No Powe - No Win

[td450]

This is the NBA FINALS!  It is not about building confidence, it is about winning.  In the playoffs you need to shorten your rotation and have a very short leash with your non-elite players.  Powe is a very good player, but he has not earned the right to any set amount of minutes.  If he is not performing, then they need KG out there. 

No one gets a set amount of minutes, but he has certainly earned a consistent role on this team, and that's not just being fair, it's the smartest strategy in the short run to win the series, too. Our primary advantage over the Lakers is our superior physical inside play, and Leon provides that very consistently. He's not a player who need to get hot to be effective. We need to knock around bodies and win on the boards or we will lose.

I also disagree that you can suddenly change your approach and undercut the confidence of your non-elite players. The role players must contribute for us to win, and they are the easiest to rattle because of what is at stake. Your players should know what to expect.

Yes, the Lakers were ready to collapse on Leon, but that doesn't mean he can't be effective. The C's should have anticipated this and been ready to take advantage. The Lakers really can't afford to collapse on him if the other players are ready for it.

[Chris]

This is the NBA FINALS!  It is not about building confidence, it is about winning.  In the playoffs you need to shorten your rotation and have a very short leash with your non-elite players.  Powe is a very good player, but he has not earned the right to any set amount of minutes.  If he is not performing, then they need KG out there. 

No one gets a set amount of minutes, but he has certainly earned a consistent role on this team, and that's not just being fair, it's the smartest strategy in the short run to win the series, too. Our primary advantage over the Lakers is our superior physical inside play, and Leon provides that very consistently. He's not a player who need to get hot to be effective. We need to knock around bodies and win on the boards or we will lose.

I also disagree that you can suddenly change your approach and undercut the confidence of your non-elite players. The role players must contribute for us to win, and they are the easiest to rattle because of what is at stake. Your players should know what to expect.

Yes, the Lakers were ready to collapse on Leon, but that doesn't mean he can't be effective. The C's should have anticipated this and been ready to take advantage. The Lakers really can't afford to collapse on him if the other players are ready for it.

The problem is, last night his minutes weren't cut, its just that his minutes were increased in game 2, because he was playing exceptionally well.

In the playoffs, every team shortens their rotations, and play starters 40+ minutes, and bench guys less.  This is because the starters are your best players, and need to be playing as much as possible.

Generally bench players who back up stars play between 6-8 minutes per game in the playoffs.

Powe played great in game 2, and Doc rightfully extended his minutes...it doesn't mean he has earned anything more than that.

PJ Brown (who has been just as important to this team as Powe in the postseason with his defense and clutch shots) has played about the same minutes as Powe has.  I know some of you want Powe to get PJ's minutes, but well...I think you need to watch how much PJ helps the team a little closer.

[Tommy Gun]

Powe has to be in the game with the starters to get the full impact...If Garnett gets doubled or tripled he can find the open man..If he plays with Cassel and PJ he is less effective right off the bat

[DJRYB13]

Powe definitely needs to get more minutes for the rest of the series.  He did nothing wrong in limited minutes in Game 3 to earn his lack of PT. I am pretty sure Game 2 proved he matches up well against LA and should be in there as much as possible. 

He is one of the few Celtics players that consistently goes to the hoop with authority and can handle the contact.  If KG isn't going to get to the line, it's nice to have Powe do it for a few minutes, get some easy points and get the Lakers in foul trouble.

Once again, Doc just proves that he has no idea what he is doing when it comes to substitutions.

[expobear]

This is not the regular season, when you may be able to give bench players minutes, even when they aren't playing great.  I just watched every minute played last night again, and he definitely struggled.  Other than a nice offensive rebound, and a nice charge he took on Odom, he didn't do much. 

The Lakers had adjusted to him, and stopped leaving him wide open (although I don't know if it was an adjustment to Powe as much as them playing better defense in general), which made him much less of a factor on offense, and defensively, he just makes too many mistakes when you compare him to KG, Perk and PJ.

When he plays well again (probably next game), his minutes will be back up.  But there is no reason to leave him in there when he is not being effective.

