Celtics still haven't addressed glaring weakness

[nickagneta]

There has been a lot of discussion on this site about the absolutely wonderful job that Danny Ainge has done on improving our favorite Green Team. And believe me I'm not here to criticize the work he has done thus far. I think he made every correct move thus far in signing Wallace, Baby and Williams, drafting Lester, cutting Pruitt and letting Leon go.

But he has yet to really address a glaring weakness on this team that caused a major problem for this team late in the season and in the playoffs. That is, a true backup SF that Doc will have confidence enough to use to be able to give Pierce and Allen the time off the court that they need to be fresh for the playoffs.

Pierce was averaging 36 MPG or so for Nov-Jan, but when the team started to struggle and the injuries mounted up Pierce was averaging over 40 MPG for the months of Feb-Mar and during the playoffs. Ray Allen, though not as pronounced, put up big minutes as well. After averaging 35 MPG in Nov-Dec he averaged close to 38 MPG thereafter and that topped off with over 40 MPG in the playoffs.

These guys were tired and it showed. Ray shot 48% for the year but just 40% for the playoffs. He shot 41% from three during the season but just 35% from three in the playoffs. Pierce had similar decreases in his shooting percentages and both were looking fairly listless by the middle and end of the Orlando series.

But what seems to missing from Danny's master plan this summer has been help from the two guys who seemed to age year, right before our eyes during extended minutes last spring. Oh, I've heard the name Marquis Daniels bandied about but how is he going to help Ray and Paul. He's a better ball handling version of Tony Allen that will spending more time backing up Rondo than Ray and Paul.

And I hope the plan isn't to give Giddens and Walker extended minutes to back up Pierce and Allen. Neither have shown anything to anybody that makes them think they will be productive enough to earned the coaching staff's trust to give them meaningful minutes. There are so many years in the "championship window" and two years have gone. Rookie second rounders and late first round picks that just about every draft expert questioned as stupid, is not going to get it done.

I only hope there's time and a market for some of the flotsam and jetsam that make up the Celtics end of the bench that can entice a team to trade for that wing player that last year proved was so, so, so necessary. Because if it isn't and this team has to rely on Walker, Giggens, House and Daniels to keep Ray and Paul fresh, we could be in big trouble. Maybe not this year, but how many productive years will it take of Ray and Pierce's long term star effectiveness.

[Roy Hobbs]

Daniels played SG and SF exclusively last season.  Danny may envision him as a ball-handling "point forward", but he's going to be the primary backup for both Paul and Ray.

Now, I guess there's the issue of what happens when they're both off the court.  My answer to that is, I don't want Ray and Paul off the court at the same time unless it's garbage time.  Doc should do a slightly better job of integrating his bench in with the starters this year; there's no real reason why he can't keep two starters on the floor at all times.

However, in those rare situations where Doc wants to rest both Paul and Ray, he's got options.  He can go with the Rondo - House - Daniels lineup, which is probably the one I'd prefer in that situation.  He can go with Eddie - Tony - Daniels, or Eddie - Giddens - Daniels.  Those two are less ideal, but they'll do in a pinch.

Of course, I'd like to see the team get rid of Tony, and bring in both a guy like Bowen and a backup / 3rd string point guard.  However, barring that, I think we'll be fine without another small forward on the roster.

[BudweiserCeltic]

The "glaring" weakness has been completely addressed.

[amenhotep04]

I think the key to your post is when you mention Doc having confidence in someone.  For me it's not the players we have, though Hobbs did a great job of addressing your concerns at that level.  Nevertheless, Doc has to have a little more faith in some of the players. I'm not concerned about the depth of the team at any position, though I would have preferred keeping Gabe and getting rid of TA. We're deep and if Doc does his job right, no one should have too many minutes.

[nickagneta]

The "glaring" weakness has been completely addressed.

Please explain that statement because I think you are only.....completely wrong.

[BudweiserCeltic]

The "glaring" weakness has been completely addressed.

Please explain that statement because I think you are only.....completely wrong.

I thought what Hobbs' post pretty much explained it all. And amenhotep04 made some good points about it. Don't have to explain it because it's already there.

