Are there really people out there screaming about how bad Doc is after watching the garbage displayed by the players on the court?
For all those people complaining about how foolish Doc was for using Cassell, please note that he was the ONLY Celtic not in the negative for the game in the +/- stats. That's right the only one. And he only missed three shots. It's not like he shot us out of the game.
31.8 FG%
11.1 3PT FG%
14 TO
12 AST
Garnett -12 for the game 6-16 FGM/FGA
Pierce -14 for the game 3-14 FGM/FGA 4 TO
Allen -14 for the game 2-8 FGM/FGA
Rondo -14 for the game 2-8 FGM/FGA
None of the above stats have anything to do with Doc. The players sucked. They were worse than bad. They didn't show. They had no intensity, no cohesion, no heart in any way tonight.
Red Auerbach coaching the players on this team couldn't have won this game.
Doc may drive us all mad but he had nothing to do with why we lost. If not for the refs and the obvious one sided calls we were getting this was a 35-40 point loss.
Then why does our offense look so confused? With 3 guys out there that have the ability to score(yes allen still has this) there should rarely be a problem with this offense. Whats sad is that sheed was out for an eternity and so was billups and they still couldn't get anything done. The team didn't play well I'll give you that, but Doc doen't know how to get the O on track when its sputtering.
As for sam, his numbers don't mean a thing. When it looked like our offense was making a run, he came in and it slowed way down and didn't pick up again until he was out.
First, the offense looks a bit confused because the Celtics are playing the second best defensive team in the league. Detroit's defense tonight was excellent.
Second, the decision making by the players on the floor on the offensive end was worse than terrible. Constant jumping in the air and trying to pass that turned into turnovers or near turnovers. Bad picks being set. Poor passing. How many times did a player forego a layup to pass out for a 20 footer.
Doc's not the best x's and o's coach and his defensive schemes are much better than his offensive ones but if the players actually try to run the offense properly, it should work. It has all year.
Lastly, your statement about Cassell coming in and slowing the offense way down and that it didn't pick up again until he was out is so far off base it's not funny. Sam entered the game with the score 18-6. The offense was stagnant and doing nothing better than any other offense that ever tried to do nothing. Sam's pressence settled things down and the Celtics closed the last 3:46 with an 11-4 run.
I'm sorry but you are just mentioning the typical Sam stereotype. It did not happen tonight.
1. I was on the fence about sam until tonight. The guy doesn't creat offense and our team slowed because of it.
2. It's true our guys didn't play well, but don't you find it odd that no one seems to know what to do with the ball? You can blame the players to an extent and I would agree with you. But if a coach cannot rein his guys in, draw up a few plays to break a double team and get his guys some clean looks, and make adjustments when down, then he is not a good coach.
3. If sam settled things down so well then why would he take a 3 at the worst possible moment and contribute to killing a run? We get a good look and were down by 1, instead they run back and I believe it was 7
Without Sam Cassell the Celtics are losing at the end of the 1st quarter by serious double digits instead of 5. Sam ran the offense way better than Rondo did tonight and took one bad shot. One. It was a hero three pointer but considering the fact that until that point there had only been three outside shots made all game, it wasn't that bad of a decision.
Sorry, most nights you are right and Sam does slow things down and costs the team momentum. Tonight was not one of those nights. He had the best +/- on the whole freaking team. That stat just does not lie.
As for the play being drawn up that would free up his players, who's to say that he didn't draw up good adjustments and that they just weren't executed?
Again, I just don't see where Doc can be criticized for what happened tonight. For all we know he had the perfect game plan and the players just botched the whole thing. They were just that awful.
On the pick and roll the picker was always moving and the man with the ball always started before the pick was set.
I didn't see one properly executed pick and roll all night.
Most times Detroit caused some havoc and someone decided it was time to do it all themselves.
Ray wasn't cutting close enough on the screens set for him and hasn't all postseason. That's part of the reason for his not being open. You have to cut around those screens close, sharp and fast to free yourself up. He's just not doing it.
Rondo played more like Sam than Sam did tonight. He was constantly dribbling for 15 out of the 24 seconds available.
Garnett wasn't trying to get his post positions deep enough. This is a constant problem Ihave with him and I can't helkp but think the coaches do too. Start to establish your low post position sooner and deeper and the spacing will take care of itself and he won't need to be so reliant on fall aways.
Execution tonight sucked.