You're a hell of a coach, Chris to be able to determine whether a player has it or not based on 3 minutes per half. Nobody is saying Powe has to play 30 minutes. And it's not like Brown is playing all that great where Powe should only get 6 minutes or less.  As far as I can tell throughout the regular season and the playoffs, Powe's the only bench player capable of scoring double figures on a fairly consistent basis. The thing I don't understand is, why does Powe always have to score double figures when he hits his first couple of buckets or gets fouled in his first few minutes of play. Can't Powe miss a couple of shots and still be given the respect of somebody more than just a 10th man and let him get hot with a few more minutes? Hasn't he at least earned this right?  I understand Garnett can miss his first 7 shots and go 6 for 21 for the game without a worry of being pulled because he's the man. How does Powe develop the confidence of somebody who will hopefully be a starter some day if he's constantly being pulled after missing two or three shots?   

This is the NBA FINALS!  It is not about building confidence, it is about winning.  In the playoffs you need to shorten your rotation and have a very short leash with your non-elite players.  Powe is a very good player, but he has not earned the right to any set amount of minutes.  If he is not performing, then they need KG out there. 

I understand that it's the finals and the arguments I'm presenting for Powe to play 10-15 minutes a game are to ensure the Celtics reach their ultimate goal, the NBA championship.  You haven't really given me a good reason why Powe shouldn't get the minutes during the playoffs or during the regular season for that matter, other than matchups, lack of defensive acumen or size.  But you know what, Powe has never really had a chance to show that these are truly shortcomings.  You tend to ignore the positives Powe brings to the table.  Powe is really the only sub that can bring an inside game for the Celtics with the potential of scoring a quick 10+ points.  He's the only sub that can get other teams in foul trouble. I have yet to see any other sub do this, playoffs or not.  I agree with playing PJ Brown as the first big off the bench but I don't agree with the sporadic handling of Powe by Rivers.
We've seen Powe get teams in foul trouble.  He always get a charge or two when he gets some minutes.  And he can every once in awhile, score.  These are attributes that are invaluable for yes, the FINALS as evidenced in game 2.  All you Powe naysayers tend to overlook the good things Powe can do (while looking at the alleged negatives) , and these are things that nobody else on their bench can do because I've yet to see it this year. Again, Powe does not look pretty when he does his job and he may not be a Josh Smith, but he does the little things that win teams games.  It's too bad because my feeling is that he's gone after next year and you won't get to appreciate truly what Powe brings to the table and how it helps the Celtics.  Enough of "I like Powe but...."!!! 

[Chris]

This is not the regular season, when you may be able to give bench players minutes, even when they aren't playing great.  I just watched every minute played last night again, and he definitely struggled.  Other than a nice offensive rebound, and a nice charge he took on Odom, he didn't do much. 

The Lakers had adjusted to him, and stopped leaving him wide open (although I don't know if it was an adjustment to Powe as much as them playing better defense in general), which made him much less of a factor on offense, and defensively, he just makes too many mistakes when you compare him to KG, Perk and PJ.

When he plays well again (probably next game), his minutes will be back up.  But there is no reason to leave him in there when he is not being effective.

You're a hell of a coach, Chris to be able to determine whether a player has it or not based on 3 minutes per half. Nobody is saying Powe has to play 30 minutes. And it's not like Brown is playing all that great where Powe should only get 6 minutes or less.  As far as I can tell throughout the regular season and the playoffs, Powe's the only bench player capable of scoring double figures on a fairly consistent basis. The thing I don't understand is, why does Powe always have to score double figures when he hits his first couple of buckets or gets fouled in his first few minutes of play. Can't Powe miss a couple of shots and still be given the respect of somebody more than just a 10th man and let him get hot with a few more minutes? Hasn't he at least earned this right?  I understand Garnett can miss his first 7 shots and go 6 for 21 for the game without a worry of being pulled because he's the man. How does Powe develop the confidence of somebody who will hopefully be a starter some day if he's constantly being pulled after missing two or three shots?   

This is the NBA FINALS!  It is not about building confidence, it is about winning.  In the playoffs you need to shorten your rotation and have a very short leash with your non-elite players.  Powe is a very good player, but he has not earned the right to any set amount of minutes.  If he is not performing, then they need KG out there. 

