Time For the Stars To Shine!

[jay_jay54]

one thing i could never figure out,why do we have 2 bigs on the court,with no low post game on off.All season,i was waiting on either Perk to develop a serious low post game or KG having plays for him ran thru the post.If you are not going to post any teams up,why play a slow pace game?To me,its a waste,to have 2 bigs,and none play the post like a center on offense.KG is bascially a pick/pop jump shooter,and Perk is whatever is there in leftovers.As the season progresses,most team add and develop more plays for their bigs.   

[paintitgreen]

one thing i could never figure out,why do we have 2 bigs on the court,with no low post game on off.All season,i was waiting on either Perk to develop a serious low post game or KG having plays for him ran thru the post.If you are not going to post any teams up,why play a slow pace game?To me,its a waste,to have 2 bigs,and none play the post like a center on offense.KG is bascially a pick/pop jump shooter,and Perk is whatever is there in leftovers.As the season progresses,most team add and develop more plays for their bigs.   

This is precisely why the Hawks were right when they said they matched up well with the Cs before this series. I didn't see it, personally, but it's true. They can't play post defense, they rely on Josh Smith to come through with weak side blocks. Against the Celtics they don't have to play post defense. They can just run around trying to disrupt. We're not passing well enough to take advantage of their overplays and we don't have (or don't use, whether it's KG's or Doc's fault) a post presence to slow it down and punish them, making them overcommit to the post and leave our shooters open. Instead, they just running around keeping pressure on our shooters so we take more contested outside shots - the key to losing basketball.

Offensively, they only play one guy, Horford, on the post, keep Smith and Childress or Williams running around the perimeter waiting to crash the boards after an outside shot by Bibby or Johnson. Occasionally one of those guys drives and looks for an open cutter. That and fast breaks is their whole offense, not terribly complex.

That leaves only one post defender down low (a problem for the Celtics who thrive defensively when they put both KG and Perk in the post on defense). The Celtics' perimeter defenders are not keeping those crashers away from the offensive boards, so Perk, Powe, KG or whoever else is left in the post covering Horford gets swarmed and overwhelmed. That's how they're killing us on the glass. That, and the fact that the one guy they play down there, Horford, is generally outrebounding whomever is covering him, with the exception of Perk in the first half of Game 4 and parts of Games 1 and 2.

Now, they shouldn't match up well with us because we have enough depth and versatility that we should be able to adjust accordingly, but we haven't done that yet. They saw what they could do on the glass and on the defensive end in the first two games, exploited it well in Game 3 and deservedly won. Now, we should have made those adjustments in Game 4, that's what's frustrating. We, or more appropriately, Doc, didn't. I saw no real adjustments in Game 4, only an opinion that "our guys have to play better." Simmons is right on that front - Doc is ridiculous in assigning blame for anything that goes wrong to the players.

In part it comes down to our stars but in part it also comes down to everybody filling their roles offensively and defensively and making the proper adjustments. Yes, it would be ideal if KG exploited the post and Pierce started killing their overplay defense with penetration, like he did in games 1 and 2. However, us playing well and intelligently as a team should be more than enough. This should not be a tough series.

[Bahku]

I absolutely love "We Not Me" ... I am probably one of the biggest proponents of the team ethic, and the power of a cohesive functioning "posse". But the time has come, for the sake of themselves and their team-mates, for one or more of our heroes to take on that mantle ... to be the superstar that we believe in, that their team believes in, and show us all the path to success. The team is there, behind them, and there's no longer a need to focus on that unit exclusively ... they'll be ready, to back them up and provide the meat to this victory sandwhich. It's time for one or more of our champions to prove that they're worthy of the moniker. It's time to be the leader, the star, the hero, and the ultimate warrior.

It's TIME ... time to put the "I" in "UNIT"!

Go Celtics!

I knew as I wrote this that I should have spent a little more time on this section ... this thought ... in order to clarify that by calling out the stars, I was in no way saying we should abandon the team approach that has brought us this far. Not at all, in fact, did I mean to infer that, but rather tried to get across that despite the superstars "stepping up", the team structure, having been the core focus to this point, is going to continue despite what else happens. It has become ingrained in each player to the point, I feel, where that will prevail regardless of who takes the lead.

In fact, I think the team concept is actually stronger with a leader. Without someone to set the standard and provide direction and instill confidence on the floor, that whole "cohesive unit" really has nowhere to go ... no clear path on which to focus it's energies. With everyone being completely unselfish and always looking for the other guy to reward, from where does the thrust come? Where's the point of this coordinated spear that they've worked so hard to put together? There HAS to be a defined "tip" to this weapon, or it becomes too undefined and too blunt to be effective.

"We Not Me" is not going to be forsaken if one or more of our superstars steps up to take point, on the contrary, it will actually become stronger and more focused than ever, because it will now have structure, direction and purpose. A unit needs to have the "I" clearly defined, and we have enough of that talent, that it need not be the same player each time, but can key more on who is really "feeling it" that night, and who has the hot hand, (as that changes constantly). The team concept is not going to suffer by defining a leader each night, but will be the complete weapon it was meant to be, with a defined target, and a leader pointing the way.

[Big Ticket]

I have  "We Not Me" Adidas shirt with KG's sig below it.  Maybe I should wear it tonight for good luck?

[Bahku]

I have  "We Not Me" Adidas shirt with KG's sig below it.  Maybe I should wear it tonight for good luck?

Won't hurt, BT ... I've got my retro Pierce Baseball home jersey on ... wear it for every home game, (and my away jersey for the others). Hey, call me superstitious, but like I say ... it can't hurt, right?

[BASSTHUMPER]

i got the bucket...anybody got a green rabbits foot..?...

[Bahku]

The stars shined brightly tonight, folks ... and it was a bright light indeed!

