Did Rasheed Infect the Team with "Lazy"?

[hpantazo]

I'm not going to blame this team's lack of effort all on Sheed.  Notwithstanding such, Sheed's lack of effort on the defensive side of the ball is deplorable. 

Two plays from yesterday stuck out to me.  The first was the play where Sheed was the only guy back from the Cs on defense and he failed to make any effort to move 3 feet to defend the lone Cav offensive player on a long pass from James resulting in an uncontested layup.  Again, I'd like to emphasize that there was only 1 Cav player anywhere near the hoop let alone across half court.  After the play, I noticed that Perk started grimacing and speaking to Sheed back up the court.  If I'm Doc, Sheed would have become attached to the bench right after that play.

The other play that stood out to me was where Sheed was supposedly playing help defense and just sat there and watch Varejao crash the boards and get an uncontested layup.  Now, if Sheed was actually trapping the ball with another Cs player, I'd have no problem.  But, as usual, Sheed was lazy to trap and then even lazier to box out.  I believe one of the play-by-play guys called out Sheed on the play and said his effort was lacking.

Sheed's lack of effort is simply disgusting.  During the championship run, the thing that resonated with me about this team was was that they played ball the "right" way.  Passing, playing good defense, etc.  What strikes me about this team is that they are doing all the things that turns most people, including me, off about the NBA.  Isolation, no defense, etc.

Finally, I have a great idea.  If some players on this team cannot motivate themselves to turn up their effort for the regular reason, how about we sit their as#2s on the bench until they are ready to give the effort necessary.

I'd rather lose games with guys busting their butts for 48 minutes then win with guys like Sheed that are out there on auto-pilot and put forth absolutely no effort.

Yep, I agree with all this.  Sheed was disgusting yesterday, as he has been most of the year.  And McDyess wasn't the only other big available.  Drew Gooden's rebounding would look pretty nice on our team right now.  And if we signed Birdman instead of POB last year we never would have needed Sheed to begin with.

Bingo,you are correct in my opinion,whose to blame?I feel Danny is the guy who is responsible for figuring what players are needed from season to season.By not bringing any athleticism into the mix,it didn't help this aging team stay on top.I have said this from the beginning,and if you look around the league at the top teams,even the Cavs had to mix young athletic talent to compliment Lebron.tp

you can blame Danny, and part of it is on him, but when the celtics got bounced by the magic at home last year, the big three had a meeting and they all agreed that they wanted to get Sheed on the team. It's hard to go against them if you hope to win with them if you are Danny.

[Casperian]

Because KG is the team leader. 

And who leads KG?

Not Wallace.

A Hierarchy has more than one member.

Let me ask you another question:

Do you think KG can lead Wallace?

[tenn_smoothie]

Yes

[wiley]

active infection should be non-issue in playoffs.  Question is, how much damage did the infection already cause via habit of losing, habit of lackluster effort, and record.

[Who]

Look at Perk. He never played "lazy" defense or seemed bored with playing until Sheed showed up.  Perk loved being the enforcer on defense.  Where has that gone?

Kendrick Perkins has had bad stretches in the past too. In the last two years he had poor stretches around mid-season. Last year, it came after the big win streak and during the Championship season it came around the All-Star break. This is the third year in a row that Perk has had a down-spell for a substantial portion of the regular season.

This is not Rasheed Wallace's fault.

And, we should not be jumping all over Perk because as he has shown in the past ... Perk will snap out of it and get back to his best sometime in the near future. We just need to be patient.

[Who]

The problem with old big men in the NBA is that they still look dominant physically at first sight. They still look like they're capable of doing what they did in the past and one expects them do that.

However, in reality, their bodies aren't able to do what they once did. We start talking about effort when we should be talking about their lack of athleticism. Their lack of quickness, agility and overall mobility.

[PLamb]

The problem with old big men in the NBA is that they still look dominant physically at first sight. They still look like they're capable of doing what they did in the past and one expects them do that.