I understand that it's the finals and the arguments I'm presenting for Powe to play 10-15 minutes a game are to ensure the Celtics reach their ultimate goal, the NBA championship.  You haven't really given me a good reason why Powe shouldn't get the minutes during the playoffs or during the regular season for that matter, other than matchups, lack of defensive acumen or size.  But you know what, Powe has never really had a chance to show that these are truly shortcomings.  You tend to ignore the positives Powe brings to the table.  Powe is really the only sub that can bring an inside game for the Celtics with the potential of scoring a quick 10+ points.  He's the only sub that can get other teams in foul trouble. I have yet to see any other sub do this, playoffs or not.  I agree with playing PJ Brown as the first big off the bench but I don't agree with the sporadic handling of Powe by Rivers.
We've seen Powe get teams in foul trouble.  He always get a charge or two when he gets some minutes.  And he can every once in awhile, score.  These are attributes that are invaluable for yes, the FINALS as evidenced in game 2.  All you Powe naysayers tend to overlook the good things Powe can do (while looking at the alleged negatives) , and these are things that nobody else on their bench can do because I've yet to see it this year. Again, Powe does not look pretty when he does his job and he may not be a Josh Smith, but he does the little things that win teams games.  It's too bad because my feeling is that he's gone after next year and you won't get to appreciate truly what Powe brings to the table and how it helps the Celtics.  Enough of "I like Powe but...."!!! 

This is a defensive team.  Their three best defensive big men are KG, Perkins, and PJ.  You can see it when they are on the point, and Doc has said it on the record (he gets to see plenty of all of these guys in practice).  So that is my argument for his lack of PT in the playoffs.

[expobear]

This is not the regular season, when you may be able to give bench players minutes, even when they aren't playing great.  I just watched every minute played last night again, and he definitely struggled.  Other than a nice offensive rebound, and a nice charge he took on Odom, he didn't do much. 

The Lakers had adjusted to him, and stopped leaving him wide open (although I don't know if it was an adjustment to Powe as much as them playing better defense in general), which made him much less of a factor on offense, and defensively, he just makes too many mistakes when you compare him to KG, Perk and PJ.

When he plays well again (probably next game), his minutes will be back up.  But there is no reason to leave him in there when he is not being effective.

You're a hell of a coach, Chris to be able to determine whether a player has it or not based on 3 minutes per half. Nobody is saying Powe has to play 30 minutes. And it's not like Brown is playing all that great where Powe should only get 6 minutes or less.  As far as I can tell throughout the regular season and the playoffs, Powe's the only bench player capable of scoring double figures on a fairly consistent basis. The thing I don't understand is, why does Powe always have to score double figures when he hits his first couple of buckets or gets fouled in his first few minutes of play. Can't Powe miss a couple of shots and still be given the respect of somebody more than just a 10th man and let him get hot with a few more minutes? Hasn't he at least earned this right?  I understand Garnett can miss his first 7 shots and go 6 for 21 for the game without a worry of being pulled because he's the man. How does Powe develop the confidence of somebody who will hopefully be a starter some day if he's constantly being pulled after missing two or three shots?   

This is the NBA FINALS!  It is not about building confidence, it is about winning.  In the playoffs you need to shorten your rotation and have a very short leash with your non-elite players.  Powe is a very good player, but he has not earned the right to any set amount of minutes.  If he is not performing, then they need KG out there. 

I understand that it's the finals and the arguments I'm presenting for Powe to play 10-15 minutes a game are to ensure the Celtics reach their ultimate goal, the NBA championship.  You haven't really given me a good reason why Powe shouldn't get the minutes during the playoffs or during the regular season for that matter, other than matchups, lack of defensive acumen or size.  But you know what, Powe has never really had a chance to show that these are truly shortcomings.  You tend to ignore the positives Powe brings to the table.  Powe is really the only sub that can bring an inside game for the Celtics with the potential of scoring a quick 10+ points.  He's the only sub that can get other teams in foul trouble. I have yet to see any other sub do this, playoffs or not.  I agree with playing PJ Brown as the first big off the bench but I don't agree with the sporadic handling of Powe by Rivers.
We've seen Powe get teams in foul trouble.  He always get a charge or two when he gets some minutes.  And he can every once in awhile, score.  These are attributes that are invaluable for yes, the FINALS as evidenced in game 2.  All you Powe naysayers tend to overlook the good things Powe can do (while looking at the alleged negatives) , and these are things that nobody else on their bench can do because I've yet to see it this year. Again, Powe does not look pretty when he does his job and he may not be a Josh Smith, but he does the little things that win teams games.  It's too bad because my feeling is that he's gone after next year and you won't get to appreciate truly what Powe brings to the table and how it helps the Celtics.  Enough of "I like Powe but...."!!! 

