Blame Pie: Doc/Players

[rickyfan3.0...]

Leaving Bavetta out of this... who deserves the blame for the way we have struggled in the playoffs, Doc or the players?

I really like Doc, but his unexplained benching of Eddie House and Leon Powe are mkaing me furious. baby cannot finish around the rim with the big boys, and Powe can, and their defense is the same. Powe was our first big off the bench ALL YEAR, now he is the 3rd.

Eddie House is clearly a better player than Cassell, why has he not been playing at all? He is a better defender, shooter and passer than Cassell. The difference is that Cassell played with Olajuwon and had a ring fall on his lap, and he is still living off of that.

Doc's rotations have been ATROCIOUS, but is it all his fault? Did you see KG shortarm that important jumper last night when it counted? Have you been watching Ray Allen get outplayed by Blue Steel? Rondo has the best game of his career, then become less aggressive and has the worst. Perk is awful for stretches of games.

Who is to blame? Is there a areason Avery is talking to nobody yet? Is he our next coach?

[klg05]

There is a reason this is a team game.  They are playing poorly as a team, including coaches.  There is definitely enough blame to go around to everyone.

PLEASE, NO AVERY!  I can't even stand to hear that guy talk!

[SShoreFan]

I think last night's loss falls mainly on Pierce, Perkins and the bench. 

Pierce due to his lousy shooting and high # of turnovers, Perkins for being totally ineffective and tentative and the bench (not including House) for minimal contributions in almost every category.


Exasperating.

[Redz]

Who gets the credit for the games they've won?

Why do we need to place blame on a team that is in position to hold home court and move on to the Conference Finals?

[SShoreFan]

Who gets the credit for the games they've won?

Why do we need to place blame on a team that is in position to hold home court and move on to the Conference Finals?

I 100% appreciate this comment and in most cases I roll my eyes when we pull out "Eddie's Blame Pie", but in this case - I was nuts crazy every time Pierce touched the ball on the offensive end and when I saw Perkins out played on the defensive end.  I was flat out disgusted.

Usually I am whistling right along with Eric Idle and the rest of the guys up on the crosses, but not today.

[jay_jay54]

I think Doc will be around next season...simple as that.

[vinnie]

I am not really interested in blame pies.  From day 1, I have believed that Doc Rivers is one of the worst coaches in the league.  A players' coach who wants to be everyone's buddy.  Still waiting for the adjustments to the offense in this series. Hopefully we won't have to wait until game 8   

[Redz]

Who gets the credit for the games they've won?

Why do we need to place blame on a team that is in position to hold home court and move on to the Conference Finals?

I 100% appreciate this comment and in most cases I roll my eyes when we pull out "Eddie's Blame Pie", but in this case - I was nuts crazy every time Pierce touched the ball on the offensive end and when I saw Perkins out played on the defensive end.  I was flat out disgusted.

Usually I am whistling right along with Eric Idle and the rest of the guys up on the crosses, but not today.

I don't have a problem with pointing out the problems of last nights game, since it was the most recent game we have to discuss.  Judging this teams "playoff performance" as a whole as something to cut up into blame, bugs me a bit.  Blame should be laid out after failure.  Last night was a failure.  The playoffs have not been a failure.

Again, if they lose tomorrow, point fingers until they bleed.  If they win tomorrow...ahhh..never mind...just win tomorrow.

[BballTim]

I think last night's loss falls mainly on Pierce, Perkins and the bench. 

Pierce due to his lousy shooting and high # of turnovers, Perkins for being totally ineffective and tentative and the bench (not including House) for minimal contributions in almost every category.

  Perkins played good defense. James scored more with Perk on the bench than with Perk in the game.

[Roy Hobbs]

To add a wrinkle to this: whose fault is it when Doc puts players in positions where they're not likely to succeed?  For instance, do we blame Baby for spitting the bit last night, or do we blame Doc, for sticking with him to long, and not recognizing that he's been inconsistent all year long?

In that situation, I give the coach more of the blame.  It's his job to recognize what is and isn't working, and to exploit that to his advantage.  Doc isn't the one taking the shots out there, but he's the one deciding what personnel is on the floor.

[Redz]

To add a wrinkle to this: whose fault is it when Doc puts players in positions where they're not likely to succeed?  For instance, do we blame Baby for spitting the bit last night, or do we blame Doc, for sticking with him to long, and not recognizing that he's been consistent all year long?

In that situation, I give the coach more of the blame.  It's his job to recognize what is and isn't working, and to exploit that to his advantage.  Doc isn't the one taking the shots out there, but he's the one deciding what personnel is on the floor.

Big Baby's minutes late in the game were a puzzle to me last night as well.  Doc has shown a better understanding of riding the hot hand, and removing the cold hand as the playoffs have progressed (IMO), so I was surprised to see him stick with Baby - even with Perk in foul trouble - for as long as he did.  Davis kept getting gobbled up on lay-ins and putbacks that he couldn't get high enough over the rim.  This would be a strength of Powe's. 

That was my only gripe with Doc last night. 

mmmmmmm...blame pie

[wdleehi]

I will go 50-50 right now.


Doc isn't putting guys in the best position.  He isn't making adjustments.  He is still experimenting.  And worst of all, he has his team peek in Texas.



The players for not giving the same effort on the road as at home.  The players for not showing the leadership.  The players for settling.  The players for missing shots they hit all year.

[clover]

Yep, Perk was plus-11 last night.

[Who]

The players deserve somewhere between 85-95% of the blame.

[sns0274]

The players deserve somewhere between 85-95% of the blame.

Bingo and a TP for you! The players have not executed the game plan...PERIOD!! Doc in reality has been forced into some bad decisions, strictly because the players are not doing what they are instructed to do. He has to tamper with the rotations, just because he is trying to find a combination, any combination that will execute the game plan.

Execution is the key to victory and to this point the players have not been able to find the lock.