Has Doc Lost This Team?

[Mr October]

Doc was substituting last night like he had no idea what player(s) to put on the court at any given time.  It was like, "I'll try TA" or "I'll try Perk and Sheed" or "I'll try Sheldon".  We have 19 games left in the season.  Wow.

Absolutely true. There is no excuse for Doc's bad substitution patterns - that is easily his biggest flaw. The rest of Doc's coaching seams pretty darned sound.

Ultimately the players (ie: starters) need to perform. But KG and PP are so banged up, they dont see any need to go at it 100% or even 90% in the regular season. It stinks. But it is what it is.

[ssspence]

There's definitely seems to be a bit of a leadership void right now, among other things.

That comes from both the coaching staff as well as the players.

I agree. When leaders like Pierce and KG begin to lose their effectiveness on the floor, they begin to doubt themselves and / or the players around them begin to doubt them. It creeps in, and you can see if happening. The team is laying down.

Doc can't play for them. But considering how poorly his leaders have played, he needs to know when to sit them and play guys like Bill Walker and Leon Powe.

[Mr October]

There's definitely seems to be a bit of a leadership void right now, among other things.

That comes from both the coaching staff as well as the players.

I agree. When leaders like Pierce and KG begin to lose their effectiveness on the floor, they begin to doubt themselves and / or the players around them begin to doubt them. It creeps in, and you can see if happening. The team is laying down.

Doc can't play for them. But considering how poorly his leaders have played, he needs to know when to sit them and play guys like Bill Walker and Leon Powe.

I agree with you guys. To add: the best teams' leadership always comes from the best players: Bird, Magic, Olajuwon, Lebron, Jordan, Duncan, KG (when healthy), Stockton and Malone, etc.

Leadership on title teams is 90% player based, only 10% coach based.

[rav123]

Doc has lost this team because he's been giving preferential treatment to the veterans for 3 years now.  It worked when the vets were good and the young players unproven.  But now it's breaking this team apart...because things have changed.

The reason Rondo's disinterested sometimes and Perk looks like he'd rather be somewhere else is simple: they see that two sets of rules are used on this team and it urks them.  And everyone on this blog would act the same in their shoes.

If Doc wants to change something, he should quit coddling the veterans and treating everyone the same.  The vets aren't good enough to warrant preferential treatment anymore, and the young guys are actually our best, most consistent players. 

If Doc hasn't lost this team already, he will lose them if he doesn't wake up to the fact that 2010 isn't 2007.

The Big Three have earned the right to be treated better. Would you not think it unfair if your little brother who misbehaves often and gets bad grade gets treated in a similar fashion to you?

The Big 3 have done it all. Rondo and Perk have both huge deficiencies in their game as well as poor attitudes. Rondo's and Perk's poor play has been at the same time as the Big 3's poor play. They haven't been outperforming the veterans by much at all.

[housecall]

There's definitely seems to be a bit of a leadership void right now, among other things.

That comes from both the coaching staff as well as the players.

I agree. When leaders like Pierce and KG begin to lose their effectiveness on the floor, they begin to doubt themselves and / or the players around them begin to doubt them. It creeps in, and you can see if happening. The team is laying down.

Doc can't play for them. But considering how poorly his leaders have played, he needs to know when to sit them and play guys like Bill Walker and Leon Powe.

I agree with you guys. To add: the best teams' leadership always comes from the best players: Bird, Magic, Olajuwon, Lebron, Jordan, Duncan, KG (when healthy), Stockton and Malone, etc.

Leadership on title teams is 90% player based, only 10% coach based.

I agree...who would you say is the leader on the Magic?I could never quite figure that team's leader out.Even though Dwight is there best player he never proved to me he is their leader.

[Celts17Pride]

Steve Bulpett nailed it in the Herald today:

Specifically, if Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett don't begin playing better, then every other discussion is moot.

That about sums it up.