This is a defensive team.  Their three best defensive big men are KG, Perkins, and PJ.  You can see it when they are on the point, and Doc has said it on the record (he gets to see plenty of all of these guys in practice).  So that is my argument for his lack of PT in the playoffs.

Hey Chris, check this out.  Powe can play some D.   


http://www.celticsblog.com/index.php?option=com_smf&Itemid=64&topic=19453.0


Powe's defense is underrated. He gets at least a charge a game and if he draws fouls on the offensive end, that's pretty good "defense" in my book. 

[Chris]

This is not the regular season, when you may be able to give bench players minutes, even when they aren't playing great.  I just watched every minute played last night again, and he definitely struggled.  Other than a nice offensive rebound, and a nice charge he took on Odom, he didn't do much. 

The Lakers had adjusted to him, and stopped leaving him wide open (although I don't know if it was an adjustment to Powe as much as them playing better defense in general), which made him much less of a factor on offense, and defensively, he just makes too many mistakes when you compare him to KG, Perk and PJ.

When he plays well again (probably next game), his minutes will be back up.  But there is no reason to leave him in there when he is not being effective.

You're a hell of a coach, Chris to be able to determine whether a player has it or not based on 3 minutes per half. Nobody is saying Powe has to play 30 minutes. And it's not like Brown is playing all that great where Powe should only get 6 minutes or less.  As far as I can tell throughout the regular season and the playoffs, Powe's the only bench player capable of scoring double figures on a fairly consistent basis. The thing I don't understand is, why does Powe always have to score double figures when he hits his first couple of buckets or gets fouled in his first few minutes of play. Can't Powe miss a couple of shots and still be given the respect of somebody more than just a 10th man and let him get hot with a few more minutes? Hasn't he at least earned this right?  I understand Garnett can miss his first 7 shots and go 6 for 21 for the game without a worry of being pulled because he's the man. How does Powe develop the confidence of somebody who will hopefully be a starter some day if he's constantly being pulled after missing two or three shots?   

This is the NBA FINALS!  It is not about building confidence, it is about winning.  In the playoffs you need to shorten your rotation and have a very short leash with your non-elite players.  Powe is a very good player, but he has not earned the right to any set amount of minutes.  If he is not performing, then they need KG out there. 

I understand that it's the finals and the arguments I'm presenting for Powe to play 10-15 minutes a game are to ensure the Celtics reach their ultimate goal, the NBA championship.  You haven't really given me a good reason why Powe shouldn't get the minutes during the playoffs or during the regular season for that matter, other than matchups, lack of defensive acumen or size.  But you know what, Powe has never really had a chance to show that these are truly shortcomings.  You tend to ignore the positives Powe brings to the table.  Powe is really the only sub that can bring an inside game for the Celtics with the potential of scoring a quick 10+ points.  He's the only sub that can get other teams in foul trouble. I have yet to see any other sub do this, playoffs or not.  I agree with playing PJ Brown as the first big off the bench but I don't agree with the sporadic handling of Powe by Rivers.
We've seen Powe get teams in foul trouble.  He always get a charge or two when he gets some minutes.  And he can every once in awhile, score.  These are attributes that are invaluable for yes, the FINALS as evidenced in game 2.  All you Powe naysayers tend to overlook the good things Powe can do (while looking at the alleged negatives) , and these are things that nobody else on their bench can do because I've yet to see it this year. Again, Powe does not look pretty when he does his job and he may not be a Josh Smith, but he does the little things that win teams games.  It's too bad because my feeling is that he's gone after next year and you won't get to appreciate truly what Powe brings to the table and how it helps the Celtics.  Enough of "I like Powe but...."!!! 

This is a defensive team.  Their three best defensive big men are KG, Perkins, and PJ.  You can see it when they are on the point, and Doc has said it on the record (he gets to see plenty of all of these guys in practice).  So that is my argument for his lack of PT in the playoffs.

Hey Chris, check this out.  Powe can play some D.   


http://www.celticsblog.com/index.php?option=com_smf&Itemid=64&topic=19453.0


Powe's defense is underrated. He gets at least a charge a game and if he draws fouls on the offensive end, that's pretty good "defense" in my book. 

That was a nice play.  How about some video of all of the times he rotated late in game 3, leading to either an unneccessary foul, or an open shot (I counted at least 4).

