Of Starters and Reserves

by Wilbert on Feb 27, 2010 8:08 AM EST

Rondo played superbly against the Cavs in the first half but Doc River's decision to let him play almost the whole game (save for garbage time) was pretty bad. Again we're left wondering what is the point of having reserves if we won't let them play and give the starters some rest?

Granted that Nate is still new and in the process of familiarizing himself with the offensive sets they should still have rested Rondo to give him some fresh legs on the stretch and also keep the Cavs defense guessing on what to do with him. By playing him straight from quarter to quarter the Cavs were able to unlock what type of defense to use against him and they were able to trap him, close the passing lanes he was using and make him ineffective in going to the basket. The 4th quarter collapse of the Celtics in that game was so bad, I felt that even if there was a lot of time left to make a comeback there was no way they can climb back from that hole.

Nate would've given them a different offensive view. If Doc is not yet confident on Nate's offensive capabilities he could've just let him play with RA and KG. They should've tried playing Shelden on Varejao as well when Varejao was doing all the hustle to help keep the Cavs on the game as Davis/Wallace wasn't able to keep up with him. The bottom line is that the reserves are there to give the starters some rest and Nate is not just a reserve, even Shelden he proved that when Davis was out. Doc should really work on his rotation better and trust his reserves a bit more.

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In the coming Post Big Three Era, I would consider keeping Nate, as he is one of the very few celtics that can create his own shot. But, He should be kept PROVIDED that he is a team mate on and off the court. He has to be a positive element all around. I dont know if he is or not, but with the unexpected collapse of the team and at a very quick pace, we want to be sure that the foundation of the new era is on solid grounds. If Nate is a team guy, I hope we keep him. If not, he should end it this Summer along with others that should be traded. We will need guys that can create their own shots and just not stand in the perimeter waiting for the opportunity to heave treis all the time. We will need big and medium big guys that are willing to go for offensive rebounds. We are getting killed on the boards. That has to stop. I would get a new coach too. I believe Doc has become “ineffective”, to put it mildly. To get value in the trading market, you have to give value. Read into that- It says a lot. So, lets start this Summer forward, not back to the late 80’s, and most of the 90’s.

by Reyquila on Feb 27, 2010 8:59 PM EST reply actions