Lakers vs. Celtics: Match-ups

[chibi]

Perkins responsibilities are pretty basic, based on what I've seen.  He blocks out and rebounds, and does a pretty good job at both when he can avoid foul trouble.     

Clearly the reason why your judgment on Perkins is inaccurate. Responsibilities pretty basic? Have you seen the Celtics play at all and seen how their defense actually works? If all he was doing was blocking out and rebounding I wouldn't be calling him a good defender.

I'm not even a Perkins fan, but he has been extraordinarily defensively and his help defense has been quite amazing. You have to give credit where credit is due.

Again, go ask Billups

Also, it's not that I think that Duncan is a poor defender, I'm simply saying that the level of defense Perkins has been playing in the playoffs, especially as of late can be considered superior. It happens constantly, when lesser players step up their games through periods of times and currently Perkins is playing unbelievable defense.

I do understand what the Celtics want to accomplish on defense.  They want to clog the middle and protect the paint; they want to limit the opposition to taking contested jumpshots; and they want to frustrate the opposition and make them take shots with the shot clock running down. 

Naturally, the Celtics matched up very well with Atlanta, Cleveland, and Detroit.  Why?  Those teams aren't able to space the floor because they lack 3pt shooting.  Without proper spacing, the already superb Celtics defense becomes even more daunting.  Wing defenders don't have to keep tabs on poor 3pt shooters.  They can hedge off their men and help out Perkins and Garnett.  Do you see where I am going with this?  Perkins defense looks better than it is because he is the recipient of help.  He's not a top-tier lockdown defender.  1 block on a hobbled Chauncey Billups does not a top defender make.       

And against the Lakers, Celtics fans will find that out very quickly.  Kobe is surrounded by 3pt shooters:  Radmanovic, Fisher, Farmar, Vujacic, and to some degree even Walton.  Who is going to help Perkins when Gasol faces him up 15 ft from the basket and takes him to the hole?  This isn't Al Horford with his limited offensive repetoire.  This isn't the slow-footed Zydrunas Ilgauskas.  This isn't an old Rasheed Wallace.  This is Pau F'n Gasol!  Radmanovic will occupy a corner on the strong side.  Kobe will be at the top of the circle.  And Fisher will be about halfway between Kobe and Radmanovic.  There will be no help for Perkins.  That's the beauty of the Triangle.   

Perkins isn't the beneficiary of help, he is the one providing the help in the Celts D.  The whole "lock-down" defender thing is so overrated and misunderstood.  The thing about this Celtics is the TEAM defense they play, not counting on winning each individual matchup.  They have had plenty of experience closing out on 3 pt shooters this year, their defensive schemes are not ill-equipped to deal with this.  The Celtics didn't pick their opponents in the playoffs and what their strengths and weaknesses were, they simply defended who they played. 

As far as the Gasol matchup, I really don't think you have seen many C's games to make it seem that Kendrick will be so overmatched when Pau is facing up.  Perk has shown he can slide his feet defensively on the perimeter hedging on picks, keeping some of the league's best guards in front of him without letting them turn the corner.  I think you are in for a rude awakening if you think Gasol is just going to face up Perk and blow by him with the dribble.

I know Perkins helps out on defense.  I've seen that with my own eyes, and i'm not saying he does not.  And I summarized what makes the Celtics defense excellent.  So, what was your point? 

And well, okay.  I said at the very beginning that I hadn't seen a lot of Celtics games.  But based on the posts in this forum, I'm going to be a little disappointed if Perkins isn't a defensive mammoth with cat-like quickness.  I don't know.  What can't Perkins, Lord of Defense, do?  You tell me.   

And Perkins is never the beneficiary of help?  Ever? 

[oneofthesedays]

Gasol can just shoot over the top of Perkins whenever he wants.  Odom can take him off the dribble with ease.  No matter who Perkins is guarding, he won't be able to use his strengths.

[BASSTHUMPER]

gasol is full of gas~perk better not be worried bout him

perk is stronger and can get in gasoline's face when he shootin~

i aint worried bout kobe~

last year when tony allen was healthy he slowed kobe down~not stop him but slow him dowm~kobe has turned in to a play maker so we need are best d on kobe and i dont know if it's paul~

may be scalabrine~~~~?

*sippin 40oz and watchin ufc~

[fairweatherfan06]

I don't know about lockdown defender ie Perk.  I think his value in the defense is spacing, hustle, toughness, and being and enforcer.  I think he will rough up Gasol and battle him on the boards and I think under the basket he can bother him but from 15 ft out he is a sitting duck for Gasol and the best he can do is put up a hand, ditto for him on Odom.  I think our best bet is to leave KG on Gasol and to have Perk take away the post from Odom (he's capable of that) and force Odom to make shots and hope he doesn't gain confidence shooting them.

[cordobes]

Perkins responsibilities are pretty basic, based on what I've seen.  He blocks out and rebounds, and does a pretty good job at both when he can avoid foul trouble.     

Clearly the reason why your judgment on Perkins is inaccurate. Responsibilities pretty basic? Have you seen the Celtics play at all and seen how their defense actually works? If all he was doing was blocking out and rebounding I wouldn't be calling him a good defender.

I'm not even a Perkins fan, but he has been extraordinarily defensively and his help defense has been quite amazing. You have to give credit where credit is due.

Again, go ask Billups

Also, it's not that I think that Duncan is a poor defender, I'm simply saying that the level of defense Perkins has been playing in the playoffs, especially as of late can be considered superior. It happens constantly, when lesser players step up their games through periods of times and currently Perkins is playing unbelievable defense.