[seccom]

As a Lakers fan but also a CAL graduate, I want Powe to do well and the rest of Celtics suck. This is my observation:

Game 2. PJax put Turiaf on Powe, as it turned out to be a terrible matchup. IMO, Powe is the Celtics best offensive rebounder on per minute basis and Turiaf is the Lakers best shot blocker on per minute basis. So Powe will always tried to play very close the basketball and Turiaf always leave his offensive player to protect the basketball. PJax went away with that matchup and put Walton on Powe in Q4 of game 2. Even though Powe burn Walton on 1 drive, PJax stayed with that matchup.

Game 3. PJax once again put Walton on Powe. As long as Walton stay with Powe and boxed him out on offensive rebounding opportunity, he would not have another Game 2. But more important, it also allowed PJax to use Walton on offense. On per minute basis, Walton is probably the Lakers' best play maker. The triangle always run better with Walton on the floor, but PJax could not play Walton because the mismatch foot speed against Pierce. To counter that, Doc pulled Powe.

Just my 2 cents...

[td450]

Powe doesn't need PJ's minutes. PJ gives us the length and defensive presence for the center position. Powe should get the backup power forward minutes. KG  had a very poor game offensively. We played KG 42 minutes and James Posey 25 minutes. Play each 4-5 minutes less and the rotation is consistent and KG is sharper down the stretch.

[tenplay]

Doc has to let Powe loose on that flimsy Laker front line like in Game 2 or it's all over for us.  There is no one else who is willing to attack the basket, get their bigs into foul trouble, and to take charges to protect the middle.  Let's take the same approach as Game 2 (without the late Powe-less collapse). 

[expobear]

This is not the regular season, when you may be able to give bench players minutes, even when they aren't playing great.  I just watched every minute played last night again, and he definitely struggled.  Other than a nice offensive rebound, and a nice charge he took on Odom, he didn't do much. 

The Lakers had adjusted to him, and stopped leaving him wide open (although I don't know if it was an adjustment to Powe as much as them playing better defense in general), which made him much less of a factor on offense, and defensively, he just makes too many mistakes when you compare him to KG, Perk and PJ.

When he plays well again (probably next game), his minutes will be back up.  But there is no reason to leave him in there when he is not being effective.

You're a hell of a coach, Chris to be able to determine whether a player has it or not based on 3 minutes per half. Nobody is saying Powe has to play 30 minutes. And it's not like Brown is playing all that great where Powe should only get 6 minutes or less.  As far as I can tell throughout the regular season and the playoffs, Powe's the only bench player capable of scoring double figures on a fairly consistent basis. The thing I don't understand is, why does Powe always have to score double figures when he hits his first couple of buckets or gets fouled in his first few minutes of play. Can't Powe miss a couple of shots and still be given the respect of somebody more than just a 10th man and let him get hot with a few more minutes? Hasn't he at least earned this right?  I understand Garnett can miss his first 7 shots and go 6 for 21 for the game without a worry of being pulled because he's the man. How does Powe develop the confidence of somebody who will hopefully be a starter some day if he's constantly being pulled after missing two or three shots?   

This is the NBA FINALS!  It is not about building confidence, it is about winning.  In the playoffs you need to shorten your rotation and have a very short leash with your non-elite players.  Powe is a very good player, but he has not earned the right to any set amount of minutes.  If he is not performing, then they need KG out there. 

I understand that it's the finals and the arguments I'm presenting for Powe to play 10-15 minutes a game are to ensure the Celtics reach their ultimate goal, the NBA championship.  You haven't really given me a good reason why Powe shouldn't get the minutes during the playoffs or during the regular season for that matter, other than matchups, lack of defensive acumen or size.  But you know what, Powe has never really had a chance to show that these are truly shortcomings.  You tend to ignore the positives Powe brings to the table.  Powe is really the only sub that can bring an inside game for the Celtics with the potential of scoring a quick 10+ points.  He's the only sub that can get other teams in foul trouble. I have yet to see any other sub do this, playoffs or not.  I agree with playing PJ Brown as the first big off the bench but I don't agree with the sporadic handling of Powe by Rivers.
We've seen Powe get teams in foul trouble.  He always get a charge or two when he gets some minutes.  And he can every once in awhile, score.  These are attributes that are invaluable for yes, the FINALS as evidenced in game 2.  All you Powe naysayers tend to overlook the good things Powe can do (while looking at the alleged negatives) , and these are things that nobody else on their bench can do because I've yet to see it this year. Again, Powe does not look pretty when he does his job and he may not be a Josh Smith, but he does the little things that win teams games.  It's too bad because my feeling is that he's gone after next year and you won't get to appreciate truly what Powe brings to the table and how it helps the Celtics.  Enough of "I like Powe but...."!!! 

