What is wrong with the defense?

[vinnie]

C's have given up 100 points or more in 6 of the last 8 games. For all 8 games, teams are averaging 99.1 versus 91.1 up to that point. Anyone have any idea what the problem might be?

[celticinorlando]

TP for you...yes the bench is lacking but the celtics defense has been struggling....they need to get this together now

[BigAlTheFuture]

They look pretty tired out there..

[wdleehi]

Today, it comes down to

1) Bonner has career game from the outside.  Defense was set up to force him to shoot.  Nothing to do if he is going to nail them.

2) the bench play when it is 4 bench and one starter is just to terrible.  Both quarters that started with them led to a 30+ point period.  (though notice the bench players were better when they were mixed with more starters)

[cordobes]

2) the bench play when it is 4 bench and one starter is just to terrible.  Both quarters that started with them led to a 30+ point period.  (though notice the bench players were better when they were mixed with more starters)

Really?

2 starters + bench: outscored by 6
1 starter + bench: outscored by 7

The difference is that the 4bench+1starter lineup played 7 more minutes. I guess a lie repeated a million times...

Plus, Pierce and Allen are playing around 40 minutes every close game we have and I don't like the Rondo+TA backcourt. Today there were moments were all the 5 SA players were defending inside the paint when we had the RR+TA+KP line-up. Plus, Garnett and Pierce hanging around the 3pt line on the weakside wing is a waste. I don't know if it's that easy to play less 4 bench players units (that I don't mind at all). 

[tenn_smoothie]

the starters - especially pierce and allen - are playing more minutes and do not have the energy or the legs to put into their defense the way they could playing less minutes ....... they also are having to put more effort into the offensive end because the bench is so impotent on that end of the floor.

i don't care how fit you are, a player only has so much energy in the tank and he has to decide where to distribute what he's got.

more minutes on the floor + more energy being required to score points for the team = less to give on the defensive end.

[twinbree]

the starters - especially pierce and allen - are playing more minutes and do not have the energy or the legs to put into their defense the way they could playing less minutes ....... they also are having to put more effort into the offensive end because the bench is so impotent on that end of the floor.

i don't care how fit you are, a player only has so much energy in the tank and he has to decide where to distribute what he's got.

more minutes on the floor + more energy being required to score points for the team = less to give on the defensive end.

I agree. Starters are doing too much. Especially Paul and Ray who have played a lot of minutes this week and while battling the flu. I also haven't really been happy with the bench defense all season. The drop-off in defense from the starters to bench IMO is the main reason why they can't protect leads Their their inability to get stops just exposes their problems on the offensive end. 

[BballTim]

the starters - especially pierce and allen - are playing more minutes and do not have the energy or the legs to put into their defense the way they could playing less minutes ....... they also are having to put more effort into the offensive end because the bench is so impotent on that end of the floor.

i don't care how fit you are, a player only has so much energy in the tank and he has to decide where to distribute what he's got.

more minutes on the floor + more energy being required to score points for the team = less to give on the defensive end.

  The numbers are skewed by the ot game but Paul and Ray aren't playing tons of minutes. In Paul's case (at least) fighting off the flu hasn't helped.

  Here's another theory: Our defense isn't bad but the games have been going at a faster pace lately. If I try and estimate the number of possessions I generally come up with a (non-scientific) number that's higher than the number of points allowed (not today though). More empirically, our defensive efficiency rating is holding pretty steady, best in the league.

[cordobes]

  Here's another theory: Our defense isn't bad but the games have been going at a faster pace lately. If I try and estimate the number of possessions I generally come up with a (non-scientific) number that's higher than the number of points allowed (not today though).More empirically, our defensive efficiency rating is holding pretty steady, best in the league.

Are you sure? I had the feeling that our def. eff. had in fact been declining lately.

Anyway, it's the best in the league but not as good as it was last season. Last year's defence was historically good, one of the best in the decade. This season, and the difference to the 2nd best defence declined from 2.7 to 1.2 and we're allowing 1.5 more points per 100 possessions (and our opponents are shooting at a better FG%).

[BballTim]

  Here's another theory: Our defense isn't bad but the games have been going at a faster pace lately. If I try and estimate the number of possessions I generally come up with a (non-scientific) number that's higher than the number of points allowed (not today though).More empirically, our defensive efficiency rating is holding pretty steady, best in the league.

Are you sure? I had the feeling that our def. eff. had in fact been declining lately.

Anyway, it's the best in the league but not as good as it was last season. Last year's defence was historically good, one of the best in the decade. This season, and the difference to the 2nd best defence declined from 2.7 to 1.2 and we're allowing 1.5 more points per 100 possessions (and our opponents are shooting at a better FG%).

  It may be declining, there's no website that I know of that gives you splits of efficiency. When we ended our 7 of 9 losing streak we were about 1 point behind Cleveland and now we're about 1 point ahead of them. I guess we're rising slightly but our lead seems to be holding steady. On second thought, however, while we were lapping Cleveland we must have been playing well below our rate so I guess we must be playing worse than we were, but I'm pretty sure our pace is also higher.

  By the way, and you probably know this, but our "historic" defense wasn't measured by our distance from the #2 team but our distance from the league average.

[gustusias]

Ain't nothimg wrong with their defense. Ain't nothing wrong. I think they are less talented this year and a year older. Ainge had a terrible offseason , bringing in no help whatsoever in the draft or free agent market. No trades, Zero. I am sorry, but all the other contenders helped themselves a great deal and we got worse. It is true.

[xmuscularghandix]

its a bunch of little things, Rondo going for to many steals and sending his man right at KG and Perk, poor rotations at time, and what i see as the worst 23.5 seconds of good defense followed by no hustle on the defensive boards followed by bad defense.

[housecall]

they are taking plays off on D to much this season.

[TerreHaute]

they are taking plays off on D to much this season.

Agreed. Seems like they are trying to flip the switch when necessary.

[wdleehi]

2) the bench play when it is 4 bench and one starter is just to terrible.  Both quarters that started with them led to a 30+ point period.  (though notice the bench players were better when they were mixed with more starters)

Really?

2 starters + bench: outscored by 6
1 starter + bench: outscored by 7

The difference is that the 4bench+1starter lineup played 7 more minutes. I guess a lie repeated a million times...

Plus, Pierce and Allen are playing around 40 minutes every close game we have and I don't like the Rondo+TA backcourt. Today there were moments were all the 5 SA players were defending inside the paint when we had the RR+TA+KP line-up. Plus, Garnett and Pierce hanging around the 3pt line on the weakside wing is a waste. I don't know if it's that easy to play less 4 bench players units (that I don't mind at all). 

So it is ok that they were only outscored by 6?   

And also, who was on the floor for the Lakers?