Big Baby Growing Up
by Jeff Clark on Feb 3, 2009 8:34 AM EST
in Boston Celtics News & Links
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PrintSteve Bulpett has an insightful article on Big Baby today. Some highlights:
“He’s playing the right way,” Paul Pierce said. “He has the right attitude and the right spirit, and that’s good for a player in his second year. He just has to get his confidence.
“I think he gets down on himself a lot. He did a lot of great things for us last year, and we’re just trying to get him back to doing those same things. He can get offensive rebounds and putbacks, and he’s even hitting the jumper for us. It’s just about getting his confidence. He’s been up and down, and we just need to get him consistent.”
One of Doc's biggest strengths is his ability to handle players. If you consider the fact that every player is unique and has to be handled differently, you can appreciate how difficult a task that can be.
Just from an outsiders perspective, I think that it is clear that too much negative feedback presented in the wrong way creates very poor results from Davis. So Doc is trying to instruct him and point out areas he needs to work on while peppering his instruction with praise and encouragement.
“Not only does he have size, but he also has basketball IQ,” Rivers said. “When he doesn’t let the emotional side override his basketball IQ, he’s a very solid player. He’s worked on his jump shot and that’s starting to fall for him, but he’s got to learn to finish better. Baby’s shooting around 40 percent right now, and a big should never shoot that low.
“Now in his defense, we’re asking him to take more jumpers, but he’s got to do a better job of finishing. He goes to get fouled instead of going to make the shot. What happens is he doesn’t get the foul and he misses the shot.”
Doc has mentioned this before, but it bears repeating. Davis is taking those jumpers because the coaching staff wants him to. So even if they aren't falling all the time, the staff sees real value in making that shot a staple in Glen's game. It makes sense too. Davis has the kind of agility and coordination to make a one on one move to the basket from the top of the key (something Powe doesn't have). But if he can't hit that short jumper, the defender can sag off him and that part of his game is canceled out (note: Rondo is quick enough to still get past his man, Davis isn't).
In addition, that shot does help space the floor better. When Davis is subbing in (or starting for) Garnett, he helps fill that role by being able to hit that midrange jumper which keeps defenses from being able to camp out in the lane.
Whatever Glen and Glenn are doing, they need to keep doing it. It is great to see Big Baby mature and grow into his role on this team.
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I like BBD's game.
He reminds me of the “good” Antoine Walker with his passing ability and footwork. He sees the floor so well for a big guy. He needs to be more consistent with that jumpshot though.
Antoine
Walker was also a very good rebounder even though he couldn’t jump more than 2"s. So is Davis. The problem is that Antoine had so much talent that he never figured out how to make the most of it. He had the mindset of a point guard in a power foward’s body. If he learned his “role”, as Davis is working hard to do, he would have stayed under the basket instead of looking to shoot threes or dribble the ball up the court.
"I don't come to play, I come to WIN"--Larry Bird
He'll get better too. Concern w Leon
I think the “high basketball IQ” fits and he should stretch his game in many ways. Ryan Gomes added 3pt reach this year and I think BBD can. His shot isn’t pretty yet but he’s a quality athlete so I can see it evolving. Our coaches are doing an amazing job. They called Perk’s number a few times early against Big Al and although one basket was lucky the others reflected skill against a quality opponent. He did not have that last year. Credit to him for the work put in (which they say BBD does) but there is some real good coaching going on.
Except….what has happened to Leon? Just a slump that he needs to bump through (Scal turned his game mins around, and in fact took Leon’s), or is his game so limited that defenses have adjusted?
I'm just a role player - BBD
Knowing your limitations is the key to life.
'We circle all the games' - KG
I'm not sure about that
True it’s good to be objective about your skill set, but I’m not so sure that I like the idea of settling for being a role player. He’s a member of the Celtics, and he should to aspire to be more than “just a role player.”
Knowing what we know about how much he brings to the game, would we be satisfied if Rondo’s sole goal was to “complement the Big Three?”
by Thruthelookingglass on Feb 3, 2009 11:17 AM EST up reply actions
I understand your point
but on this team for at least this season he is a role player.
'We circle all the games' - KG
BBD
I really like the way Baby has been playing lately. My biggest criticism is, and has been, that he goes for the foul under the basket instead of the shot…Get the shot first, and maybe the calls will come. Glad to see that Doc is working on that.
When I read that, I thought about starting a new post about Doc’s assets as a coach. He’s quite good at being a natural leader and dealing with the various personalities and egos and differing levels of maturity of his players. It’s why the young guys really look up to him, even after they’re gone. It’s a real strength of his.
He’s an excellent motivator too. I remember noting the difference of his halftime speech compared to the so-called Zen Master’s when they were both miked up in the finals. Doc’s was way better.
Anyway, I still think he’s slow to call a TO when other teams go on runs, and a guy like Rick Carlisle was much better at that (remember that Indy series?). All in all, I think Doc’s an excellent coach for this team.
