Game plan

[Change]

One thing I respect about Mike Brown is his game plan. No matter who plays Cavs will always give us a hard time. So why can't Doc mix things up?

We know their game, but somehow that same game plan works time & time again. Is it that genius, or we are too dumb to find a counter?

Their whole plan evolves stopping Ray & Paul. We don't have enough options in our scoring, so if you stop Ray & Paul you win (simple).

I know it easier said than done, but for our enjoyment let discuss ways to play better D & O. So lets compile a list on counters...

1) Play Ray the Point (Rondo is just useless against that team. He Can't get those easy buckets with 2+ 7footers controlling the paint. And this way ray is involved by being a threat driving or shooting, he is also a good passer. It gives us more options)

2) Play House extended minutes in 4 Rondo (Just another scoring Option)

3) Easy buckets & Post up (Powe, Perk, KG, and BBD need to make a living inside if we see this team again)

4) Better rotation (They have too many shooters to be left open, especially Big Z)

Agree, Disagree?

5) Continue..........

[Atzar]

3 and 4 go without saying:  "If we score more points than them, we'll win."  1 and 2, however, I think are terrible ideas. 

Bad move #1:  Rondo out of the game means Eddie defends Mo Williams.  I like Eddie, I love his hustle, I love his effort, but he's not a good defender - Mo will either eat him alive, or he'll force our defense into scramble mode.  Both aren't good for a team that wants to win games.  Our defense needs to do its best to help Paul, not Eddie. 

Bad move #2:  Ray is not a very good point guard.  He has a decent handle, but he isn't a particularly good passer - when he drives and gets cut off, he has a habit of jumping in the air and attempting impossible passes back out of the paint that frequently end in turnovers. 

Bad move #3:  Rondo is a very good point guard, and I'd lean more towards playing him more than playing him less.  He knows how to run this offense.  He had a bad game today, but nobody played well, and a lot of the shots he took inside were desperation flings at the basket designed to try to get something going in the right direction for the Celtics - be it free throws, a miracle shot that fires the team up, or whatever else. 

[Change]

Ok.

First) We have to get ray involved, he is too good to be watch pierce operate. Have you seen Ray at the point, he can handle as well as Paul. At the very least ISO him.

Second) Don't confuse House of pre 2008 to this House of 2009. He does a wonderful job defending. Plus Mo Williams is a shooter like House, I'm positive House can stay in-front of Mo

Third) As much as I love rondo, he is terrible against this team. He averages 7.5 PPG while shooting 33%. They clog the lanes so well, he has no place to operate and get easy buckets. Plus he is a liability offensively, no one defends him.

[Atzar]

We have to get Ray involved, yes - but running him at point is not the answer.  Dribbling ability isn't the only thing that makes a good point guard.  Also, comparing him to Paul Pierce as a point guard isn't a very good idea - Paul isn't good in that role either.  The only time I want Paul bringing the ball up is when he gets in I'm-scoring-and-you're-not-stopping-me mode.

Don't confuse effort with good defense.  Eddie tries.  That's obvious.  But it doesn't make him a good defender.  Mo Williams can shoot, but he can also drive, and he's a decent passer in that role as well.  Eddie can't guard him.

I don't care about Rondo's shooting stats.  The team is worse without him, that's just a fact.  There's more to a point guard's offense than getting easy buckets - he is a good defender at a tough position to defend, he knows how to run the offense and find guys when they're open where they like to shoot, and he's probably the best rebounding PG whose name isn't Jason Kidd.  Do I need to remind you that he had a legitimate case for the All-Star game this year?  There's no reason why he should ride the bench - not against the Cavs, not against anybody.