Who is to Blame for Turnovers?

[Bankshot]

The players or Doc?  I just don't understand how this team continues to turn the ball over at an alarming rate for years.  Why?  Who is to blame?  How to fix it?  And why hasn't it been corrected after all this time?

I know they just won a big game and I should be happy (and I am), but it almost cost them.

I hate to be a downer, but I'm concerned.

[Fafnir]

It shifts from night to night. In this case KG was the prime culprit, he might have had even more than his 7 since he was at fault for two 24 second violations.

[Mike-Dub]

I'm hoping that it was just the usual rust from the opening game.  Even though it didn't prove to be last year.

[Fafnir]

I'm hoping that it was just the usual rust from the opening game.  Even though it didn't prove to be last year.

We haven't changed personal significantly. I don't see how we'll suddenly become a low turnover team. We still forced a bunch of TOs at least.

I liked how well KG, Shaq, and Pierce rebounded. Though I wouldn't get too excited by the overall team performance. Boston got 21.6% of available offensive rebounds and 72.3% of defensive boards. That is right around the rates the Celtics had last year.

Watching the game I thought we'd done better.

[Mike-Dub]

I'm hoping that it was just the usual rust from the opening game.  Even though it didn't prove to be last year.

We haven't changed personal significantly. I don't see how we'll suddenly become a low turnover team. We still forced a bunch of TOs at least.

I liked how well KG, Shaq, and Pierce rebounded. Though I wouldn't get too excited by the overall team performance. Boston got 21.6% of available offensive rebounds and 72.3% of defensive boards. That is right around the rates the Celtics had last year.

Yeah I don't believe it's just first game adjustments,t but I'm hoping it is.

[Bahku]

This is a very unselfish team that passes the ball a lot ... unfortunately, the more you pass the ball, the greater the chances for turning it over. I'm sure they'll work on lowering that percentage, but I'll take a few extra turnovers to remain the unselfish, high-passing, high-assist team that we are.

[barefacedmonk]

This is a very unselfish team that passes the ball a lot ... unfortunately, the more you pass the ball, the greater the chances for turning it over. I'm sure they'll work on lowering that percentage, but I'll take a few extra turnovers to remain the unselfish, high-passing, high-assist team that we are.

[SamuelAdams]

KG said they were rusty at the presser.

[Spoon]

I saw Zack Lowe whining about this too. It annoys the hell out of me. The Celtics having been turning the ball over the past three years. And guess what? They have been one of the best teams in the league the past three years and won a championship. The Lakers turn the ball over too. It's part of basketball when you are unselfish. The key is to cause more TOs than you give up. You can limit them, but you can't "fix" it unless you strip down your offense and run isolation all the time.

TOs in basketball are not like TOs in football or errors in baseball. They are inevitable when you move the ball and play unselfish.

TO leaders from last year.

1.     Steve Nash - 295
2.     Dwight Howard - 274
3.     LeBron James - 261
4.     Stephen Jackson - 259
5.     Deron Williams - 252
5.     Dwyane Wade - 252

So by your thinking we should be concerned about these players. Umm, what?

Stop looking to blame people! TOs are part of basketball!

[Fafnir]

I saw Zack Lowe whining about this too. It annoys the hell out of me. The Celtics having been turning the ball over the past three years. And guess what? They have been one of the best teams in the league the past three years and won a championship. The Lakers turn the ball over too. It's part of basketball when you are unselfish. The key is to cause more TOs than you give up. You can limit them, but you can't "fix" it unless you strip down your offense and run isolation all the time.

TOs in basketball are not like TOs in football or errors in baseball. They are inevitable when you move the ball and play unselfish.

TO leaders from last year.

1.     Steve Nash - 295
2.     Dwight Howard - 274
3.     LeBron James - 261
4.     Stephen Jackson - 259
5.     Deron Williams - 252
5.     Dwyane Wade - 252

So by your thinking we should be concerned about these players. Umm, what?

Stop looking to blame people! TOs are part of basketball!

The best players will usually have the most turn overs, because they have the ball most frequently. That doesn't mean it isn't a concern. Turnovers cost teams games, its not an individual problem its a team problem.

Last year we were 27th in the league at turnover rate, that's a problem. We still win because we're a very good shooting team and a very good defensive team. But its something that the team can improve.

By the way, its not just us fans who are concerned. Doc Rivers frequently talks about how the team needs to limit its turnovers. He even mentioned it in the pre-game tonight!

[mmbaby]

Good info, there.
It still hurts to see the ball fly away, but good to know it's indicative of ball sharing and teammanship. Is that a word?

[snively]

If KG had been sharper, we wouldn't have had a turnover problem.

The absence of TA and Perk from the rotation and the continuing ascendancy of Rondo as the primary ballhandler should make us much less turnover prone this year.

[Mike-Dub]

I saw Zack Lowe whining about this too. It annoys the hell out of me. The Celtics having been turning the ball over the past three years. And guess what? They have been one of the best teams in the league the past three years and won a championship. The Lakers turn the ball over too. It's part of basketball when you are unselfish. The key is to cause more TOs than you give up. You can limit them, but you can't "fix" it unless you strip down your offense and run isolation all the time.

TOs in basketball are not like TOs in football or errors in baseball. They are inevitable when you move the ball and play unselfish.

TO leaders from last year.

1.     Steve Nash - 295
2.     Dwight Howard - 274
3.     LeBron James - 261
4.     Stephen Jackson - 259
5.     Deron Williams - 252
5.     Dwyane Wade - 252

So by your thinking we should be concerned about these players. Umm, what?

Stop looking to blame people! TOs are part of basketball!

He even mentioned it in the pre-game tonight!

The comcast pregame?

Man I wish I was still able to watch that.  Hey at least I still get to watch the C's with league pass  .

[Fafnir]

I saw Zack Lowe whining about this too. It annoys the hell out of me. The Celtics having been turning the ball over the past three years. And guess what? They have been one of the best teams in the league the past three years and won a championship. The Lakers turn the ball over too. It's part of basketball when you are unselfish. The key is to cause more TOs than you give up. You can limit them, but you can't "fix" it unless you strip down your offense and run isolation all the time.

TOs in basketball are not like TOs in football or errors in baseball. They are inevitable when you move the ball and play unselfish.

TO leaders from last year.

1.     Steve Nash - 295
2.     Dwight Howard - 274
3.     LeBron James - 261
4.     Stephen Jackson - 259
5.     Deron Williams - 252
5.     Dwyane Wade - 252

So by your thinking we should be concerned about these players. Umm, what?

Stop looking to blame people! TOs are part of basketball!

He even mentioned it in the pre-game tonight!

The comcast pregame?

Man I wish I was still able to watch that.  Hey at least I still get to watch the C's with league pass  .

Not sure, I know the side-line reporter said that was the point he seemed to stress the most pre-game. I didn't hear an actual quote. I'm in Omaha watching on TNT.

[ballin]

It would be a mistake to downplay the significance of TO's.

It's sort of a mathematically prove-able truth that there are just 3 factors that lead to a win in basketball:

1) Scoring efficiently
2) Causing the other team to score inefficiently
3) Or simply having more possessions than your opponent


The Celtics do #1 and #2, so it's really #3 that's preventing them from being dominant. TO's are a major part of that, as well as our lack of offensive rebounding.