happy playing one position on offense and another on defense. He's perfectly happy being the utility infielder of this team. So why ask him to be defined or confined to a particular role?
Doc is a genius because he lets these players be who they are.
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well stated
they are who they are and they fit together very well.
I’ve embraced the realization that Rondo doesn’t have to score in double digits or develop a distance jumper for the sake of scoring balance. The main point is that the C’s score when he’s on the floor. The one hangup is that he needs to improve his recognition of when he’s the best option for scoring on an offensive set. it’s great that he’s that unselfish but when he’s within 5 feet of the rim, he’s got a better chance of scoring or drawing a foul than kicking it out to the 3-point line.
Still can
I’m sure Jeff wouldn’t mind having his praises sung more than once. ;-)
not perfect
yeah, I don’t think any of these players are perfect (though when KG was in his prime he was pretty close) but the point is that Doc is getting the most out of them by letting them do what they do well while covering up whatever they don’t do well
it also helps that he’s gotten them all to buy in to the defensive philosophy, which covers over a multitude of sins on offense
"We few, we happy few, we band of brothers" Henry V
Danny's not so bad, either...
;-)
All the negativity in this town sucks. It sucks, and it stinks, and it sucks. - Rick Pitino
Ainge definitely gets the credit for this jigsaw masterpiece.
It’s been fascinating watching him put it together.
Teamwork
Yes I agree that Doc should get a lot of credit for just mixing and matching. Besides, I remember him getting a lot of criticism for not being able to coach on this board. Doc like an great coach needs talented players.
Danny has also taken many, many hit on this board from people who were in a rush to get back to the promised land. So yes they’ve both done a great job.
But I also think that besides their individual talents they work well together. There is a teamwork between both GM/VP?Danny and Coach/Doc that makes each better. Just like our team.
Wow
Kind of a different tone for you.
by Black Jack Pershing on Nov 4, 2009 8:27 AM EST reply actions
Someone had a busy night...
… and I don’t mean he’s been writing this article ;)
- Dirk 'DaarisDirk' van Boxtel, Celtic fan.
LOL
didn’t mean to sound cranky, just hyped up and a little defiant
"We few, we happy few, we band of brothers" Henry V
Awesome article.
I’m feeling all happy now man :]
Woohoo :D Thanks for the boost, been a harsh day otherwise ;)
- Dirk 'DaarisDirk' van Boxtel, Celtic fan.
I'm starting the groundswell early.
Paul Pierce 2009/2010 Regular Season MVP.
He’s the calming influence. Did anyone see in the 3rd when Sheed was getting into with the ref and he just dropped the ball, which in turn could have caused a delay of game or T (his 2nd). The Captain was there to scoop it up and move the game along.
This is his team.
"Do you know that nonbelievers create the most positive energy?" Davis said
Great observation
I think the best way to describe it is to say that Pierce is the definition of “Celtic” on the team. He’s the leader, peacekeeper, and glue guy that let’s all of the different personalities fit together.
by TomHamilton30 on Nov 4, 2009 8:49 AM EST up reply actions
Agree Birdbrain
I was thinking of doing an article about the personalities and how, on a team with Ray Allen, KG and RR, PP has become one of the steadying factors on this team. Quite a jump from the earlier years. And I love it.
Excellent Writing Jeff
As usual, you are by far my favorite author on this site. I’m not sure about anyone else, but I read the articles before seeing who wrote them, and about 3 sentences in I can tell who wrote it.
Oddly, I think Doc’s biggest “challenges” as a coach in years past was letting players play, especially Rondo. He tried to manipulate each play and motion all too often and took a great deal of the instinct away. Fortunately he has really layed off that, and it shows! Great observation and piece.
point differential
I know it is early in the season and a small sample size and all, but still
http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/stats/byteam?cat1=Total&cat2=diff&conference=NBA&year=season_2009
we are scoring 21 points more than our opponents and the next closest teams are the Suns and Nuggets (also undefeated) at 10
"We few, we happy few, we band of brothers" Henry V
Everyone else
in the Atlantic has a negative point differential….
That differential is....
hysterical…and ridiculous
Lalaland is +1
picture and caption
see what I did there? I crack me up sometimes
"We few, we happy few, we band of brothers" Henry V
House
I think is House is a prototypical backup PG – if he was a great ball handler, he’d be a starter.
But your point remains, and it’s true beyond bball. You often see people spending all this time worrying about who cannot do what, you are much better off finding out how to use what you got.
