Celtics say they won't double Kobe

[chillz]

The Celtics practiced and met with the media first Wednesday. So not long after the Los Angeles Lakers took the floor, they became aware of what could be the key defensive strategy in the NBA finals.The Celtics don't plan to double-team Kobe Bryant.Good luck with that, Lakers players responded."We play our defense, and we're not going to change our defense," coach Doc Rivers said.

"I don't see them doing that throughout the whole series, especially down the stretch," Lakers reserve Luke Walton said. "You know, it's obviously going to result in less open shots for us throughout the game, but the ultimate goal is for our team to win. So if they decide to not double Kobe and he can go for 60, let him go for 60."

http://www.sportingnews.com/yourturn/vi ... p?t=419748

[MaxwellSmart]

Yeah...let him score 63 like Jordan in '86....who won the game?

[shobe_81]

Yes but my friend we're talking about Jordan who also was very young and yet he's the GOAT so who is considered the GOAT again? Oh yea MJ!!!!!!!!!!!!

I don't think it's a good idea to not double Kobe because he's so good, it didn't fair well for the Spurs and they had Bowen guarding Kobe.

[LA Warrior]

Pick your poison..

[3pt %]

eh, who are the Lakers going to double? KG, Pierce or the resurgent Allen?

If Kobe wants to try and go for 60 on us and the rest of the the team scores bugger all, then fine.

[shobe_81]

Resurgent Allen? KG doesn't want the paint, Truth is the only one possible for doubles!

If Celtics are looking for single coverage on Kobe, they are looking for Kobe to draw quick fouls on Perkins or get easy buckets for Pau and Odom.

[3pt %]

You bothered to watch the Detroit series at all?

KG was in the paint, killing Sheed and Allen was bombing from long range.

If the Celtics use single coverage on Kobe, then they wont have fouls on Perkins or easy passes to the rest of the Lakers. That is what single coverage means, everyone else stays at home on thier own man and you just accept the 30 that Kobe drops.

[Joselo16]

Wasn't there a Wiretap story that said that the Lakers's are 38% better when Kobe is not shooting a lot??? So if he goes for 60 that means that they are 38% worse than they could be, so it sounds pretty reasonable. The C's did the same thing in the 2 games they met and Kobe went 9-21 and 6-22. I know Gasol wasn't there, but that has no bearing on his shooting since you guys still had Bynum drawing attention away from Bryant (he was playing well at the time). If he goes off for 60 let him as long as no one else is killing us (especially from 3pt land). It's like game 7 against Cleveland Lebron went off but his helpers were kept in check.

[Cyclical]

The whole defensive philosophy of the Celtics this season goes against double teaming the wing scorer. We have two tiers of defense -- if, or more likely when, Kobe penetrates the first one, a second one will be waiting for him at the edges of the paint. The key as it's been in the 2 regular season meeting, is to try and make him a jump shooter rather than let him drive to the basket. Will it work? Obvioulsy not all the time - he's still Kobe Bryant, but I bet he shoots his lowest averge in the playoffs in this series despite the lack of double teams. The Celtics' help defense, when played with the right energy (let's hope for consistency!) is as effective as anything I've seen by any team since those 90's Knicks and Bulls teams.

[Joselo16]

^Exactly, which is the reason why our energy level will be key to our success. I know Kobe is not Lebron but I much rather have him taking jump shots (45FG%) that driving to the basket (64FG%). Kobe is Kobe and he will get his but if you limit his options then we should feel very confident in our team (not that we don't feel that way already).


(OT) I hate how NBA coaches just tell their opponents their game plans. I know its not as important as it is in football but I kinda like how the Pats don't say a word about their game plan for their opponents.

[Fidel Sarcasmo]

the lakers players arent looking at this the right way. They are assuming that they are going to match up evenly with us on the boards, and that is just not reality. we will dominate the boards the entire series, and we will win the interior scoring game. Lets see Kobe go for 60 points when we win the boards game by an average of 10 per game. Bottom line is he needs the touches to get sixty. Second chance points are going to be hard to come by for the lakers. lamar odom is soft he isnt going to do anything to us inside.