The Boyz In Green played "their game" tonight ... tough defense, attacking the basket, making the extra pass, and the Big Three stepping up! Pierce decided he was gonna take this one to 'em, and he did in a big way. Ticket was huge with some major blocks and some in-your-face buckets. Ray came off the picks and nailed some big jumpers. Powe was pimpin' like a man on a mission, and he was!

Everybody stepped it up, man ... and it was a beautiful thing to watch, (despite the travesty the officials came across with). Even PJ, Tony, and Eddie, who all had short minutes, contributed positively. Sam was doing his thang and nailed some big shots, Posey was a monster on both ends of the court, Big Baby was a man possessed, and Perk and Rage were absolutely awesome!

This was the team we've been watching all year ... the team with heart and determination ... the team with aggressive energy at both ends. This was the cohesive unti we've come to love, with guys ready and willing to step up and lead the way. All they need do now is continue the momentum from this game, and continue playing the way they're used to playing. Play with the spirit and ability they've shown all year, and not fall into the trap of playing the other team's game.

Awesome win tonight, by our beloved Celtics ... and though they seemed to take a bit of a hiatus over the two previous games, they're back ... and I believe they're back to stay. Yes, the stars shined brightly tonight, and they're back to light a clear path to a championship! Go Celtics!

[guava_wrench]

Best part tonight -- Pierce took it to the hoop. He dominated in the lane. Great job by the captain.

[Celtic]

My favorite out their tonight was Ray, every time the Hawks started to make a run, he'd nail a three. You could tell it was demoralizing to them, I love when Ray hits a big shot and just has that sneer on his face, silently knowing that he just stuck a dagger in your heart.

[Bahku]

Best part tonight -- Pierce took it to the hoop. He dominated in the lane. Great job by the captain.

Yup ... I agree, GW (TP) ... Truth was the captain we needed him to be ... stepping up and leading the way. You could tell, with those awesome drives to the hoop, that he was determined to take this one on his shoulders. And the other guys were doing the same thing ... it was awesome! That's what I meant about the "tip of the spear" ... that as soon as someone steps up, especially the captain, who the rest are looking to for guidance and direction, then the rest are there, too, more than happy to do their part, and step their game up as well. That's what Pierce did ... he led the way, and the other guys, ALL of them, followed in a big way!

[Bahku]

My favorite out their tonight was Ray, every time the Hawks started to make a run, he'd nail a three. You could tell it was demoralizing to them, I love when Ray hits a big shot and just has that sneer on his face, silently knowing that he just stuck a dagger in your heart.

Totally ... TP for you, too, Celtic! Ray was awesome, doing what he does best, and stepping up when we needed him to. All it takes is one guy to make the first commitment, and the other guys are ready to back him up. That's the best thing about a true "team", there's any one of a number of players who can come forward at any time to set the standard, and I think Paul did that tonight, with Ray, KG, Rage, Perk ... everybody right there ready to step up, too. Awesome win! Keep it up, Boyz!

[paintitgreen]

Agreed, great win, it seems they took the criticisms levelled against them the past two days and overcame. I'm still a bit worried about our problems converting down low (seems like we missed a TON of layups), but at least we were attacking. As that rust from basically taking three weeks off shakes off, this team can only get crisper. I liked that we were more patient offensively while still being aggressive in taking the game to them. The Hawks are all over the place, and better ball movement makes 20 point victories.

Let's just see them do it again tomorrow night in the ATL. Go Cs.

[Bahku]

Agreed, great win, it seems they took the criticisms levelled against them the past two days and overcame. I'm still a bit worried about our problems converting down low (seems like we missed a TON of layups), but at least we were attacking. As that rust from basically taking three weeks off shakes off, this team can only get crisper. I liked that we were more patient offensively while still being aggressive in taking the game to them. The Hawks are all over the place, and better ball movement makes 20 point victories.

Let's just see them do it again tomorrow night in the ATL. Go Cs.

Great points Paint, (TP) ... I think a lot of the low-post problem was KG just being cold ... he missed a bunch of those little one-hand jumpers from close to the basket. Some nights they just don't go, and that hoop gets a bit smaller. I think he was having one of those nights, though he got it going later on.

I personally wish our big guys inside would dunk the ball much more than they do, especially KG and Perk. Seems like they always favor those soft shots, and it lowers the percentage of success a great deal. Nothing's more sure than a dunk, (probably 95-99% success rate), and it also sends such an in-your-face statement to the other team.

That dunk that Ticket had early on was huge, and I thought: More of that, man! But there wasn't much more, and it disappoints me a bit. To dunk on a young athletic team like the Hawks on a regular basis would be a great little head message to send, and would increase our scoring percentage down low.

I'm really not sure why the C's don't dunk more, it's such a powerful weapon, and it gets everybody going .... other players and crowd. Those little finesse shots are pretty when they go, but they're just nowhere near as successful, and don't have anywhere near the same "throw-down" value.

I agree, though ... just continue what they were doing, and use that positive momentum into the next game. They can't get complacent again, or think that they can let up any with their intensity, determination, focus, and enthusiasm. This Atlanta team can shoot and run, and the defense has got to be huge.

[Bahku]

Let's hope they keep shining, and keep the momentum all the way to number seventeen! Adios, muchachos ... it's been real. (enlightening, to say the least)

[MrsNumba17]

Basically, tonight it comes down to who really wants this??? The Hawks got to shine Game 3 & 4. Tonight my C's are gonna take Game 6. KG, PP, Ray Allen need to step it up. Rondo has been a stunner this playoff series. I'm pleasantly surprised by his talent, sportsmanship and of course his athleticism. Perkins worries me a little but I think he'll pull through tonight. To all my fellow Celtics fans... enjoy seeing are C's shine in Atlanta tonight!!!