Bill Simmons on "System" Coaches

[PhoSita]

Bill Simmons:

There are two types of coaches …

1. A coach who looks at his players and says, "How can I put these guys in the best position for them to succeed?"

2. A coach who looks at his players and says, "How can I use these guys to make my system succeed?"

Now, think about the mind-set driving Coach No. 2: He's basically saying, I'm here only because of my system. I can't actually coach. If you give me the wrong players for my system, it doesn't matter — I will keep using the system anyway, because Plan B would be coming up with a more inventive way to coach these guys. And I can't do that. I'm not good enough. So if it's OK with you, I'd like to go down in flames with my system.

Like many Celtics fans, Bill Simmons is disgusted with this Celtics team, and he isn't one to spare Doc the blame either.


Oh wait.  He was talking about Mike D'Antoni.

Seems to fit pretty well, though, if you ask me.

OK, maybe it would be a bit too harsh if directed at Doc.  He isn't nearly as one-dimensional as Mike D.  But I think the basic criticism can be leveled at Doc, too.  He isn't good at adapting his own system and coaching style to a substantially different roster. 

The Celtics are still using the same system on offense and defense this season as they did in 2008, but they don't have the same elite talent at the top of the roster, and the supporting cast is very different, too.  I look at the way a team like the Spurs have reinvented themselves over the past few years to adjust to the changing roster and the age of their veterans and I wish the Celtics could have transitioned that way, too. 

I think Danny Ainge tried his best to build the roster different this year with an emphasis on depth and athleticism compared to previous seasons, but it hasn't really come to bear in the way the team plays in actual games.

[CelticsFan9]

Great analysis by Simmons.  I'm not sure D'Antoni realizes he has two dominant big men on his team.

You could apply Coach 2 to Doc as well, but more in the sense of player roles.  He has Jason Terry in Ray Allen's role, for example.  Doc knows these roles have produced success, so why not plug in a similar player (both Jet and Ray are great shooters) and go form there.  It doesn't work like that.

[indeedproceed]

Pretty hard to blame Doc for KG and Pierre's decline, and our complete lack of interior defense.

Also pretty tough to peg Doc as a 'system coach'. He's used how many starting lineups? How many times has he adopted the team to a new playing style?

[csfansince60s]

Does Doc even have a system.

Aside from being a players' coach and represent the team well, what else can he do?

[PhoSita]

Pretty hard to blame Doc for KG and Pierre's decline, and our complete lack of interior defense.

Also pretty tough to peg Doc as a 'system coach'. He's used how many starting lineups? How many times has he adopted the team to a new playing style?

He's used some different lineups.  I can't really agree that he's adopted a new playing style.

They use the same slow-it-down, half-court, hunt for mismatches, mid-range heavy offensive game that they played in 2008.  It's gotten less effective each year as the top scorers on the team have gotten older.

[Eddie20]

He has Jason Terry in Ray Allen's role, for example.  Doc knows these roles have produced success, so why not plug in a similar player (both Jet and Ray are great shooters) and go form there.  It doesn't work like that.

The problem is that Doc is sort in a bind. Terry plays/shoots better with the ball in has hands, while working the pick and roll game, and is automatic on the dribble pull up going right.  However, and this is the problem, if Terry has the ball in his hands, then Rondo doesn't and it makes Rondo an offensive liability because teams will just dare him to shoot.

It's for this reason that I don't think Rondo and Terry play that well together. That said, I would like to see Terry with the ball in his hands and working high pick and rolls with the second unit.

[CelticsFan9]

He has Jason Terry in Ray Allen's role, for example.  Doc knows these roles have produced success, so why not plug in a similar player (both Jet and Ray are great shooters) and go form there.  It doesn't work like that.

The problem is that Doc is sort in a bind. Terry plays/shoots better with the ball in has hands, while working the pick and roll game, and is automatic on the dribble pull up going right.  However, and this is the problem, if Terry has the ball in his hands, then Rondo doesn't and it makes Rondo an offensive liability because teams will just dare him to shoot.

It's for this reason that I don't think Rondo and Terry play that well together. That said, I would like to see Terry with the ball in his hands and working high pick and rolls with the second unit.

I totally agree with you, but Terry was supposed to be our make-shift back-up PG this year.

It's on Doc for playing them together so much.  However, Id like to see Rondo let Terry handle the ball while he makes cuts to the rim like Avery.  If teams are going to ignore him, at least make it somewhat risky.