This is a defensive team.  Their three best defensive big men are KG, Perkins, and PJ.  You can see it when they are on the point, and Doc has said it on the record (he gets to see plenty of all of these guys in practice).  So that is my argument for his lack of PT in the playoffs.

Hey Chris, check this out.  Powe can play some D.   


http://www.celticsblog.com/index.php?option=com_smf&Itemid=64&topic=19453.0


Powe's defense is underrated. He gets at least a charge a game and if he draws fouls on the offensive end, that's pretty good "defense" in my book. 

That was a nice play.  How about some video of all of the times he rotated late in game 3, leading to either an unneccessary foul, or an open shot (I counted at least 4).

Chris,

Powe only played 6 minutes. I doubt Powe could have screwed up that badly on defense to warrant 6 minutes, especially after having such a great game a couple of days earlier. Besides, the only offensive threats for the Lakers were Kobe and Vujacic in game three, players that Powe would not have guarded.


How about when Powe went out in game two with the Celtics up by 16. Were there missed defensive rotations?  Did somebody else other than Powe miss a rotation or an assignment or two?  I'm not looking to condemn the five that were out there in the latter half of the 4th quarter, but something happened. You don't bench those five but you make adjustments, as the Lakers did with Powe in game three. With Powe, you don't bench him because he misses a rotation, you try to put him in a situation where he's not going to fail defensively because he can be a force on the offensive end. Somehow, when somebody puts up 21 points in 15 minutes, that makes up for a lot of shortcomings on defense, especially the way Powe did it. Half the Laker bench was in foul trouble. Like I've said before, the Celtics will probably win the championship but with the extended minutes put on Garnett and the lack of consistent time for Powe has made the road much bumpier than it should have been.

[Chris]

This is not the regular season, when you may be able to give bench players minutes, even when they aren't playing great.  I just watched every minute played last night again, and he definitely struggled.  Other than a nice offensive rebound, and a nice charge he took on Odom, he didn't do much. 

The Lakers had adjusted to him, and stopped leaving him wide open (although I don't know if it was an adjustment to Powe as much as them playing better defense in general), which made him much less of a factor on offense, and defensively, he just makes too many mistakes when you compare him to KG, Perk and PJ.

When he plays well again (probably next game), his minutes will be back up.  But there is no reason to leave him in there when he is not being effective.

You're a hell of a coach, Chris to be able to determine whether a player has it or not based on 3 minutes per half. Nobody is saying Powe has to play 30 minutes. And it's not like Brown is playing all that great where Powe should only get 6 minutes or less.  As far as I can tell throughout the regular season and the playoffs, Powe's the only bench player capable of scoring double figures on a fairly consistent basis. The thing I don't understand is, why does Powe always have to score double figures when he hits his first couple of buckets or gets fouled in his first few minutes of play. Can't Powe miss a couple of shots and still be given the respect of somebody more than just a 10th man and let him get hot with a few more minutes? Hasn't he at least earned this right?  I understand Garnett can miss his first 7 shots and go 6 for 21 for the game without a worry of being pulled because he's the man. How does Powe develop the confidence of somebody who will hopefully be a starter some day if he's constantly being pulled after missing two or three shots?   

This is the NBA FINALS!  It is not about building confidence, it is about winning.  In the playoffs you need to shorten your rotation and have a very short leash with your non-elite players.  Powe is a very good player, but he has not earned the right to any set amount of minutes.  If he is not performing, then they need KG out there. 