I do understand what the Celtics want to accomplish on defense.  They want to clog the middle and protect the paint; they want to limit the opposition to taking contested jumpshots; and they want to frustrate the opposition and make them take shots with the shot clock running down. 

Naturally, the Celtics matched up very well with Atlanta, Cleveland, and Detroit.  Why?  Those teams aren't able to space the floor because they lack 3pt shooting.  Without proper spacing, the already superb Celtics defense becomes even more daunting.  Wing defenders don't have to keep tabs on poor 3pt shooters.  They can hedge off their men and help out Perkins and Garnett.  Do you see where I am going with this?  Perkins defense looks better than it is because he is the recipient of help.  He's not a top-tier lockdown defender.  1 block on a hobbled Chauncey Billups does not a top defender make.       

And against the Lakers, Celtics fans will find that out very quickly.  Kobe is surrounded by 3pt shooters:  Radmanovic, Fisher, Farmar, Vujacic, and to some degree even Walton.  Who is going to help Perkins when Gasol faces him up 15 ft from the basket and takes him to the hole?  This isn't Al Horford with his limited offensive repetoire.  This isn't the slow-footed Zydrunas Ilgauskas.  This isn't an old Rasheed Wallace.  This is Pau F'n Gasol!  Radmanovic will occupy a corner on the strong side.  Kobe will be at the top of the circle.  And Fisher will be about halfway between Kobe and Radmanovic.  There will be no help for Perkins.  That's the beauty of the Triangle.   

Perkins isn't the beneficiary of help, he is the one providing the help in the Celts D.  The whole "lock-down" defender thing is so overrated and misunderstood.  The thing about this Celtics is the TEAM defense they play, not counting on winning each individual matchup.  They have had plenty of experience closing out on 3 pt shooters this year, their defensive schemes are not ill-equipped to deal with this.  The Celtics didn't pick their opponents in the playoffs and what their strengths and weaknesses were, they simply defended who they played. 

As far as the Gasol matchup, I really don't think you have seen many C's games to make it seem that Kendrick will be so overmatched when Pau is facing up.  Perk has shown he can slide his feet defensively on the perimeter hedging on picks, keeping some of the league's best guards in front of him without letting them turn the corner.  I think you are in for a rude awakening if you think Gasol is just going to face up Perk and blow by him with the dribble.

I know Perkins helps out on defense.  I've seen that with my own eyes, and i'm not saying he does not.  And I summarized what makes the Celtics defense excellent.  So, what was your point? 

And well, okay.  I said at the very beginning that I hadn't seen a lot of Celtics games.  But based on the posts in this forum, I'm going to be a little disappointed if Perkins isn't a defensive mammoth with cat-like quickness.  I don't know.  What can't Perkins, Lord of Defense, do?  You tell me.   

And Perkins is never the beneficiary of help?  Ever? 

You have a point, kind of. Celtics' defense is based in protecting the paint first and then just showing up to the exterior shooters. But the only team who beated us this season from the 3 line were the raptors, when they shot like 20/25. If LA wants to win a 7 game series againt Boston with Kobe, Radmanovic and Fisher with long-range jump-shots, just bring it. On the other hand, you are grossly underestimating Perkins' lateral quickness and defensive awareness. Probably he won't be able to just shut down Gasol, but he won't be killed with Pau's face up game either.

[RockinRyA]

i think odom would be the x factor for the lakers

should be a good matchup


but i hope the lakers would think like their fans.. that way theyd play like their walking at the park as their fans made it to be

[sk7326]

If we go to the possession neutral statistics, which is the correct way to look at these team stats.  During the 82 game haul:

The Lakers were the 3rd best offense in the league, the Celtics were 10th.  The Lakers were 2.9 points better than Boston per 100 possessions.

The Celtics were the best defense in the league, the Lakers were a solid 6th.  The Celtics were 2.6 points better than THE SECOND BEST DEFENSE, and a full 6.6 points better than LA.

In the playoffs, in a full Gasol universe:

Lakers the 3rd best offense among the 16, Celtics were 7th ... Lakers were 3.8 points a game better

Celtics the top defense in the postseason, Lakers 5th ... 3.7 points separate them

The teams have been remarkably similar in other places ... both teams pass a lot, and commit more turnovers than you'd want, they shoot the ball very efficiently, they don't really rebound particularly well especially on the defensive end ... it is very close

[BASSTHUMPER]

i could hold kobe~shut him down

i would jus talk about how fine his wife is and his game would be off all nite long~

she is fine tho~

[RockinRyA]

hate kobe

[BASSTHUMPER]

careful rya

not a funny subject sir

[RockinRyA]

scratch that sorry.. just hate kobe as a person, not as a player.. 

[dark_lord]

Edited.

thats messed up joking around [about something that serious].

---------------------

Agreed with dark_lord. Please avoid making that particular subject an object of humor. -R.H.

[RebusRankin]

Boston hasn't played teams that can shoot the 3?

Cleveland has Wally, Delonte West, Boobie Gibson, Damon Jones and even Lebron can hit them.
Detroit has Rip, Billups and Sheed.

[chibi]

Boston hasn't played teams that can shoot the 3?

Cleveland has Wally, Delonte West, Boobie Gibson, Damon Jones and even Lebron can hit them.
Detroit has Rip, Billups and Sheed.

Well, it's not a matter of shooting 3s; it's a matter of making them.  Detroit, Cleveland, and Atlanta aren't among the better 3pt shooting teams in the league; they're in the middle.  It isn't a weakness but it is not their strength.   

[Roy Hobbs]

I edited / deleted several of the recent posts dealing with the Eagle, Colorado allegations.  That's a subject we'd all be better to stay away from, and certainly it's not something that should be joked about. -R.H.