My opinion on what's wrong

[celtics543]

So, I just finished watching the game against Houston and think that I have a good idea of what's wrong with this team.

1. This team is so frusterating because we are living and dying on jump shots. Can someone please take the ball hard to the rim. KG is so frusterating and I know he did the same thing last year, but I think he needs to take the ball hard to the rim more. He's athletic enough to get to the rim and has the finishing ability to score points. I can't take one more fade-away 18 footer in a crucial situation, he is honestly reminding me of someone. See if this sounds familiar, has a great inside game, is a great rebounder, can handle reasonably well and passes well, but he likes to shoot from the outside rather then go inside. I'm not saying that KG=Antoine, but he's not far off on the offensive side.

2. Ray needs to find his shooting stroke, and if he can't then Doc needs to reduce his minutes some until he gets back in a groove. Just let the game come to Ray, but play Pierce or KG with the second unit instead of Ray until he gets his shot back.

3. I love Paul, he's my favorite Celtic and I think he's been trying to carry them on his back through the last few games and it's just not working. My only worry is that he seems to have fallen in love with the 3, and he has stopped driving. It's so important that he be a slasher because that is what opens up the outside for Ray, Eddie, Gabe, etc. This is also why KG needs to go downon the block and make a post move every once in a while.

4. The bench hasn't been good. Eddie House has been terrible all season in my opinion. I know he's made some 3's, but they all seem to be in blowouts when they aren't really necessary. Tony Allen is playing out of control all the time and I'm scared when he has the ball in his hands. He really needs to get more under control and work on his shooting. Leon has been o.k. but has turned into a black hole on offense and even tonight with Yao on him he tried to shoot it over him. He needs to start passing the ball out of the post and setting picks for other people. Baby has been terrible, although he played decently enough tonight. I think he should slowly be worked out of the rotation and POB should be slowly given minutes as he earns them. In my opinion, Gabe Pruitt should be backing up Rondo, he brings the same shooting as Eddie, and he can handle the ball. He's a point guard, not a 2-guard in a point guards body like Eddie. POB hasn't really played enough to matter yet, although why not give him a look. As for Giddens and Walker, I'd much rather see them than Scal. Scal does nothing in the game and Giddens and Walker could get some experience. There athletic and could give the team some energy off the bench.

5. Rondo needs to play more under control as well. He seems to just sprint in a circle from three point line, under the basket and then throws the ball out to no one in particular. Now that teams are drifting off him, he needs to figure out a new way to pass, because this isn't working anymore. If he could just shoot like 40% on jumpers that would be great.

6. Perk has been solid, no real complaints, does what he's supposed to, although he was playing much better a few weeks ago.

7. The heart just doesn't appear to be there. No one's driving hard to the basket, everythings just jumper after jumper and three after three. I think a low post scorer would be great for this team.

My Solutions:

Doc needs to think about rotations a litlte. If you put Tony Allen in then Pierce should come out and Ray should stay with the second unit, because that way you still have the same basic idea of a shooter and a slasher. If you go with Gabe/Eddie instead, then take out Ray because you want a slasher to go with all those shooters.

Ideally I think you would never see lineups of Rondo, TA, Pierce, Leon, Perk, on the floor. Not that they aren't talented, but they all overlap. Every single one of those guys wants to go to the rim and the best one at doing that is Pierce, who is going to turn into the spot up shooter with this group.

I also wouldn't want to see House, Gabe, Ray, Kg, Baby. All those guys are perimeter oriented and need someone in there that is going to go to the rim so that defenders will collapse. That lineup is just going to produce jumpshot after jumpshot.

I think we should sign Marbury and use Gabe as the backup 2-guard and try to get another big man to play in place of Baby. For the sake of using a name, I'll use P.J. Brown.

New Rotation:
Rondo/Marbury/Gabe
Ray/Gabe/Eddie/
Pierce/TA/Walker
Garnett/Leon/Baby
Perkins/Brown/Baby

I decided to leave Giddens on the D-league team because from what I've read it seems like Walker is closer to being ready. But I think with that lineup and the right rotations we are a team that can be great again.

[ARB729]

3. I love Paul, he's my favorite Celtic and I think he's been trying to carry them on his back through the last few games and it's just not working. My only worry is that he seems to have fallen in love with the 3, and he has stopped driving. It's so important that he be a slasher because that is what opens up the outside for Ray, Eddie, Gabe, etc. This is also why KG needs to go downon the block and make a post move every once in a while.

Paul has been doing everything he possibly can. I was actually surprised tonight when he missed that jumped late because he's been so money lately. His offense is not the problem, his defense has been lacking a little (bad rotations).
Other than that, they'll work it out. Its early yet folks...

[s1ickd]

I agree with most of what's been said. I don't think Eddie House is a rotation player on a playoff team, unless your starting pg is chris paul, deron williams, jason kidd, or steve nash.