I understand that it's the finals and the arguments I'm presenting for Powe to play 10-15 minutes a game are to ensure the Celtics reach their ultimate goal, the NBA championship.  You haven't really given me a good reason why Powe shouldn't get the minutes during the playoffs or during the regular season for that matter, other than matchups, lack of defensive acumen or size.  But you know what, Powe has never really had a chance to show that these are truly shortcomings.  You tend to ignore the positives Powe brings to the table.  Powe is really the only sub that can bring an inside game for the Celtics with the potential of scoring a quick 10+ points.  He's the only sub that can get other teams in foul trouble. I have yet to see any other sub do this, playoffs or not.  I agree with playing PJ Brown as the first big off the bench but I don't agree with the sporadic handling of Powe by Rivers.
We've seen Powe get teams in foul trouble.  He always get a charge or two when he gets some minutes.  And he can every once in awhile, score.  These are attributes that are invaluable for yes, the FINALS as evidenced in game 2.  All you Powe naysayers tend to overlook the good things Powe can do (while looking at the alleged negatives) , and these are things that nobody else on their bench can do because I've yet to see it this year. Again, Powe does not look pretty when he does his job and he may not be a Josh Smith, but he does the little things that win teams games.  It's too bad because my feeling is that he's gone after next year and you won't get to appreciate truly what Powe brings to the table and how it helps the Celtics.  Enough of "I like Powe but...."!!! 

This is a defensive team.  Their three best defensive big men are KG, Perkins, and PJ.  You can see it when they are on the point, and Doc has said it on the record (he gets to see plenty of all of these guys in practice).  So that is my argument for his lack of PT in the playoffs.

Hey Chris, check this out.  Powe can play some D.   


http://www.celticsblog.com/index.php?option=com_smf&Itemid=64&topic=19453.0


Powe's defense is underrated. He gets at least a charge a game and if he draws fouls on the offensive end, that's pretty good "defense" in my book. 

That was a nice play.  How about some video of all of the times he rotated late in game 3, leading to either an unneccessary foul, or an open shot (I counted at least 4).

Chris,

Powe only played 6 minutes. I doubt Powe could have screwed up that badly on defense to warrant 6 minutes, especially after having such a great game a couple of days earlier. Besides, the only offensive threats for the Lakers were Kobe and Vujacic in game three, players that Powe would not have guarded.


How about when Powe went out in game two with the Celtics up by 16. Were there missed defensive rotations?  Did somebody else other than Powe miss a rotation or an assignment or two?  I'm not looking to condemn the five that were out there in the latter half of the 4th quarter, but something happened. You don't bench those five but you make adjustments, as the Lakers did with Powe in game three. With Powe, you don't bench him because he misses a rotation, you try to put him in a situation where he's not going to fail defensively because he can be a force on the offensive end. Somehow, when somebody puts up 21 points in 15 minutes, that makes up for a lot of shortcomings on defense, especially the way Powe did it. Half the Laker bench was in foul trouble. Like I've said before, the Celtics will probably win the championship but with the extended minutes put on Garnett and the lack of consistent time for Powe has made the road much bumpier than it should have been.

I give up. 

[expobear]

This is not the regular season, when you may be able to give bench players minutes, even when they aren't playing great.  I just watched every minute played last night again, and he definitely struggled.  Other than a nice offensive rebound, and a nice charge he took on Odom, he didn't do much. 

The Lakers had adjusted to him, and stopped leaving him wide open (although I don't know if it was an adjustment to Powe as much as them playing better defense in general), which made him much less of a factor on offense, and defensively, he just makes too many mistakes when you compare him to KG, Perk and PJ.

When he plays well again (probably next game), his minutes will be back up.  But there is no reason to leave him in there when he is not being effective.

You're a hell of a coach, Chris to be able to determine whether a player has it or not based on 3 minutes per half. Nobody is saying Powe has to play 30 minutes. And it's not like Brown is playing all that great where Powe should only get 6 minutes or less.  As far as I can tell throughout the regular season and the playoffs, Powe's the only bench player capable of scoring double figures on a fairly consistent basis. The thing I don't understand is, why does Powe always have to score double figures when he hits his first couple of buckets or gets fouled in his first few minutes of play. Can't Powe miss a couple of shots and still be given the respect of somebody more than just a 10th man and let him get hot with a few more minutes? Hasn't he at least earned this right?  I understand Garnett can miss his first 7 shots and go 6 for 21 for the game without a worry of being pulled because he's the man. How does Powe develop the confidence of somebody who will hopefully be a starter some day if he's constantly being pulled after missing two or three shots?   

This is the NBA FINALS!  It is not about building confidence, it is about winning.  In the playoffs you need to shorten your rotation and have a very short leash with your non-elite players.  Powe is a very good player, but he has not earned the right to any set amount of minutes.  If he is not performing, then they need KG out there. 

