3PT Shooting is the key

[rutzan]

before this series i would have said rebounding...we did reasonably well...we only were out-rebounded 42.4 to 41.0...

we are shooting abysmally from beyond the arc...27.9% as a team...only utah, ny and denver have shot worse than us in the playoffs..sa is #1 at 42.3% and okc is #4 at 35.4%...we need to get to 35% or above to beat the heat...we are 57/204 for the playoffs in 13 games...that comes out to about 4.4/15.7...raising it 10% gives us 4.5 pts more per game...that turns close losses into close wins...close wins into easy wins...and...easy wins to blowouts...however...not going to be easy...the heat are 5th in the playoffs by allowing only 29.9% from 3pt land...

pp not bad at 34.7%
ray at 26.9%
mp at 24.3

obviously this points to ray and mp...

i think we need someone else to step in and fill the void...etwaun and pavs...with doc's propensity to vets...that means pavs...plus his d on wade and lebron will be needed...

on the flip side...wade and lebron are not going to continue to avg 65 pts per game...i would rather force them into 3's and outside shots than letting them drive the lane...

to me chalmers is the x factor...he can score 20 at any time and can hit from downtown...

i think that teague, holliday and williams all had their way with rondo...that means rondo is going to have to be superman at both ends of the court...

[cman88]

the 3's are bound to start falling for Pietrus/Ray allen...those guys are much better 3point shooters, they just havent been falling for them.

they showed ray warming up before game 7 and he was sinking every single shot..I was kind of surprised considering his misses in the game.

[wahz]

seems like everyone all season has disliked Dooling but he has shot around 40% from beyond the arc on average over the last 3-4 years. So he may be a factor also.

We are probably going to shoot 12-15 or more a game. I agree that hitting 7 of 16 vs 4 of 16 is going to be the difference. Its not just the extra 9 points, its the 2-3 fewer transition buckets for the opponents after the misses.

We can be critical of our guys in many ways but we've all seen it for years now: if we hit our 3's at a high rate, we blow teams out.

[pork3]

seems like everyone all season has disliked Dooling but he has shot around 40% from beyond the arc on average over the last 3-4 years. So he may be a factor also.

Dooling has a weird/leaden windup and release that gives me pause at times, and he like the other 3-point shooters on this team hasn't exactly been a model of consistency.

-Jamman

[wahz]

seems like everyone all season has disliked Dooling but he has shot around 40% from beyond the arc on average over the last 3-4 years. So he may be a factor also.

Dooling has a weird/leaden windup and release that gives me pause at times, and he like the other 3-point shooters on this team hasn't exactly been a model of consistency.

-Jamman

well good then. Since they are inconsistent and been shooting poorly its about time to swing the other way isn't it?

[Who]

Miami did a really good job defending Indiana's three point shooters in the last round ... but the Pacers have nobody who can do what Rondo can so hopefully that will prove to be the difference.

Ray Allen and Mickael Pietrus need to step up and answer the call. Need their shooting.

[pork3]

well good then. Since they are inconsistent and been shooting poorly its about time to swing the other way isn't it?

If you're an optimist, certainly.

-Jamman

[cman88]

the mavs 3 point shooting in the finals last year was a big part of them beating them...i think/hope we are due to start hitting them at the rate we were during the season.

[RajonRondo9Dime]

There is nothing worse than watching Pietrus jack up threes... Especially when he gets his guy up w a pump fake, and instead of going around him and going to the rim (which we now know he can do) he takes a step back fade away three.

And there is never any follow through..

"peaches" is lucky we have so many injuries. He belongs on the bench.

[Yoki_IsTheName]

As bad as they are shooting right now. I believe this could be our haymakers against the Heat.

Pietrus, Keeyon and Ray better make those threes. 

[LooseCannon]

The Celtics need better jump shooting in general.  KG taking long twos from his favorite spots while easily shooting over shorter defenders.  Bass being nearly automatic from where he likes to shoot.  Rondo taking and making shots when they leave him open and dare him to shoot.  It doesn't have to be all of them in every single game, but they need at least some of that.