Perk/O'Neals/Semih: The offensive and defensive lines

by drza44 on Feb 11, 2011 1:03 PM EST

Promoted FanPost

I wrote an article last week on how the "Big 4" of KG, Rondo, Pierce and Allen have performed against the best teams in the league this year, and in the comments section one poster called me out for not mentioning Perk. My response at the time was that Perk had only played a handful of games, and that since he was only one out of four centers that had started for the Cs this year it was impossible to do a legit stat breakdown on any one of the centers like I did on the other starters. And that's still true.

But, after last night's loss to the Lakers, I thought this a good time to point out exactly what a healthy Kendrick Perkins, Shaquille O'Neal, Jermaine O'Neal and/or Semih Erden gives us: our linemen (be prepared...a LOT of football analogy ahead).

The "Big 4" are our skill position guys. Rondo is the quarterback on offense and a risk-taking free safety on defense...call him Tom Polamalu.

Paul Pierce and Ray Allen are the wide receivers on offense, while on defense they are the cornerbacks. Pierce is more of the big receiver that can go across the middle or take it deep at any moment...call him Andre Johnson, while Allen is more artistic and the permanent home run threat from the outside...a more professional Randy Moss.

Kevin Garnett is our middle linebacker on defense, and the great blocking/ground-eating running back on offense. Like Ray Lewis mixed with Emmit Smith.

But here's the thing...none of our skill position stalwarts, no matter how good they are, can do their things without the big bodies in the trenches. And you don't have to look any further than last night to see it.

Despite missing 3 of our 4 lineman, we were okay early because Perk was there and fresh and could keep our skill guys' jerseys clean. Celtics are up 15 in the 2nd quarter, Allen is making record-setting 3s, life is good. But Perk is still working himself back into shape and wore down...and Baby is about 5 inches too short to be consistently effective in the trenches against the Lakers...

...and suddenly, Brady is having trouble finding an open man before the defense shuts us down. Without the lineman their to stunt, Smith can't find any holes to run through in the middle and instead is forced to break it outside...where the opponent's speed keeps him bottled up. The opponents' DBs, knowing their defensive line is wearing down the depleted O-line, can afford to play ultra-tight press coverage on Moss and Johnson so they can't get off. Despite 4 superstars, our offense stagnates. But what about defensively?

Defensively, our all-world linebacker Ray Lewis still has 11 tackles (rebounds). But when the defensive line is keeping the opposing offensive line off of him, Lewis can choose the tackles to make the most impact. Instead, when our D-line can't do anything, the opponent can run up the middle at will. Lewis still gets his tackles, but now he's also got bodies on him clogging up the area, preventing him from making enough stops to really slow the opponent. Polamalu can't afford to take big-play risks, because he's needed to help plug the holes in the line. And our cornerbacks are left on an island for too long, meaning they're getting burnt by the opponent's big play wideouts.

I took this football analogy way further than I intended to when I started writing, but hopefully I didn't lose you all. When a football game is over and you look at the box scores, you aren't going to read much about the guard that kept Tom Brady clean or the defensive tackle that kept the opposing guards off of Ray Lewis. But if you talk to Brady and Lewis, they'd be the first to tell you that the only reason they can do what they do is because the big uglies are there to take care of them. Perk, Shaq, Jermaine (hopefully), and Semih are our big uglies. And when they are weakened or out, the effect is very clear on the floor.

Get well soon, big guys. We need you.

Be respectful and keep it clean. Thanks.

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+1

Though to date they have not done so as a complete group due to the injury’s so far this year, the C’s big men including Perk, Shaq, Jermaine and Semih have all played a big role in the C’s success so far this year.

What many are hoping and waiting for is to finally see all 4 bigs healthy and ready for action at the same time, since that would be a deep and talented big man rotation to throw at teams, especially when you add KG and Baby to the mix also.

So it would be so great to finally get the injured bigs back healthy and see the frontline at 100% for the 1st time this year.

Perk looks great so far and hopefully he will stay healthy the rest of the year ,
Shaq should be back after the allstar game from his mini vacation healing his various aches and pains,,
Erdens injury is minor also since the C’s said it was day to so he should be back soon,
J.O.‘s surgery went well the C’s say and J.O. himself claims he will be ready for the playoffs to help the C’s,

So lets hope for the best, sit back, wait, let the bigs heal and hope the bigs can all get healthy especially as the C’s head into the playoffs when we will need them the most.

by fordescort on Feb 11, 2011 2:17 PM EST reply actions

Perkins still having trouble handling ball on offense

hopefully that will get better soon

by JR99 on Feb 11, 2011 2:40 PM EST reply actions

Again why did we get the so called Big-for-Nothings...