Time Outs
I agree with what you say up to this paragraph:
Anyway, I still think he’s slow to call a TO when other teams go on runs, and a guy like Rick Carlisle was much better at that (remember that Indy series?).
Coaches have different philosophies as to calling time outs. Carlisle likes to call them frequently when a team is on a run. Doc likes his players to work themselves out of a problem (unless he sees something basically wrong). Carlisle likes to call all or lots of the plays, Doc would rather Rondo call the plays. Carlisle is over controlling, Doc is NOT a control freak. If you read the Larry Bird book (written with Jackie McMullan) Bird describes an incident, when coaching the Pacers, where Carlisle and the defensive coach wanted Bird to call a time out when the other team was on a run and kept pushing him to do it. Bird didn’t want to and finally told them to be quiet (didn’t use quite those words). The next day Carlisle played a joke on Bird about this and they all laughed about it. But Doc just doesn’t like to call alot of timeouts and that’s his style. It seems to work for this team. Personally I don’t like games where the other coach is constantly calling time outs. It just slows the game down. In addition you want those time outs for more important purposes, such as at the end of a half and especially at the end of a close game.
Well, you can’t “constantly call time outs”. You only have so many per half. Personally, I think using them to stop the other team’s run is a good use of them sometimes, and I maintain that Doc is slow about using them.
I don’t like when coaches call the play every time down the court either. Was not addressing that when talking of Carlisle. I was speaking of judicious use of TO’s.
Your Summary
Jeff, I like and agree with your summary of GLEN Davis. I like what you say about Doc too. People overestimate x’s and o’s and oversimplify making the proper rotations, but the one thing that is most important is that the coach is able to communicate with his players. He needs to walk the line of treating everyone the same, but he also needs to treat each as an individual and address their individual needs. Doc has done a great job of working with Glen as he has in the way he communicates with the (Big Three). You need to approach each differently.
Glen and Glenn
FYI: I was referring to Glenn “Doc” Rivers when I said Glenn with two n’s
"Would I rather be feared or loved? Easy. Both. I want people to be afraid of how much they love me." Michael Scott
That's Not What I Was Referring Too
Actually, you taught me something today. I know Doc’s name is Glenn, but didn’t know it was spelled with two “n’s”. What I was thinking is that some of the announcers and his teammates have been refering to Davis as Glen and not Big Baby. I was trying to make a joke, but I guess it was pretty lame.
that's ok
most of my jokes are funny to only me
"Would I rather be feared or loved? Easy. Both. I want people to be afraid of how much they love me." Michael Scott
Now That Can't Be True
Notice how I figured out how to do the quote (signature). It makes my day.
"I don't come to play, I come to WIN"--Larry Bird
Powe can't take PF's off the dribble from the key?
But does the exact same thing 15 feet from the basket on the face-up when attacking from the baseline?
Glad to see Davis having a breakout month finally – looks like the player I was expecting to see after the Detroit game from last season…but don’t sell Leon short in areas you clearly haven’t seen him put in on the court..
by BillfromBoston on Feb 3, 2009 3:26 PM EST up reply actions
BBD
BBD has been playing huge lately, when he hits that midrange jumper it does so much for the team.
Powe or BBD
if we decide to make a trade and BBD or Powe had to go who do you think ainge would keep on this team? BBD might have more trade value now than powe.
I'd like to keep
whoever is the better player. Right now I say that’s BBD, but who knows? Powe showed some signs of life the last game, so he could also improve before season’s end.
Why did I think Powe had another option year?
Seems like the sentiment is to keep one, trade the other – but who do you need in the playoffs?
Powe's Option Year (Team Option) Was This Year
Powe came into the league a year sooner than BBD.
Oh where oh where have thou gone?
Remember all those Big Baby haters? Take a long hard look in the mirror guys, Big Baby is playing well. I’ve never seen a role player take so much undeserved heat in my life…well since Brian Scalabrine in 2007. It’s absurd, are these same people gonna freak out about Leon now that he’s hit a skid? Just for the record, that would not be wise either guys. Young players are always going to have ups and downs, as long as they show positives then that’s all that matters. Also, you can still be a very good NBA player even if you can’t jump out of the gym. Basketball IQ, positioning and intensity still matter. Big Baby is showing us that day by day. He has a lengthy NBA career ahead of him, so stop hatin the player, hate the game!
SCOTT
Ok I'll admit I was wrong
I’ll admit it I was a Big Baby hater. But he is making me look like a fool lately. In a way he kind of makes us not have to talk about getting a big man for the playoffs. The way he is hitting that jumper, is dare I say, PJ Brownish???
i'm still not a fan
he’s allegedly been playing great lately, but statistically he is still down at replacement level. for all the love his D gets, the LAL bigs worked him.
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