Promoted FanPost

Though I have been critical of Doc, i would at least like to acknowledge a couple of nice adjustments made in the last two games. Posting up Rondo has been mostly effective--and gives the team another option. Doc has also used the baseline pick and roll more (I emphasized this play in past post)- Wilcox got two dunks,ray got a jumper, and Garnett got fouled in the 5 or 6 times we ran it. Rondo's shot looked OK --even his misses were on target for the most part (just a bit short or long).

Now the bad news.

1. What does JO do to warrant extra minutes against a team with no real post threat? Nice charges taken-- but a non factor at both ends otherwise.

2. One play at the 6:42 mark of the 3rd quarter sums up our fate. A 4 on 2, PP runs to the block, RA runs to the 3 pt line, and Wilcox to the other block. Rondo throws to allen (of course), immediately cutting our chance to score to 42%. On a four on two, most teams would get a foul, a dunk or lob. Nope. Then after RA misses, RR rebounds- hits PP on baseline, where most SF would dunk, power it in, or get fouled. Nope. We miss weakly, Bulls rebound and eventually score on (you guessed it) a transition basket.

3. AGAIN, we get close in the 4th quarter- and then can't score for about three minutes--- a 10-0 run puts Bulls in charge. All jumpers, Rondo no factor. I don't feel the need to further relive this reoccurring nightmare that Celtic fans have endured on a frighteningly regular basis.

4. Why does it seem like every set we have has two guys at the elbow (effectively blocking any lane for Rondo)- while RA and PP are square dancing in the lane so they can come off a screen? Meanwhile Rondo has to pound the ball for 10 seconds because there is nowhere he could go anyway. Westbrook, Rose, etc always seem to have a lane to attack-- and spacing is such that the key is left open. The bulls sent two guys to the corner, then drove from the top. Whichever help guy collapsed, the ball would go to the corner for a wide open shot, or dumped low for a high percentage shot. Please correct me if I'm wrong about these sets. I would love to see an open post continuity of some sort, to allow a drive to the middle with several options ensuing (score, dish, lob, offensive board).

5. How can MIKE JAMES- he of the ten day contract- function as if he has been with the Bulls forever? If we were to add a point guard, I am led to believe that we could not incorporate him into our "complicated systems" for at least 10 days (thus requiring an additional 10 day contract (lol)). But seriously, are we making the game too complicated?

6. Why do we refer to lack of practice as an excuse as if (1) other teams are somehow in a different situation (2) that OUR practices are so holy and intricate that it requires much more time than any system in the league. (3) that we shouldn't actually have an ADVANTAGE because the Big 4 have run the same stuff since 2008. Please, no more of this garbage.

i'm really torn about watching these guys finish out the season with honor -- or sending some away for audition pieces (athletic) to see what they and Rondo can accomplish in a simplified transition offense. if nothing else- it might tell us which direction to go in the off-season. Sorry for the rant--- you may not agree, but these are the things I see.