Doc IS a great coach
Doc has always been a fine coach, even when the team was diving for Oden. This is a very well written piece, and shows just how much sentiment towards Doc Rivers has changed in three years. Well done.
was it just me
or was rondo feeling it with the shooting today?
he hit a long open two to stop the huge scoring drought in the 1st qtr, then he hit that over the backboard on the buzzer.. for me that shows he’s confident with his shooting..
imo a great sign!
he does that
for some reason he actually hits a pretty decent percentage of buzzer beaters – I think because mentally he knows he’s got nothing to lose so he’s able to relax and hoist it up
I think it is cool, but not a proper gauge of his shooting ability
if he starts hitting jumpers consistently in the middle of games, I’ll be more impressed
"We few, we happy few, we band of brothers" Henry V
but things were looking pretty bad when the score was 15-4… or so.. and rondo found himself open and drained it. miss and they come back and possibly extend the lead..
and it was pretty early in the shot clock too so not a “good” shot..
i have not had the chance to watch many games so i am still getting an idea of what is normal for each player.. though i have a detroit pistons mate who over the last year or two had become very anti-sheed.. and was not impressed when i told him the C’s signed him.. so i was a little “concerned” at first till they started interviewing the players.. and i became very hopeful.. but now. wow. sheed is fitting in very well… this article is right on the money Jeff!
"and it was pretty early in the shot clock too so not a 'good' shot.."
I agree, except that, by Doc’s definition it was definitely a ‘good’ shot because if I am remembering correctly, Rondo was essentially unguarded at the time. Doc keeps preaching to take the open shot (as he explained why he was fine with all the 3pt shots the team is taking – he likes them as long as they are ‘good’ shots).
We all flinch because it was Rondo who was wide open and let it fly. If that was Ray or Eddie or Paul we would all have expected them to take that shot even if there was 20s left on the clock. :-D
I've noticed that too....
I used to get soo frustrated that with a team laden with stars, rondo would always want to isolate at the end of a quarter and end up throwing up a jumper or step back shot instead of driving and dishing.
I really think the end of the quarter releases his mental ‘grimace’ that he has whenever he shoots. Here’s to hoping he develops that no regrets mentality throughout the game in the future.
These early season FG% are insane!
Scal————-1.000%
Rondo————.600%
Hudson———-.600%
Pierce————-.590%
House————.581%
Other Points
No argument about Eddie’s purpose on earth but he has also been making some very, very good passes.
And, I am no longer skeptical of Sheldon Williams. I guess the conclusion is that on a good team, he’s good. He was end of bench on some pretty bad teams so why would this box score reading fan believe that he had game. But clearly he is no stiff.
Yes, Pierce looks like the happiest man in the NBA
Great Article Jeff!
Its right on, and credit Doc/Danny for putting the pieces of this team together to maximize players strengths while masking their weaknesses.
Have a PG that isnt the best shooter in the world? Surround him with finishers and guys that can stretch the floor.
Have a undersized SG? Pair him with a PG with size to defend bigger SGs.
Does your PF like to venture a bit outside? Pair him with a post minded rebounding beast.
Often times coaches and GMs are like referees, you never hear about them till they mess up. Big job well done to doc and danny. I LOVE our team!
Genius?
Players will be what they are whether you let them or not.
So ask yourself this question: if given this roster plus Tom Thibodeau to orchestrate the defense, how many current NBA coaches would be incapable of winning a championship? I can’t think of very many.
Agreed...but..
Credit to Doc for his ability to put the pieces together, while managing the wide range of personalities that we have on this team. That being a virtual non issue is the biggest coaching victory.
Well, besides being 5-0 and steering the into the right attitude with the goal of being the best defensive team ever. = )
Just imagine the response if a coach would of jumped on rasheed last night for argueing a call or handled rondo any differently.
It is the players that are doing it, but its doc that puts them out there in the right combinations, and keeps them goal oriented. Credit all around.
I agree with your overall premise.
There is almost too much talent on this team and you might have a hard time losing on purpose.
But I think you are short changing the way the players feel about Doc. There is father son relationship that might not be the same if someone else was the coach.
"Do you know that nonbelievers create the most positive energy?" Davis said
Doc is an ok coach. I like him better now than I did 3-4 years ago; he has improved a little each season. His stong point is psychology: “ubuntu” has been quite effective in getting a group of young millionaires to subordinate their egos and play unselfishly. He also appears to be a genuinely nice guy.
But he’s no genius. For starters, Xs and Os are not his strong point. His substitution patterns have also left me scratching my head, although not this year— at least not yet.
genius can be applied in many ways
Doc’s talents are perfect for this team. A lot of coaches in the league could screw this up by overcoaching them.
and of course, I may have been using a tiny bit of hyperbole, but I will not confirm or deny
"We few, we happy few, we band of brothers" Henry V
The term genius may be thrown around too easily . . .
but I do want to give Doc credit for his management style (funny to say this now after feeling like he smothered point guards for a while) and his offense. By all accounts (and the evidence of watching it) he’s one of the best Xs and Os coaches when coming out of time outs.
there is a stat
that measures points-off-timeout efficiency. I.E. The percentage at which a team with the ball scores coming off a timeout or not. This is thought to measure how well a coach draws up plays on the spot in pressure situations.