[nickagneta]

Ainge said it is not set in stone that the remaining roster spot will go to a point guard, even though the Celtics only have one pure point guard on the team in Rondo.

“I’m not feeling a great urgency, because I think that both Eddie [House] and Marquis can play there

http://www.projo.com/celtics/content/sp_bkn_celtics_web_14_08-14-09_ISFCIUQ_v2.217e550.htm

But scoring is not really Daniels’ game. He is not, for example, a particularly good shooter from long range and he was never really a good fit in Indiana coach Jim O’Brien’s system with its emphasis on volume 3-point shooting. Daniels has made just 24 percent of 3’s for his career, and where he does his damage is slashing to the basket and scoring inside.

According to 82games.com, Daniels took 59 percent of his shots last season from the outside where he put up a pedestrian .357 Effective Field Goal percentage (a stat which accounts for the difference between two and three-point shooting), but inside his EFG was .619, which is more in line with a back-to-the-basket big man.

In keeping with his quirky body of work, Daniels is not a post-up player, however. He does most of his business in the paint by slithering through the defense and pulling up for short jumpers and attacking the basket. In many ways that makes him a lot like Tony Allen, but Daniels’ turnover rate is much more in line with a player who understands his role

http://www.weei.com/sports/boston/celtics/paul-flannery/2009/07/22/how-marquis-daniels-fits-celtics-puzzle

An intelligent player with the size to play small forward and the skills to play some point guard, Daniels will provide the Celtics a solid backcourt component who can man multiple positions and knows his limitations.

http://www.celticstown.com/marquis-daniels-signs-with-celtics-roster-is-taking-shape.html

The more I read about Daniels and the more I read about Danny not being concerned about the back up PG spot the more I am convinced that Daniels will be playing almost exclusively at the 1 and 2 positions. That is not going to help Pierce as it will basically make Ray Allen Paul's back up again.

This might not worry some of you but I don't want the likes of TA, RA, Walker and Giddens be being relied upon as Pierce's primary back up options.

[Evantime34]

I think Daniels is the main answer to the question of who will back up Pierce and Allen. House will also help out in that department, due to the strength of the 1st teams defense he will not be as much of a liability playing the two.
I think the real plan is to give the first half of the season to see if TA, Giddens or Walker can be an effective second man off the bench at the wing spot. Then when we find they aren't ready we deal TA and Scal's expiring contract to a cash strapped team, for the vary player that would fill the "glaring weakness".

[Marqui]

The "glaring" weakness has been completely addressed.

Please explain that statement because I think you are only.....completely wrong.

I'm with you man. I don't buy Daniels as the lockdown defensive SF to back up Pierce either. I like him as a backup to Allen but definitely not Pierce. And don't even get me started on Walker/Giddens. Bowen probably is the best solution at this point.

[BudweiserCeltic]

The thing is that you're imagining a 5-man bench unit. One of Rondo, Pierce, and Ray per norm should be on the floor all the time. So all you need is House and Daniels to backup the 1-3 positions. You don't have to sit them all at the same time to reduce minutes.

As for the final roster spot not necessarily being a PG? Well that's fine, he can certainly look for another wing to strengthen the position. Nothing wrong with that, but it doesn't mean that "the glaring weakness" hasn't been addressed. It simply means that Ainge might see an oppotunity to strengthen our wings even more, and what allows this is that Daniels can play multiple positions.

[nickagneta]

The thing is that you're imagining a 5-man bench unit. One of Rondo, Pierce, and Ray per norm should be on the floor all the time. So all you need is House and Daniels to backup the 1-3 positions. You don't have to sit them all at the same time to reduce minutes.

As for the final roster spot not necessarily being a PG? Well that's fine, he can certainly look for another wing to strengthen the position. Nothing wrong with that, but it doesn't mean that "the glaring weakness" hasn't been addressed. It simply means that Ainge might see an oppotunity to strengthen our wings even more, and what allows this is that Daniels can play multiple positions.

So who is the coach of the Celtics again? Budweiser Celtic?

No! It's Doc Rivers.