[DieselCeltic]

Kobe is getting so much attention. This is unreal. I do understand that he's heck of a player, an MVP has won 3 rings and whatnot but I swear to ya Jordan didn't get this type of attention.

I do agree with Doc. Play the same defense that we played the whole year and we WILL be fine. Let Kobe do his thing.

Worry about REBOUNDS, worry about TURNOVERS and share the ball. We will win this series. The championship is in the bag.

I already called day off from work for the parade.

[Datruth345]

Yeah...let him score 63 like Jordan in '86....who won the game?

[Gomes3PC]

Let Kobe take 40 shots and if he scores 60, great. When he does that, he completely takes all his jumpshooting teammates out of rhythm and they will struggle mightily to score with hands up in their faces at all times.

We won't double team Kobe straight up, but it will be a near double team because Garnett will be coming off the weakside a ton to seal off Kobe. They'll let Lamar Odom take shots from the perimeter, and if he hits them, good for him. He's a bad jumpshooter and if the Lakers win with guys like Odom knocking down jumpers there's not much you can do but tip your cap.

Kobe, like Lebron, will have some prolific outbursts, but unless his teammates can play up to snuff on D and hit their shots with hands in their faces, they will not return to LA happily after Games 1 and 2.

[daveisceltics]

Smart thinking there. about letting Kobe score.
If the other players aren't involved because of the C's D, they can't stand a chance.

[spf211]

Pick your poison..

Vlad Rad or Luke Walton, please!

[seccom]

Wasn't there a Wiretap story that said that the Lakers's are 38% better when Kobe is not shooting a lot??? So if he goes for 60 that means that they are 38% worse than they could be, so it sounds pretty reasonable. The C's did the same thing in the 2 games they met and Kobe went 9-21 and 6-22. I know Gasol wasn't there, but that has no bearing on his shooting since you guys still had Bynum drawing attention away from Bryant (he was playing well at the time). If he goes off for 60 let him as long as no one else is killing us (especially from 3pt land). It's like game 7 against Cleveland Lebron went off but his helpers were kept in check.

That is the wrong stat to use to justify single cover Kobe. The biggest problem for Kobe is that he will, in many instances, took low percentage shot when he was double team or even triple team.

There is no stat that I know of that show the shooting percentage of any player when they were single cover and double cover.

You correctly pointed out that Kobe go 9-21 and 6-22 in the last 2 meeting between the Celtics and the Lakers to justify single cover Kobe.

However, I would point to out the last game between the Spurs and the Lakers last week. Try to find a play by play log or a YouTube video of the last 5 minutes of that game.

In that 5 minutes, Philip Jackson went with this lineup:

Kobe, Gasol, VladRad, Sasha, Fisher, 3 3pt shooter, 1 center and Kobe.

He uses 3 3pt shooters to force Spurs to single cover Kobe.

Every single play started with Kobe with the ball, pick and roll with Pau, 3 pt shooter line up in close to the 3 point lines.

Spurs defended Kobe with Bowen and covered Gasol with Duncan.

The end result is either Kobe score or get foul and all his shot are in the paint. He only missed one shot but Gasol get the offensive rebound (Duncan left Gasol to double team Kobe) and score on the put back.

If Kobe is stupid enough to shot long 2 points jumpshots, of course Celtics should single cover him, but this is playoff basketball. Single cover means high pick and roll with Gasol or Odom.

[Celtsfan1980]

Kobe is so over-hyped. 40 is a possibility, but it's amazing that 60 is even being brought up. It's very, very rare in Kobe's career where he has scored 60, especially against a defense like Boston's. They would start doubling him if he started to score a lot anyways, so I just don't see 60 as a possibility.

[Rocky5000]

-= original quote snipped =-



Vlad Rad or Luke Walton, please!

[CantStop]

Ah, Doc Rivers calling it quits? What a dumb strategy. Don't double the most lethal offensive player since PRIME Jordan.