I don’t know what the final rankings were, but I know that as of late last season Doc was one of the leaders in that stat.
That would tend to be counter to the contention that ‘Xs and Os are not his strong point’.
I wish I could remember where I saw that. I’ll try to dig it up. It was interesting.
Fallout from years gone by
There was so much fallout that Doc couldn’t coach and that still remains on this board. What do Doc’s peers say about him as a coach? They all regard him highly, with a great basketball mind and a high basketball IQ!!! I listened to Doc and Jerry Sloan talking pick and roll and Sloan was mesmerized by what he said. I think it was after Doc’s first year (Big Al was playing), I had a friend get me passes to a summer league game in Orlando, I heard first hand from people like Matt Goukas, Scott Skilles, Dave Wohl, Jerry Sloan and others who felt he’d be a great head coach. Their were worried that we were SOOOOOOOOO bad that he wouldn’t get a fair shake, he’d get get fired and other Owners and GM would consider him another Jock who couldn’t coach.
BTW! What do you and I know about Pro Basketball? Really not very much. We think by reading sports mags, blogs, sports sections and watching ESPN and maybe playing basketball at some level ensures that we understand the game. Each level of basketball is so much advanced from the lower level – Grade School – HS – College – Pro. I went to a military clinic one year in Germany and was fortunate to spend about 11/2 hrs talking to Al McGuire (one on one, we actually ate dinner together) he was coaching at Marquette. His basketball knowledge was amazing, and his philsophy was mind boggling. We talked basketball, but he was so much advanced it was like talking math with Einstein. The gist of his philosophy as a coach was that as the level and skill increases it is no longer a matter of just talent, but talent and the mental aspect of the game. Players have to be mentally prepared and mentally challenged to perform to their best. But besides the mental part of the game which are so important other aspects have to be managed at the higher levels. Things like travel, being away from home, eating and sleeping correctly, managing time and many, many other things. I think we take a very simplistic view of the game when we complain about a “bad” substitution, or failing to call a timeout, or why did we run that offensive set that didn’t work. There are so many things in the background that we never know about. Besides things that worked when we play HS or College are bad strategy in the pros and good strategy in the Pros might not work in the college game. They are completely different games and until you experience it, you can’t really understand the tremendous difference in the game.
So I think that when we start critizing Doc we should remember that pro basketball is a game we have very little or no knowledge of and give him the benefit of the doubt and that he really knows the game – PRO BASKETBALL!.
Not Sure . . .
Seem to remember some Laker and Sixer teams of the late 60’s and early 70’s with talent that screamed championship, yet had very difficult times learning to play together. I think there are all too many coaches that could screw up the roster Doc is managing.
I have no doubt that Jim O’Brien, just to name one, would contend for a championship with this group, evn if he were forced to use Dick Harter’s defenses instead of Thibodeau’s.
I suppose I could name a few coaches who could screw it up, but not many.
Dunleavy
Yes, he’s one that would screw it up.
Great chemistry on this team
Can’t wait to play the magic and lakers. they are toooaaassst. just keep the eye on the prize and don’t pull a patriots on us
by vgarcia890 on Nov 4, 2009 11:23 AM EST via mobile reply actions
Scary
I don’t think Perk, KG, or Ray played well last nite and we won by 30 points. As to emphasizing the negatives just look at Marquis Daniels. Sheed looked great as did many other subs, but Doc said it was Marquis that orchestrated the whole thing doing stuff us so-called basketball people wouldn’t notice. I didn’t see the box score, but I doubt Daniels lit it up. I just love the way this guy plays.
And we don’t need to emphasize the negatives. The Team does it for us. We’re 5-0 and Doc, and I’m sure most of the team, aren’t satisfied with the way they are playing. But, I do think Dickerson caught Ray the other nite, (NO?) by asking him where Ray thought the team needed to improve. Ray didn’t have an answer and Dickerson went nuts. Really funny stuff.
"I don't come to play, I come to WIN"--Larry Bird
"Criminally Negligent Officiating"--Tommy Heinsohn
Rondo And Doc
Someone told the story last nite, maybe Mike Gorman, that Doc did not want Rondo when Danny traded for him. He said Danny showed Doc a highlight film of Rondo and Doc asked where are the highlights. But Danny persevered. A week or so ago there was a story about Doc and Danny when they were in NY. They walked together to the Garden, about 30 blocks, instead of taking the team bus. I think it was Doc who spoke about their relationship. But, one thing Doc said was that Danny tries to get him the people he would want, but every once in awhile they disagree, Danny does what he things is right and Doc goes along with it. This is a perfect description of the Rondo situation. Doc also said it works the other way around too.
"I don't come to play, I come to WIN"--Larry Bird
"Criminally Negligent Officiating"--Tommy Heinsohn
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