Great they all will be back some day! But we live in the NOW. And right now I see a group of guys who get payed a heck of a lot more than ALL of us and get to play for there job. And nobody say “Well they’re workout routine is intense.” It is no more intense than digging a ditch for eight ours in the freezing cold or humid rain…no more intense than raising five screaming children…no more intense than staring at a computer screen all day trying to figure out how to balance the account books. Again, for a team that gets injured as much as the C’s, they are far from tough. Toughness has a lot to do with your pain threshold-translation how much can you take mentally without giving up. I’m not saying Ray or anyone singled out ~~>J.O<~~, well yeah maybe Jermaine isn’t tough, but the proof is in the pudding. And I’m sure Doc is fuming frustrated once again. If I was him I would have retired from this group of pansies…good thing I’m not the coach.

I understand how a man can get hurt…example West and Daniels. I do not understand how someone can get a serious aliment like the Flu (which is used a lot by the C’s) and not be out of work for most of the week?!?!? If some one has knowledge on this please chime in at anytime. Or has a sore Achilles and takes weeks off after playing basically no minutes. I have a serious lower back condition doesn’t mean I can take off and collect disability…

And yes these MEN because they are human like you and I are raping this economy, which affects ALL of us DIRECTLY . They are wayyyyyy over paid and given most of the money up front without the GM knowing if this “superstar” will get the job done in the long run…As much as I HATE and yes I don’t know The Black Mama personally (Kobe) but I despise his arrogance-you ever have that feeling that you already dislike a person without ever talking to them. That bad vibe I guess. Kobe is a true grit player-when he wants to and some times does play very hurt when he punks Jackson into letting him to.

Our team needs this grit badly especially when the playoffs come. Now I know the strategy of last year to keep majority of our guys healthy for games that matter. Fine…Cool…but what if WE had home court advantage last year…Hmm maybe banner eighteen would have been hanging from the rafters by now. But that is another speculation of woulda, coulda, shoulda!

All these injuries are a big wake up call for Ainge. And there will be moves, hopefully to get rid of the dead BIG weight. I’m not a stat guy so I don’t want to get into that. The six guys, even Wafer…are in my opinion the TEAM we will see in the playoffs so we should get use to this rotation…all the other guys besides Shaq attack can go Screw!

Your opinions welcome…

by Ol' Green Boyz on Feb 11, 2011 4:21 PM EST reply actions

troy, lol not tom

by Pmartin60 on Feb 11, 2011 4:58 PM EST reply actions

I was mixing...

…Tom Brady and Troy Polamalu, saying that Rondo was a mix between a quarterback on offense and a free safety on defense. Thus, Tom Polamalu.

by drza44 on Feb 11, 2011 6:00 PM EST up reply actions

Love it.

Great post, drza44!

I like the football metaphors.

Its so true that there is a definite parallel. In football, “The Game is Won or Lost in the Trenches”.

In basketball, “The Game is Won or Lost in the Post.”

The Celtics through most of this year have won by dominating access to the rim. They have been the only team to consistently be at the top of the rankings at both scoring at the rim on offense and preventing scoring at the rim on defense.

Lately, these last few games, when our Big rotation suddenly turned vapor-thin, we have been slipping in those stats.

by mmmmm on Feb 11, 2011 6:13 PM EST reply actions

Very nice write-up. Good job.

by no kidding on Feb 11, 2011 8:30 PM EST reply actions

As frustrating as the regular season is with injuries...

We have to keep the GOAL in mind?

Reg season games against LA, Dallas, Miami, etc…. don’t meant anything….

Doc and Danny are managing for success in June! As much as it hurts to lose to Kobe and Co or Dallas now…. won’t it be so much sweeter to be healthy in June?

Keep repeating this over and over…..

Number 18 in June,
Number 18 in June,
Number 18 in June,
Number 18 in June,
Number 18 in June,
Number 18 in June,
Number 18 in June,

Great article BTW…..

Celtic Chat Handle: Bird

by David Henderson on Feb 12, 2011 8:05 PM EST reply actions