However, in reality, their bodies aren't able to do what they once did. We start talking about effort when we should be talking about their lack of athleticism. Their lack of quickness, agility and overall mobility.

Giving one for truth

Remember Artis Gilmore his last few seasons

Looked awesome and imposing and could still push people around like crazy

But his feet were mush and because of that he could barely move

Everything from the knees up was still awesome but his ankles and feet had taken such a beating over the years the man could almost not run.

[barefacedmonk]

Never felt/thought Sheed had infected the team. If he had, we sure found the cure tonight.

[Who]

The problem with old big men in the NBA is that they still look dominant physically at first sight. They still look like they're capable of doing what they did in the past and one expects them do that.

However, in reality, their bodies aren't able to do what they once did. We start talking about effort when we should be talking about their lack of athleticism. Their lack of quickness, agility and overall mobility.

Giving one for truth

Remember Artis Gilmore his last few seasons

Looked awesome and imposing and could still push people around like crazy

But his feet were mush and because of that he could barely move

Everything from the knees up was still awesome but his ankles and feet had taken such a beating over the years the man could almost not run.

David Robinson is an example that I like a lot because physically he looked almost identical to the player he was when he entered the league + he was one of the greatest athletes in NBA History.

Robinson was 7 foot 1, long, could run the floor like the guard, explosive leaper. Freakishly defined muscle. Didn't have an ounce of fat on him and he hadn't put on any real weight since his best years. Heck, he's been retired for seven years and still has a 30 inch waist and can fit into the clothes he owned when he was 22. He still looks like he can suit up and be a good player today!

Robinson looked identical to the athlete he was when he was younger ... only he moved like an old man ... His body wasn't able to do what it once was. Not in terms of explosive athleticism or in terms of stamina. He just wasn't able to do it anymore despite, at first sight, appearing to be the exact same athlete.

[Who]

Also, the single greatest separating factor in big men's athletic features is their quickness + mobility.

That is what separates so many good centers from great centers.

And that separating factor has only become more important in recent years due to the rule changes on the perimeter which put a much greater onus on a big man's ability to defend the pick and roll and play transition defense because it's virtually impossible to stop dribble penetration one-on-one.

This is the biggest problem with Rasheed Wallace defensively + with playing Glen Davis as a power forward + the Celtics big man rotation overall.

[wdleehi]

Because KG is the team leader. 

And who leads KG?

Not Wallace.

A Hierarchy has more than one member.

Let me ask you another question:

Do you think KG can lead Wallace?

I expect the team leaders to lead. 

[Bankshot]

I started this thread.


I'm sorry Sheed!

[moiso]

I started this thread.


I'm sorry Sheed!

I still think you had it pretty much right the first time, but they really were able to "flip the switch".  I really didn't think they would be able to do it to this extent.  And Sheed has really turned it on the last few games.  Great game Sheed!

[Casperian]

I still want him off the team, and 2 good games don´t change my opinion about him. It actually proves that Rasheed was not interested in playing during the regular season.

I wonder what people would say if Sheed played the exact opposite of what he did this season. What if he absolutely beasted during the regular season, but had two bad games during this series? Would the apologists have to apologize for believing in him?

The guy was nowhere to be found during the Miami series. I´m sorry, but one swallow does not make a summer.

[CoachCowens]

I still want him off the team, and 2 good games don´t change my opinion about him. It actually proves that Rasheed was not interested in playing during the regular season.

I wonder what people would say if Sheed played the exact opposite of what he did this season. What if he absolutely beasted during the regular season, but had two bad games during this series? Would the apologists have to apologize for believing in him?

The guy was nowhere to be found during the Miami series. I´m sorry, but one swallow does not make a summer.

So if he beasted during the regular season you would have apologized before the playoffs for not believing in him? It goes both ways.

It's like Tony Allen. Who cares if he under achieved before. He is playing really good ball right now.