Why was Rondo on the bench to begin the 4th Quarter?

[BlameTheRefs]

And why wasn't he brought in earlier when things went to sh$t?

[Cep]

Rondo kept running with them. We can't run with the Hawks. They can't beat us if we slow the pace down, and shut up their crowd a bit. Rondo got great numbers, but he was not succeeding and slowing down and controlling the tempo of the game.

[Fencer reregistered]

Are you saying Doc thought Rondo was WRONG to push the ball on offense??

[MaxwellSmart]

Rondo kept running with them. We can't run with the Hawks. They can't beat us if we slow the pace down, and shut up their crowd a bit. Rondo got great numbers, but he was not succeeding and slowing down and controlling the tempo of the game.

you are WRONG....we HAVE to run and be aggressive....we slow it down and our offense turns to complete S**t...have you even been watching the games?????

[Cep]

How well did running with them work the last two games?

[MaxwellSmart]

How well did running with them work the last two games?

more like...How well has this half court offense worked the past two games??

[Cep]

What half court offense?! Since when have we determined the kind of offense and tempo we were trying to run the last two games? We're just doing whatever the Hawks are doing. I don't mean stand around, off course we need to keep the pressure, but there are times during the game (when the crowd plays a huge role) that it's just too loud and crazy, and we need to hold our horses and not play their game, let them play ours, and then once we control that tempo, then start pushing the ball more as we wish. We just can't expect to just out there and out run them.

[Banks2Pierce]

Rondo went out of the game with a 10 point lead. He is the only way our offense runs like it's supposed to. We need like 45 minutes out of him.

[jt142]

Man, I'm so glad you started this thread cause I was thinking the same thing. The Celts were dominating at the end of the 3rd and Rondo was taking it to Bibby. He was getting to the hoop at will. The Hawks couldn't stop him. So, what does Doc do when Rondo's dominating? He benches him for the first 6 minutes of the 4th qtr and starts House. WTF! Within 2 minutes of putting House in the game over Rondo, the Hawks cut the lead from 10 to 1. I just couldn't believe what I was seeing. What's even worse, Doc waited another 3 minutes before putting Rondo in the game. By that point the Celts were down by 5. Listen, Doc, Rondo is 23 years old. I'm sure he can handle the extra minutes. House has barely played in tis series and you're going to protect a 10 pt led wth him in the game for half the creaping 4th qtr. WTF! I just don't know what he was thinking.

If they lose this series, Doc has to go. I don't give a crap about the regular season. The decisions he made in this game are just (Please Use More Appropriate Word) to say the least. The playoffs are when you need to show up and win. The 60 wins mean jack if they lose to the 8th seed Hawks. The Celts need to win on Wednesday. It's do or die as far as I'm concerned.

Ever since the body slam, Pierce hasn't been the same player. Allen and KG showed up today (well, maybe not in the 4th), but Pierce didn't. He has been playing lackluster over the past 2 games. It seems like the Big 3 are looking at eachother to do something in the 4th. That's not a good sign.

Anyways, taking Rondo out at the start of the 4th lost this game. That should be the concensus. Don't spew this "Johnson's such a great player" crap. Doc should have put Posey on him because he was getting by Allen at will. If the Celts came out in the 4th with the same intensity they ended the 3rd, they would have won this game. Woulda, coulda. Thanks for taking Rondo out, Doc.

KG is scared to take it to the hoop on Smith. Seriously, watch the video. Every time he gets in the lane, he's scared sh__less that Smith is going to block his shot. It seems like every Celtic player is scared to take it to Smith.

The key is getting either Smith or Johnson in foul trouble. If the Celts can do that, they'll destroy this team. They only go 7 men deep. Then again, the Celts can't even make 50% of their free throws, so maybe receiving fouls and going to the line is a bad idea.

I will now set myself on fire.

[jt142]

Rondo kept running with them. We can't run with the Hawks. They can't beat us if we slow the pace down, and shut up their crowd a bit. Rondo got great numbers, but he was not succeeding and slowing down and controlling the tempo of the game.

Come on, man. You have to admit that Doc screwed up big time by playing House for almost half the 4th qtr. He trusted House, a player who's barely played in this series, to protect a 10 point lead in the 4th qtr. The fact that the Hawks were able to cut the lead from 10 pts to 1 wthin the first 3 minutes of the 4th, thanks in part to a House turnover and airball, is proof of Doc's screw up. The Celts were dominating at the end of the 3rd and looking like the Celtic team I'm used to seeing. Why Doc decided to mess with their rhythm is beyond my comprehension.

Did someone fool Doc into thinking Rondo had 5 fouls?



Once again, thanks for losing this game, Doc.

[threrf23]

I have no problem with Doc wanting us to control the pace to our advantage, but,

a.) When we have the ball, we are a better team when Rondo pushes the ball. Thats our preferred pace.

b.) Rondo gives us the best chance of controlling the pace, he leads our offense better than any of his alternatives.

c.) Most importantly, the best way to prevent ATL from playing at their preferred pace, is to defend. Wjen we get stops, we get momentum, and we outscore ATL. When we don't get stops ATL gets all the momentum and it becomes pointless to try and set the pace because we can't. After our run at the end of the 3rd, I was very tempted to post in the game thread and proclaim that if Tony Allen was not on the floor to start the 4th, we would lose the game. I shied away, but I shouldn't have, apparently

[The Rondo Show]

I've been a Doc "supporter" (not exactly a huge Doc fan, just think he's better than others suggest and find coaching in the NBA to be overrated), but I think this is a great question and that this was one of several poor coaching moves by Doc.