I understand that it's the finals and the arguments I'm presenting for Powe to play 10-15 minutes a game are to ensure the Celtics reach their ultimate goal, the NBA championship.  You haven't really given me a good reason why Powe shouldn't get the minutes during the playoffs or during the regular season for that matter, other than matchups, lack of defensive acumen or size.  But you know what, Powe has never really had a chance to show that these are truly shortcomings.  You tend to ignore the positives Powe brings to the table.  Powe is really the only sub that can bring an inside game for the Celtics with the potential of scoring a quick 10+ points.  He's the only sub that can get other teams in foul trouble. I have yet to see any other sub do this, playoffs or not.  I agree with playing PJ Brown as the first big off the bench but I don't agree with the sporadic handling of Powe by Rivers.
We've seen Powe get teams in foul trouble.  He always get a charge or two when he gets some minutes.  And he can every once in awhile, score.  These are attributes that are invaluable for yes, the FINALS as evidenced in game 2.  All you Powe naysayers tend to overlook the good things Powe can do (while looking at the alleged negatives) , and these are things that nobody else on their bench can do because I've yet to see it this year. Again, Powe does not look pretty when he does his job and he may not be a Josh Smith, but he does the little things that win teams games.  It's too bad because my feeling is that he's gone after next year and you won't get to appreciate truly what Powe brings to the table and how it helps the Celtics.  Enough of "I like Powe but...."!!! 

This is a defensive team.  Their three best defensive big men are KG, Perkins, and PJ.  You can see it when they are on the point, and Doc has said it on the record (he gets to see plenty of all of these guys in practice).  So that is my argument for his lack of PT in the playoffs.

Hey Chris, check this out.  Powe can play some D.   


http://www.celticsblog.com/index.php?option=com_smf&Itemid=64&topic=19453.0


Powe's defense is underrated. He gets at least a charge a game and if he draws fouls on the offensive end, that's pretty good "defense" in my book. 

That was a nice play.  How about some video of all of the times he rotated late in game 3, leading to either an unneccessary foul, or an open shot (I counted at least 4).

Chris,

Powe only played 6 minutes. I doubt Powe could have screwed up that badly on defense to warrant 6 minutes, especially after having such a great game a couple of days earlier. Besides, the only offensive threats for the Lakers were Kobe and Vujacic in game three, players that Powe would not have guarded.


How about when Powe went out in game two with the Celtics up by 16. Were there missed defensive rotations?  Did somebody else other than Powe miss a rotation or an assignment or two?  I'm not looking to condemn the five that were out there in the latter half of the 4th quarter, but something happened. You don't bench those five but you make adjustments, as the Lakers did with Powe in game three. With Powe, you don't bench him because he misses a rotation, you try to put him in a situation where he's not going to fail defensively because he can be a force on the offensive end. Somehow, when somebody puts up 21 points in 15 minutes, that makes up for a lot of shortcomings on defense, especially the way Powe did it. Half the Laker bench was in foul trouble. Like I've said before, the Celtics will probably win the championship but with the extended minutes put on Garnett and the lack of consistent time for Powe has made the road much bumpier than it should have been.

I give up. 

And you should!

 

[cmoney]

I really don't understand how some of you come to your conclusions.  Like you can't be watching the games or pouring over stat sheets.  Every reason you mention why Powe should NOT get the minutes can be just as easily applied to PJ, if not more so.

PJ was HORRIBLE in game 3.  He was playing in place of Perk to defend Gasol, who Perk was absolutely owning. While giving us nothing on the offensive end, he blew 2 or 3 defensive plays in a row.  On a nice defensive stand, the Cs forced Fisher into a bad spot, he almost knocked it out of bounds and had to save it.  PJ was in bad position and let Gasol get into a clean passing lane, so naturally he has to yank him from behind and send Gasol to the line with 2 on the shot clock.

Next possession he gets away with a clear foul when he mauls Gasol 16 feet from the hoop late in the shot clock. 

We have to be honest about PJ here:  Hes' NOT A 20 MINUTE PER GAME GUY.  Yes, he played great in game 1 and pretty solid in game 2.  He also was terrible the entire Detroit series.  He's old, he's slow, he's an offensive zero, he isn't as effective as he was 2-3 years ago.  He should never play over Perk late in the game. Ever.