Ray will be fine, and he does do some good things even when his shot is off. He doesn't concern me because he's still playing the way we want him to play as far as strategy and approach goes.

KG is worrying me. It may be because he's tired or hurt. Last year, he was a beast in the paint. He is not nearly as effective from the outside. On the offensive end, we need him to be more than simply Ilgauskas.

Pierce is fine.

Perk is doing his role.

Rondo is not a 40mpg guy yet. He has too many lapses. We need to play him 35 mins an dbring in a legit backup like Dixon or Marbury.

The thing missint THE MOST is the defense. Whether the intensity is there or not is debateable. The bottom line is, for some reason, they're too slow to rotate and often don't focus for long stretches.



it's mid season before the all star break. they're bored. the only thing i worry about is home court.

[Larry Joe Bird]

I think the C's miss James Posey off the bench.

[threrf23]

I'm not saying that KG=Antoine, but he's not far off on the offensive side.

Umm, no.

Not that I argue the general premise of what you say about him.

I don't think we have to worry about Ray. Even when he's missing he draws defensive attention. But, the other night when he was like 0-9 from long range, I'm not sure there's ever a good excuse for that - on Ray's behalf for continuing to shoot or on Doc's behalf for leaving him out there in place of Tony Allen who could be used as a defensive role player alongside the starters.

I don't think Eddie has played poor. People just need to realize that he's not a sharpshooter. He's a streaky shooter and scorer. When he's hot, he's hot. When he's not, he can still manage the ball without turning it over, while hustling on D. Tonight, he wasn't hitting any shots, and given that Doc left him on the floor for too long in the 4th.

[PPAW4Life]

KG is certainly not Antoine Walker. For one, KG doesn't shoot eight 3 pointers in a game.

KG needs some rest is all.

[return2glory]

We can't sign someone who is on another team.

[OBisHalJordan]

KG is like Walker in the sense that he doesn't play to his strengths for reasons that are perplexing. for walker, the two dominant opinions are he fell in love with the three because he was a selfish chucker who wants stats or because OB made him that way. regardless, it sucked and hurt the team.

For KG, I just don't understand why he always fades away. to me it is more frustrating to watch than walker. it is just a weak move. people can defend it him and say its unblockable but so is a jump hook and that shot has you moving toward the basket (something KG seems terrified of). I really was heartened by the jump hook KG shot to ice the game in Atlanta. There is no reason he doesn't take this shot more besides the fact that he doesn't want to. you can try to say he is avoiding injury but that is a weak of a defense for this softness as KG's fall away is a weak excuse for go to move of a so called superstar power foward. the only conclusion is that KG is soft. i never understood why he gets a free ride because of his "intensity." he is a soft, jump shooting, finesse player who has the skills to make some quick, strong moves in the post if he could get over his softness and play like man. I mean he gets payed 25 million dollars a year to play basketball and he brings this soft crap and then is labeled intense because he makes big baby cry. if i was big baby i would tell that KG to leave that weak **** at home and try to get to the foul line for once.

KG has only 91 free throw attempts this season, the least out of all the starters. leon powe has more than him at 134. TA is almost beating him with 80. Hell, Big Baby even has 54. that is not very impressive for a so called future hall of famer. KG needs to step it up or this team is sunk

[Kids Are Alright]

KG is like Walker in the sense that he doesn't play to his strengths for reasons that are perplexing. for walker, the two dominant opinions are he fell in love with the three because he was a selfish chucker who wants stats or because OB made him that way. regardless, it sucked and hurt the team.

For KG, I just don't understand why he always fades away. to me it is more frustrating to watch than walker. it is just a weak move. people can defend it him and say its unblockable but so is a jump hook and that shot has you moving toward the basket (something KG seems terrified of). I really was heartened by the jump hook KG shot to ice the game in Atlanta. There is no reason he doesn't take this shot more besides the fact that he doesn't want to. you can try to say he is avoiding injury but that is a weak of a defense for this softness as KG's fall away is a weak excuse for go to move of a so called superstar power foward. the only conclusion is that KG is soft. i never understood why he gets a free ride because of his "intensity." he is a soft, jump shooting, finesse player who has the skills to make some quick, strong moves in the post if he could get over his softness and play like man. I mean he gets payed 25 million dollars a year to play basketball and he brings this soft crap and then is labeled intense because he makes big baby cry. if i was big baby i would tell that KG to leave that weak **** at home and try to get to the foul line for once.

KG has only 91 free throw attempts this season, the least out of all the starters. leon powe has more than him at 134. TA is almost beating him with 80. Hell, Big Baby even has 54. that is not very impressive for a so called future hall of famer. KG needs to step it up or this team is sunk

I agree w/ the need for KG to bang, except he just doesn't have the body for it. I suspect he knows his game by now and it's not going to change.
Man do we miss PoZ. He was a definite energy guy on D and was usually responsible for more timely offense than that which Eddie gives us.