We were starting to pull away, Rondo was starting to turn it on a bit and really running the offense well yet Doc pulled him and went with House to start the 4th. House couldn't hit his shots (not really a surprise, take a look at his numbers in the playoffs--when the D gets tighter, this guy is useless) and when he's not hitting them, he's really terrible because he can't defend and can't run an offense nearly as well as Rondo. With the way the Celtics were playing, there was no need to change anything.

Rondo is 22 years old and in great shape, he should be able to handle 40+ minutes in a playoff game when our two backups "point guards" absolutely suck.

What we really need is someone to tell Sam Cassell that this isn't Minnesota and he's not a star. He's a backup and a role player and his shot selection is nothing short of ridiculous. He could be a great, great backup (that would allow us to sit Rondo for a bit) for us and I loved the acquisition initially, but his selfish play has been disgusting.

[UGA Hayes]

I was going to start the exact same thread. I thought Doc was coaching a great game considering the foul situation until the fourth quarter when he inexplicably pulled Rondo for the game. Even worse he had a chance to rectify that mistake when he was about to put Rondo back at around 8 minute mark but someone (NOT HOUSE) scored a bucket and he tells rondo to sit down. Doc might as well have dumped a bucket of cold water on Rondo. How could you take a guy out of a game that was playing so well at that moment??

[canman1971]

I don't think it is a big deal he was on the bench to start the 4th, but Doc left him there for way to long. If I remember correctly, I was thinking around the 8 minute mark, what the hell is Doc thinking. Where is Rondo? Then, after the Hawks took the lead, Rondo was at the table, around the 7 minute mark. That is bad coaching. You take him out for a minute, 2 at most. As that dope Donny kept reiterating, "this is playoff basketball." And on top of that, the guy he had in there (House) has only played 11 minutes the entire series and Doc expects him to be good to go in a tight game in the 4th on the road? Again, poor coaching.

[DelMonte West]

I've been a Doc "supporter" (not exactly a huge Doc fan, just think he's better than others suggest and find coaching in the NBA to be overrated), but I think this is a great question and that this was one of several poor coaching moves by Doc.

We were starting to pull away, Rondo was starting to turn it on a bit and really running the offense well yet Doc pulled him and went with House to start the 4th. House couldn't hit his shots (not really a surprise, take a look at his numbers in the playoffs--when the D gets tighter, this guy is useless) and when he's not hitting them, he's really terrible because he can't defend and can't run an offense nearly as well as Rondo. With the way the Celtics were playing, there was no need to change anything.

Rondo is 22 years old and in great shape, he should be able to handle 40+ minutes in a playoff game when our two backups "point guards" absolutely suck.

What we really need is someone to tell Sam Cassell that this isn't Minnesota and he's not a star. He's a backup and a role player and his shot selection is nothing short of ridiculous. He could be a great, great backup (that would allow us to sit Rondo for a bit) for us and I loved the acquisition initially, but his selfish play has been disgusting.

I agree. I thought when Doc took the timeout early in the 4th (when our 10-pt. lead was sliced to 5 in a minute or so) he was going to put Rondo back in.

I don't know if anyone stayed up to watch the post-game and late edition of Sports Tonight, but Ryen Russillo was as critical of Doc for this decision as I've ever seen anyone on the program be when it comes to the Celtics. Perhaps it's overreacting, but if Cassell plays like this and Eddie can't become anything more than a 3-point chucker we're going to have to seriously look into the PG situation going forward. Our leads can't evaporate this quickly every time Rondo's on the bench, and to leave him there until 6:00 are left in the game (and our lead's been blown to pieces) is inexcusable.

[Gomes3PC]

Our biggest key to winning is getting buckets. When we do, we can set up our D and they can't push it at all. Their FG percent is likely way lower after a made basket. The key to that is always having Pierce or Rondo in. If Doc won't play TA we need one of those two in because they are the only ones who can beat men to the rim. And when they do they MUST draw contact or dunk it; screw this fear of Josh Smith. He fouls a lot and when we went at him early he fouled us.

We executed in the 3rd because we made baskets and set up the D. When ATL starts their O off a miss they get off to a mini run and we cant dig in. When its off a turnover that's even more pronounced.

[SeizeCoup]

Rondo went out of the game with a 10 point lead. He is the only way our offense runs like it's supposed to. We need like 45 minutes out of him.

QFT.

Rondo affects the flow, both on offense and defense. When Cassell comes into the game Bibby's eyes get big because he knows the old man can't stay with him. At least house moves his feet. But it's a catch-22 because House can't reliably break the press...

Basically, Rondo needs to play as much as possible.

Bad coaching on the part of Doc last night. The Rondo situation, and also not doing anything about the abuse Joe Johnson laid down on Ray. It took Doc WAY to long to switch Pierce onto him. By that point the game was over.