As Rondo goes, so go the Celtics

ermocrate · Post #21 » by **ermocrate** » Fri May 23, 2008 5:12 pm

Maybe we lost on defense BUT you're not guarding the Hawks or the Cavs, this guys got 8 players capable to score consistently, Billups, Stuckey, Hamilton, Hunter, McDyess, Prince, Wallace, Maxiell. When they play well and pass the ball you simply can't stop them BUT you can play efficently on Offense, whe can't play well of offense IF Rondo can't hit a shot, PP, Ray and even Garnett are going to have alot of troubles and dive to the rim is going to be very hard because of Tayshaun, Rasheed and Theo. I don't think their shot will fall for all the series and we have to take advantage of this.

GuyClinch · Post #22 » by **GuyClinch** » Fri May 23, 2008 5:17 pm

You can win with either defense OR offense. With ALL of the big 3 playing pretty well - you would expect us to be able to score enough to win. Pierce has been hot lately - I don't think its fair to expect him to always hit some of those crazy difficult shots - the same with Garnett and Ray.

If Rondo had chipped in with some decent confident Js that might have been enough to pull out the victory. A disappointing performance from him. I thought he had gotten over that scared to shoot crap.

pete

celticfan42487 · Post #23 » by **celticfan42487** » Fri May 23, 2008 5:30 pm

wigglestrue wrote:-= original quote snipped =-

It should have been part of the game plan from the start.

isn't to take a layup open to you with the shot clock under 5 seconds just an understood thing?

MyInsatiableOne · Post #24 » by **MyInsatiableOne** » Fri May 23, 2008 5:45 pm

celticfan42487 wrote:-= original quote snipped =-

I dislike Doc and his small ball but at some point the player has to take responsibility for passing up layups so Pierce or KG can take a forced jumper with 1 second on the clock.

Exactly. It wasn't Doc driving to the rim and then passing it outside in mid-air. Doc can tell Rondo to drive all he wants, but Rajon's the one actually DOING it.

Rondo_Fan · Post #25 » by **Rondo_Fan** » Fri May 23, 2008 6:54 pm

Why isn't anybody talking about Rondo's defense?

It was sub-par yesterday, along with the rest of the team.

Rondo gambled for a steal off Billups more than once and allowed him to get by him into the paint.

I can't imagine us beating Detroit if we allow them 103 ppg. 80 is more like it.

We scored 97 points yesterday and it wasn't enough to win. If we had held them to 80, everybody would be saying about Rondo, "We don't really need him to score to win. Just handle the ball, play defense, and rebound."

I agree that Rondo screwed up big-time on the offensive end, but that isn't where we lost the game.

celticfan42487 · Post #26 » by **celticfan42487** » Fri May 23, 2008 8:59 pm

I like to give Rondo some slack with those things. Gambling for steals, touching Prince's face, attempting a strip when Billups has gone by him, lossing him on screen for what was essentially the game clinching layup.

With most exceptions it's a talented theif going for the home run instead of the smart play. But at the same time do we really want to see Rondo v Billups in a post-up scenerio?

I attribute it to his youth, he has to learn sometime and it's his first time in the playoffs.

On offense though some of this stuff is basic flow of the game that he not only should be doing but has demonestrated he can do. He's not Gerald Green he should make the obvious play for the betterment of the team.