And Doc's philosophy, which no one is going to change so you people need to start thinking like Doc when discussing the bench, is to play the starters for the first 10-11 minutes of the game, pull them out almost to a man and have 4 to 5 subs in the game for 7-8 minutes, and then bring back the starters.

He's been doing this for 5 years!! When are you people who think he is suddenly going to start changing his rotational philosophies get that the coach doesn't change.

So he's going to be running out Sheed/Baby/Tony or Walker/Eddie and Daniels as a second unit and when the SF's across the league start biting into leads created by the starters it will be Pierce and Allen that will once again be thrown in to keep continuity and their minutes will spiral upward.

A real SF answer is necessary not a guy that can't shoot, slashes and might be most effective bringing the ball up because we have no one else playing guard on the bench that is able to dribble the basketball for longer than 50 feet without the possibility of turning it over.

[BudweiserCeltic]

The thing is that you're imagining a 5-man bench unit. One of Rondo, Pierce, and Ray per norm should be on the floor all the time. So all you need is House and Daniels to backup the 1-3 positions. You don't have to sit them all at the same time to reduce minutes.

As for the final roster spot not necessarily being a PG? Well that's fine, he can certainly look for another wing to strengthen the position. Nothing wrong with that, but it doesn't mean that "the glaring weakness" hasn't been addressed. It simply means that Ainge might see an oppotunity to strengthen our wings even more, and what allows this is that Daniels can play multiple positions.

So who is the coach of the Celtics again? Budweiser Celtic?

No! It's Doc Rivers.

And Doc's philosophy, which no one is going to change so you people need to start thinking like Doc when discussing the bench, is to play the starters for the first 10-11 minutes of the game, pull them out almost to a man and have 4 to 5 subs in the game for 7-8 minutes, and then bring back the starters.

He's been doing this for 5 years!! When are you people who think he is suddenly going to start changing his rotational philosophies get that the coach doesn't change.

So he's going to be running out Sheed/Baby/Tony or Walker/Eddie and Daniels as a second unit and when the SF's across the league start biting into leads created by the starters it will be Pierce and Allen that will once again be thrown in to keep continuity and their minutes will spiral upward.

A real SF answer is necessary not a guy that can't shoot, slashes and might be most effective bringing the ball up because we have no one else playing guard on the bench that is able to dribble the basketball for longer than 50 feet without the possibility of turning it over.

Well, I guess two years ago was a fluke. And I guess the first half of last season was a fluke too. Since the big 3 have been, his rotation has been by and large consitant in that he likes to keep one of Ray or Pierce on the floor all the time, so who's the one not taking into account how Doc has coached this team? What Daniels will do is that it will allow Doc to keep doing this AND at the same time allow him to sit both and just bring in Rondo.

Edit: And you're forgetting when we roll out our "GIANT" lineup, that will consist of KG-Sheed-Perk in the 3-5 spots.

[ManUp]

If Daniels is expected to play exclusively the 1-2 what happens to House's minutes?  I think Daniels is going to play 20+ minutes with the majority of those minutes coming at the 2 and 3 positions. House is going to get the backup point minutes, and and some at the 2. Daniels role is going to be to help House get into the half court quicker.

The glaring weakness has been addressed, IMHO.

[Cman]

I agree with the OP's concern that Daniels is not the true SF we all would  like.  That said, I think Daniels will be able to spell Pierce a lot more than Allen was last year.  Also, season hasn't begun yet and there is still ample, ample time for some more moves....

[Vermont Green]

While I recognize that Daniels may not be the perfect back-up for Pierce, I can't see how anyone wouldn't acknowledge that backing up SF is going to be a major part of his role.  He might bring the ball up sometimes because if House and Ray are on the court, they are more effective coming of screens or spotting up but Daniels will give Pierce some relief.

I also think that both Pierce and Allen will expend less energy then last year post KG injury.  Once KG goes down, Pierce especially ends up with the ball in his hands more and asked to do more scoring and basically more of everything.

I guess Ron Artest would have been a better back-up SF but I think Daniels is a pretty darned good fit for the price.