KG: He needs more time to heal. I expect him to get better, and really contribute come play-off time. He should be on a program for the rest of the regular season that maximizes his chances of returning to full physical strength. Probably should decline all star game nod.
PP: Ditto. He is banged up. He should not be playing in the all star game or the 3 point contest. Need to get him healthy and ready for play-offs.
RA: I think people have exaggerated his decline. He actually has been taking it to the hole more this year than the last two, which gets him to the line more often, where he is deadly. His defense has not really diminished, it's just has mistakes are not fixed by KG and Perk right now.
Rondo: Offense should run through his hands as much as possible. Pierce and Ray (not to mention TA) turn it over too much. Remember, turnovers is one of our two biggest team weaknesses (rebounding obviously the other). Giving the ball to Rondo as much as possible will help cut turnovers down. Common sense. His outside shooting has improved, and I don't cringe as much when he is at the foul line. Has gotten a little lazy on the defensive end recently, but this can be corrected.
Perk: Has to remember his role: Interior defense, rebounds, situational offense. Perk's defense has suffered because KG is not at full strength. He has improved his temper control, and cut down on moving screens. His offensive production has gone down a bit because defenses no longer double KG, who in the past would find Perk for easy dunks. Also, Perk has to acknowledge that against some guys, such as Bynum and even Okafor last night, he is not physically good enough to post them. That's okay, he just needs to focus on other things in those situations.
Sheed: I actually think he should be given more minutes, so that he will get in better condition, and also feel more like a contributor to the team. Extra minutes from him will give KG more time to rest and work on getting his knee in better shape. He is still a potentially huge asset for us. Has worked more on his post game, which suggests that he is listening to Doc and trying to conform to the team goals.
Tony: I was optomistic a couple of weeks ago. No longer. He is just his own worst enemy. A great steal almost always seems to be followed by a horrible turnover, a total wash. What ever outside game he used to have is now completely gone. Zero confidence. Terrible shooting mechanics. I cringe when he shoots from the outside. What a pity. Bottom line: he should be limited to situational defense, where the other team's two is getting off on someone else. Otherwise, I would keep him on the pine.
MQD: Wow, in some ways he is the one guy I am starting to get excited about. Looks fearless out there. His handle is more confident (ironic given his thumb injury), and just seems to do the right thing. Doc should double his minutes for the next couple of weeks so Paul can rest.
BBD: He seems to finally be getting into his rhythm. About time. Probably could use extra minutes to get his body in better shape. I think he is going to be a factor for us in the play-offs.
Eddie: He should be sitting. Too one dimensional, and that dimensioin (3 point shooting) is declining each game. Has to be one of the worst defenders in the NBA, not from lack of effort, but lack of ability. Much worst than he was last year or the year before on D. It was fun while it lasted, but now I understand why Eddie has played on 8 different teams.
Scal: Frankly, he is one of the few bright spots. He continues to play smart, move the ball, play solid defense (did a good job on Posey, who looks terrible). No issues here. Too bad he does not get involved in the offense more. Probably the best 3 point shooter on the second unit right now, including Eddie.
Doc: I have mentioned this before. He needs to shake things up a bit in the rotations. Last night he stupidly played it by the book, bringing the starters back to finish the game, when it was clear that 2 of them (Pierce and KG) were gimpy, Perk and Rondo were having an off night, and TA was having a terrible night. Lacks imagination with his roster, seems to sensitive to the egos of his starters.
Prognosis: I still think we can compete for a championship, if we get healthy. If not, we will probably lose in the first round.
Topic: Player Assessments at Break (Read 799 times)