A post about MJ on the general board got me thinking. Remember those MJ, Pippen, Rodman bulls teams? They really got in their opponents heads. Lock down D was the start and MJ cockiness and Rodman's getting under the skin of opposing bigs gave the team a whole other factor in games. Fastforward to today. It seems like that cerebral factor has been lost in the game quite a bit. But I think our Celtics might be the best at it. First off we are really good. You have to be good for any of this to really matter. Then there is KG. His intensity rubs off on Perk and Rondo and seemingly in limited minutes Walker. Now with Sheed in the fold we have quite a few guys who will be out there talking trash and backing it up.
Does anyone else think we are one of the few teams going out of our way to get into other teams heads? Or is it just all a matter of how KG pumps himself up and how that pumps up the rest of the team?
Mind Games
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Re: Mind Games
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humblebum
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Re: Mind Games
Great subject.
The biggest strength the Celtics have is that they have three tough, intimidating, big men all over 6'10" in KG, Perkins, and Rasheed. Now there are two approaches to trying to gain a psychological advantage over your opponent. One is basically to outsmart and out-talk your opponent. This is the predominant method of both KG and Rasheed, they're outhinking the opponent, they're one step ahead mentally and they're constantly trying to throw opponents off by talking to them or through demonstrative physical displays. Perkins brings the psychological advantage that is gained through basically being the strongest, baddest dude on the court and taking every opportunity to let opponents know that through hard fouls, picks, blocking shots, etc. This is Perk's primary method, and KG and Sheed's secondary method of dominating an opponent psychologically.
I think that these Celtics are about as tough a group physically, mentally, and psychologically as you'll find and that before adding Sheed and Daniels. What the Celtics were able to fight back from and overcome after losing KG was remarkable, from hanging on to the #2 spot in the east to winning an epic series against the Bulls to pushing the Magic (a team Boston had no place in competing with) to seven games... This team will, if healthy, rival the type of complete dominance that was displayed in those 90's Bulls teams.
The biggest strength the Celtics have is that they have three tough, intimidating, big men all over 6'10" in KG, Perkins, and Rasheed. Now there are two approaches to trying to gain a psychological advantage over your opponent. One is basically to outsmart and out-talk your opponent. This is the predominant method of both KG and Rasheed, they're outhinking the opponent, they're one step ahead mentally and they're constantly trying to throw opponents off by talking to them or through demonstrative physical displays. Perkins brings the psychological advantage that is gained through basically being the strongest, baddest dude on the court and taking every opportunity to let opponents know that through hard fouls, picks, blocking shots, etc. This is Perk's primary method, and KG and Sheed's secondary method of dominating an opponent psychologically.
I think that these Celtics are about as tough a group physically, mentally, and psychologically as you'll find and that before adding Sheed and Daniels. What the Celtics were able to fight back from and overcome after losing KG was remarkable, from hanging on to the #2 spot in the east to winning an epic series against the Bulls to pushing the Magic (a team Boston had no place in competing with) to seven games... This team will, if healthy, rival the type of complete dominance that was displayed in those 90's Bulls teams.
Re: Mind Games
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aboubata
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Re: Mind Games
I think the last to do it was shaq in LA, which didn't work on Ben Wallace and the pistons.
Perk tries to do it and sometimes it backfires, but I like the effort.
Rondo needs to learn that if you lock the player on defense and then blow by them on offense you will get in their head and could win games easier. Rondo instead tries to dominat on offense only.
Perk tries to do it and sometimes it backfires, but I like the effort.
Rondo needs to learn that if you lock the player on defense and then blow by them on offense you will get in their head and could win games easier. Rondo instead tries to dominat on offense only.
NFL fans are now feeling what NBA fans been living for a while...
Re: Mind Games
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keltickings
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Re: Mind Games
Great topic!
Psychological warfare was Larry Bird's specialty. My brother and I were actually talking about this today.
Was it Moses Malone or James Worthy who was quoted in "Bird Talk" as saying he would rather be assigned defensively to Larry than Jordan? I'm paraphrasing but he said something to the effect that it wasn't that Larry was better than MJ, but Jordan just destroyed you physically in the 80's and early 90's and you knew what was coming. When it came to Larry you knew he would light it up but the difference was he started messing with your head at the tip-off and didn't just put up numbers on you; he took you out of your game mentally. It was the psychological head games that made Larry a nightmare to guard for 34-46 minutes.
Jordan in the championship years attained the ways of the masters but this I think says it all.
Sun Tsu who wrote ,The Art of War, and again I'm paraphrasing said, wars are won in the temples and decided before the the battles are ever fought, they are determined in the minds of men.
In basketball they are determined within the game itself but let us never underestimate the effect a powerful mind can have on the game. KG is a master like Jordan and Bird. Sheed is strong and a Rodman type antagonizing force. Championships are won with leaders in there thirties. Too old, tell that to Michael Jordan , Scottie Pippen, Rodman, Bird, Mchale, Abdul-Jabbar, and all the greats who played this game!
Wisdom like psychological warfare is learned, Intelligence is given. We are in good shape.
Cheers to mind games!
Psychological warfare was Larry Bird's specialty. My brother and I were actually talking about this today.
Was it Moses Malone or James Worthy who was quoted in "Bird Talk" as saying he would rather be assigned defensively to Larry than Jordan? I'm paraphrasing but he said something to the effect that it wasn't that Larry was better than MJ, but Jordan just destroyed you physically in the 80's and early 90's and you knew what was coming. When it came to Larry you knew he would light it up but the difference was he started messing with your head at the tip-off and didn't just put up numbers on you; he took you out of your game mentally. It was the psychological head games that made Larry a nightmare to guard for 34-46 minutes.
Jordan in the championship years attained the ways of the masters but this I think says it all.
Sun Tsu who wrote ,The Art of War, and again I'm paraphrasing said, wars are won in the temples and decided before the the battles are ever fought, they are determined in the minds of men.
In basketball they are determined within the game itself but let us never underestimate the effect a powerful mind can have on the game. KG is a master like Jordan and Bird. Sheed is strong and a Rodman type antagonizing force. Championships are won with leaders in there thirties. Too old, tell that to Michael Jordan , Scottie Pippen, Rodman, Bird, Mchale, Abdul-Jabbar, and all the greats who played this game!
Wisdom like psychological warfare is learned, Intelligence is given. We are in good shape.
Cheers to mind games!
Long Live Red...