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The Art of Defense

This TrueHoop post is actually about PER, but this is too perfect to not mention:

The Celtics' defense is a friggin' symphony of subtlety. It humbles the NBA not because of one player doing one or two things that are obvious and measurable -- but because five players do the right combinations of big and little things, reading and reacting, as a unit. 

On just one play, you might see Kendrick Perkins blitzing a ball-handler in a way that's really convincing, inspiring an escape dribble that lets Paul Pierce catch up, taking the easy shots out of the pick and roll. All the while, Perkins never really committed, and before the ball-handler has even completed his escape, Perkins slides back to the paint, filling space, letting Kevin Garnett stay locked onto the talented big man. And now as the shot clock winds down, and the ball has been swung, Ray Allen gets his hands -- they're not really going to call a hand-check on that, are they? -- into his opponent's deadly right arm, forcing the star player left, to a spot on the floor where Rajon Rondo -- back turned, pretending he hasn't been noticing -- has been waiting all along to pounce. Tick tock tick tock.

That's a missed shot for the offense, that's a thing of beauty for the Celtics. That's basketball, in its vast complexity.

0 recs  |  Comment 9 comments |

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That just put a smile on my face. Nothing gets me going like Celtics basketball.

by threats13 on Mar 25, 2009 3:13 PM EDT reply actions   0 recs

Statistics are like a lampost for the drunkard..

…better for support than for illumination.

Great article – not because it mentions the C’s as an example, but because I would’ve been hard pressed to express these sentiments myself.

That’s why I, more often than not, get so frustrated on the forums. People like to use these statistical arguments as canon, and when you retort with your astute observations on why those stats can be misleading, you are written off and told to “Show me the facts man!” That’s why I’ve given up on the futile task of energetic and insightful pieces, and rather resort to asking questions that hopefully get people to think about some of the things that they say and believe… I’ll leave the tough stuff to the rest of ya :)

Anyways, thanks for the link.

God bless and good night!

by BrickJames on Mar 25, 2009 3:15 PM EDT reply actions   0 recs

NEVER SURRENDER!!!

The fact that you believe you CAN write an energetic and insightful piece means you have a duty to do it. There’s just not enough of you out there! IT IS NOT A FUTILE TASK !!! Yes, questions that make people think are also just as valuable, however WE NEED astute observations and the more important ‘well thought out piece’. Screw the critics, water rolls off. YOU are the foundation of the future, because, As Jim O’Brien put it when responding to a question about what working with Bird as an owner in Indiana has taught him, “Preparation is everything” – so your contributions are what prepare Boston basketball’s blog readers future…

by jyrecelts on Mar 25, 2009 4:22 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

That was about the only paragraph I liked in that article.

by NoraG1 on Mar 25, 2009 3:42 PM EDT reply actions   0 recs

Subtle Defense

“As the leaf flows with the river. It does not hold it back. It makes not even a ripple.” – Master Po

Is it Soup Yet?

by Master Po on Mar 25, 2009 4:22 PM EDT reply actions   0 recs

Meh. Basic premise of the article seems to be “PER is good because it’s backtested and therefore more precise!” That’s fine, but it’s a lot of words to not say all that much new.

This is just dead wrong, too.

they put several stat systems to the best test imaginable: They went back in time, and cleverly measured how well these systems predicted what would actually happen on the court.

You can ALWAYS backtest and find a formula that “explains” what happened historically; the test is whether the formula keeps working in the future.

by theBird on Mar 25, 2009 5:55 PM EDT reply actions   0 recs

symphony of subtlety indeed

As great as it is to see the starters clicking on offense, its watching the teamwork on the defensive end that makes me love watching them.

by twinbree on Mar 25, 2009 6:29 PM EDT reply actions   0 recs

Defense?

Where was this awesome defense tonight against Orlando, or against Milwauke?

We have had great potential this year, but all too often there have been lapses in defense and too many turnovers.

by Berkeley1297 on Mar 25, 2009 11:48 PM EDT reply actions   0 recs

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