What's wrong with the defense and rebounding?

[Who]

Kevin Garnett's rebounding has declined but he is still an above average rebounder. The Celtics can still be a very good rebounding with this KG.

The reason they're not able to be that very good rebounding team is the lack of rebounding from Rasheed Wallace + wing players.

The wing players are not attacking the defensive boards this year as they did last year.

Bingo! with the exception of Rondo.

Rondo's rebound numbers per 36 minutes:

06-07 -- 5.7 per 36
07-08 -- 5.0 per 36
08-09 -- 5.7 per 36
09-10 -- 4.3 per 36

Rajon Rondo is not a problem. He is still doing a good-to-very good job on the backboards for a point guard.

However, his rebounding has declined and that decline has been part of the reason for the C's poor rebounding this season.

[buzz]

They are old, slow, and in some cases gimpy.

Not much else to say.

[Who]

Paul Pierce = 4.5 rebounds per 36
Marquis Daniels = 3.6 rebounds per 36
Ray Allen = 3.4 rebounds per 36

Paul Pierce's individual rebounding has not only declined but so too has his team rebounding. His box out ability. I'm not seeing him rotating down and keeping opposing bigs off the glass anywhere near as often as he used to.

All three players have been very poor on the backboards.

From comparing the Celtics with(3)other top teams around the league,i found our 3's are rebounding closer to their 2's,our2's are closer to their pgs(1),the 4'scloser to their 3's,our5's more like their3's...we are rebounding at the level/rate we should by position.

Yup, average numbers by position are roughly

Small Forwards -- 6.0 per 36
Shooting Guards -- 4.5 per 36 -- Pierce's numbers
Point Guards -- 3.6 per 36 -- Marquis' + Ray's numbers

[Evantime34]

My opinion on this from watching the games and not looking at the stats is this.

On defense like others have said we're too slow so the rotations are a second or two late. This might prevent the other team from getting a good shot off but the C's are left out of position to rebound.

On Offense we consistently have one player of the 5 on the court hitting the offensive glass. Not sure if this is scheme or lack of effort, my guess would be a combination of both.

[Redz]

They are old, slow, and in some cases gimpy.

Not much else to say.

It does appear so, huh.  Tommy H. was saying last night simply "the Celts aren't in a condition to compete right now."

[Who]

Rondo + Ray + Pierce + KG + Perk = +11 in 851 minutes on the boards which is a rebounding differential of +.62 per game

Rondo + Ray + Pierce + Sheed + Perk = -6 in 173 minutes which is a rebounding differential of -1.66 per 48.

Rondo + Ray + Pierce + KG + Sheed = -36 in 130 minutes

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The Celtics have been out-rebounded by 117 boards when Rasheed Wallace has been on the floor (1,387 minutes).

When Wallace has been off the court (1,652 minutes) the Celtics have out-rebounded the opposition by 79 boards by 38 rebounds.

That is a massive difference = -117 on court to +38 off court

Rasheed Wallace has been a huge problem for the Celtics on the backboards this season.

[Who]

When Wallace has been off the court (1,652 minutes) the Celtics have out-rebounded the opposition by 79 boards by 38 rebounds.

Hmm, interesting ... So, if the Celtics maintained their level of rebounding when Wallace was off the court for the entire season they'd be a +70 on the backboards. That would give them a rebounding differential of +1.11 per game which would rank Boston 12th best in the NBA.

The Celtics currently rank 24th with a rebounding differential of -1.25 per game (ESPN has -1.0 but that appears to be wrong since the C's have been out-rebounded by 79 boards in 63 games according to NBA.com + basketball-reference.com).

[twinbree]

I feel the poor defensive rebounding is a much bigger problem than defense. The defense has slipped - the rotations don't look as good and the 3 point line defense has been very shaky - but statistically our defense is still good. The problem is that it seems so many good defensive possessions end up being negated by offensive rebounds or easy putbacks.

[fanofgreen]

The big men lack quickness and that has weakened the team defense. The screen and roll defense is weaker and the team regularly gets beat when forced to make multiple defensive rotations on the same possession because they're not quick enough to get to the spot in time. The transition defense is also weaker. I think this is the primary cause to the decline in the C's defense.

The rebounding has dropped off mainly because of Rasheed Wallace's very poor rebounding + poor rebounding contributions from the wing players.

Yes are big men lack quickness and the athleticism, all of them: Sheed KG Baby Perk Scal Sheldon.........Which is why for the longest I've been saying over and over that this team NEEDS to sign Sean Williams.

we have the least athletic front line in the league, and one of the most freakishly athletic players is just out there and could be had for cheap.

Athleticism by itself won't accomplish anything.

Athleticism + talent is very valuable and would have an impact

Exactly. you made my point, in the reverse order.
Our front line has all of the talent in the world, but 0 athleticism.

Which is why I believe that Sean Williams,is needed on this team.

Talent by itself won't accomplish anything.

Talent + Athleticism is very valuable and would have an impact

[ScoobyDoo]

"Defense and rebounding" require, more than anything else, "focus, effort and desire". WE lack the altter on a large scale on most nights.

These guys are completely oblivious to where anyone from the opposing team is on most rebounding opportunites. Guys are flying by or around them and they have no idea where they're coming from, it's pathetic.

I think it has very little to do with athleticism. Even if they have slowed down it shouldn't be that dramatic a disparity in speed and quickness.

Besides, Bird was never quick or fast but he was a good rebounder up until he retired.

It'a effort, focus and desire on both defense and rebounding.

That's why I'd dole out my big man minutes right now based on who's the most aggressive on the boards and I'
d tell them that's how it's going to go.

I would also spend an entire week of basketball 101 on rebounding to sort of humiliate them with rebounding drills in practice, all day, every day, for a week.   

[hpantazo]

Rondo + Ray + Pierce + KG + Perk = +11 in 851 minutes on the boards which is a rebounding differential of +.62 per game

Rondo + Ray + Pierce + Sheed + Perk = -6 in 173 minutes which is a rebounding differential of -1.66 per 48.

Rondo + Ray + Pierce + KG + Sheed = -36 in 130 minutes

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

The Celtics have been out-rebounded by 117 boards when Rasheed Wallace has been on the floor (1,387 minutes).

When Wallace has been off the court (1,652 minutes) the Celtics have out-rebounded the opposition by 79 boards by 38 rebounds.

That is a massive difference = -117 on court to +38 off court

Rasheed Wallace has been a huge problem for the Celtics on the backboards this season.

I think the issue with Sheed is how Doc uses him. Sheed is not a true defensive center, and neither is KG, which is reflected in the difference in the stats you gave when they are on the floor together without Perk. The problem is Doc uses Sheed as our main rebounder in the second unit and pairs him with Glen Davis at PF, who is a terrible rebounder. Early in the season when the team was rolling, Doc was using Sheed with Shelden in the second unit which worked out great.

[housecall]

Doc made reference last night to what i had posted before "conditioning".Its about time he directed it to the right people,some of the players.To play 4qrts at a high level you need to be in tip/top condition in this league.