Celts have been neutured.

[Spicoli]

These guys need to forget about being physical. Just....throw that idea out the window right now. There's no sense in trying to be physical in this series. Their physicality has been handcuffed and taken away by the officials. We will not win this series if we stay in foul trouble each game. If going finesse means staying out of foul trouble and having all our players on the floor for meaningful minutes, so be it. I know the physicality is what got us here, but it should be clear to everyone by now that the officials will not allow this kind of play in the finals. We must adjust our gameplan or else.

[Fafnir]

How so?

Garnett got off because he was physical and attacked Gasol, Perkins was physical to get so many rebounds, etc...

What adjustments would you make? The C's have shown they can defend the Lakers, they need to generate more points. How does abandoning physical play help them?

[Reggie's Ghost]

I don't think we can play the defense that got us here without playing "tough."  Also officials allow it from game to game, to change our entire approach on that end would be tough for any team.  For what it's worth, it's very possible to play lock down d without fouling the opposing team.

Anyway, the foul trouble we've been seeing has more to do with perimeter defense and moving screens.  I don't want them to stop banging in the paint or else we're toast.  The lakers are a WAY better finesse team than we are...

[wdleehi]

They were allowed to be more physical last night.  That's why the defense was able to settle in.

[Spicoli]

How so?

Garnett got off because he was physical and attacked Gasol, Perkins was physical to get so many rebounds, etc...

What adjustments would you make? The C's have shown they can defend the Lakers, they need to generate more points. How does abandoning physical play help them?

To be honest, i'm not sure how abandoning physical play will help them in this series, i just want all the key guys on the floor without foul trouble, and then let the chips fall where they may. I think our starting 5 is better than theirs. If we're constantly playing with one of our starting 5 in foul trouble, we're going to lose. Maybe being less physical means not fighting Artest for position on the block. Maybe it means less reaching in for steals (even though generating turnovers is what helped get us here), etc.

[Spicoli]

I don't think we can play the defense that got us here without playing "tough."  Also officials allow it from game to game, to change our entire approach on that end would be tough for any team.  For what it's worth, it's very possible to play lock down d without fouling the opposing team.

Anyway, the foul trouble we've been seeing has more to do with perimeter defense and moving screens.  I don't want them to stop banging in the paint or else we're toast.  The lakers are a WAY better finesse team than we are...

This is what i was hoping would happen in game 3. I thought to myself, clearly the officials have to lighten up a bit and let them play a little more physical once the series goes back to Boston, but they STILL kept calling ticky tack fouls.

[Spicoli]

They were allowed to be more physical last night.  That's why the defense was able to settle in.

We would be golden if the refs call the entire game like this, but they refuse to do so! One minute they allow physical play, and the next minute they don't allow it. It seems too risky for us because nobody knows what the refs are going to do from one minute or quarter to the next.