in an article by Zach Lowe, http://nba-point-forward.si.com/2011/02/11/lakers-masterfully-disrupt-bostons-offense/ , he talks about how the Lakers guarded the Celtics the other day. And y'know, it's essentially pretty simple: play off Rondo, make the big 3 work for their looks.

and i think the reason this works is because well, i'm not convinced Rondo can make you pay for not guarding him. at least, if the team has a pretty good big man/men. i mean, i like Rondo. he can destroy opposing offensive rhythm with his deflections and defense, and he can cut up opposing defenses by delivering terrific passes, and he can get his teammates ridiculously easy looks with these same passes. but despite this, i sometimes still have those thoughts where i wonder if this team's championship chances would've been better served if we had a guy like D-Rose instead. or Billups (rebuilding/future aside). or Westbrook. i don't think the disparity in court vision/defense is as large as the disparity in offensive capability.

shooting has always been a weakness of Rondo, and though he has shown good improvement, that's not my issue with him. I think Rondo needs to start being more aggressive in scoring, period. I'm talking driving it to the hoop and looking for the contact, and looking to score. especially when it's obvious that teams are cheating off of him. i don't care if he does shoot 60% (?) from the FT line. i don't care if it's not an and-1. Just get to the line and make the other team play you.

it's important to not hesitate taking that 18ft jumper and yeah, Rondo usually doesn't anymore. i don't mind that. But i think when he does that, the other team gets a boost because they were able to "force us into doing something we didn't want to do". so they think that their defensive gameplan is at least working. i'm reminded of that game against the Bulls which we lost. When we were shutting them down, and everything they wanted to run, and boozer was getting owned, etc etc., D-Rose seemed to say eff it, and just started driving. Rose, in the interview after the game, pretty much said that he was looking more for the contact in those drives (i'm assuming, as opposed to being able to actually score off the drive). i think Rondo needs to do more of the same. When we sometimes hit those... major offensive slumps, usually caused by teams cheating off of Rondo, he needs to be able to make the other team pay for it.

Quote from: BballTim on February 12, 2011, 11:47:31 PM

  Maybe, in his next article, the guy could break down the first game they played, when Rondo had 15 assists in the second half, the Celts outscored the Lakers 59-42 in the second half and the Celts shot over 60% from the field. Maybe no Shaq, no Nate, no Marquis (and no Delonte) and PP getting over the flu helped the Lakers a little.

I think it can be implied that it was an adjust the Lakers made from the first game and the first half of the second game. 

Quote from: BballTim on February 12, 2011, 11:47:31 PM

Quote from: LilRip on February 12, 2011, 11:24:52 PM

in an article by Zach Lowe, http://nba-point-forward.si.com/2011/02/11/lakers-masterfully-disrupt-bostons-offense/ , he talks about how the Lakers guarded the Celtics the other day. And y'know, it's essentially pretty simple: play off Rondo, make the big 3 work for their looks.

and i think the reason this works is because well, i'm not convinced Rondo can make you pay for not guarding him. at least, if the team has a pretty good big man/men. i mean, i like Rondo. he can destroy opposing offensive rhythm with his deflections and defense, and he can cut up opposing defenses by delivering terrific passes, and he can get his teammates ridiculously easy looks with these same passes. but despite this, i sometimes still have those thoughts where i wonder if this team's championship chances would've been better served if we had a guy like D-Rose instead. or Billups (rebuilding/future aside). or Westbrook. i don't think the disparity in court vision/defense is as large as the disparity in offensive capability.

shooting has always been a weakness of Rondo, and though he has shown good improvement, that's not my issue with him. I think Rondo needs to start being more aggressive in scoring, period. I'm talking driving it to the hoop and looking for the contact, and looking to score. especially when it's obvious that teams are cheating off of him. i don't care if he does shoot 60% (?) from the FT line. i don't care if it's not an and-1. Just get to the line and make the other team play you.

it's important to not hesitate taking that 18ft jumper and yeah, Rondo usually doesn't anymore. i don't mind that. But i think when he does that, the other team gets a boost because they were able to "force us into doing something we didn't want to do". so they think that their defensive gameplan is at least working. i'm reminded of that game against the Bulls which we lost. When we were shutting them down, and everything they wanted to run, and boozer was getting owned, etc etc., D-Rose seemed to say eff it, and just started driving. Rose, in the interview after the game, pretty much said that he was looking more for the contact in those drives (i'm assuming, as opposed to being able to actually score off the drive). i think Rondo needs to do more of the same. When we sometimes hit those... major offensive slumps, usually caused by teams cheating off of Rondo, he needs to be able to make the other team pay for it.

  Maybe, in his next article, the guy could break down the first game they played, when Rondo had 15 assists in the second half, the Celts outscored the Lakers 59-42 in the second half and the Celts shot over 60% from the field. Maybe no Shaq, no Nate, no Marquis (and no Delonte) and PP getting over the flu helped the Lakers a little.

Yeah, there are games when Rondo can overcome the fact that the Lakers don't take him seriously enough to guard. However, I don't see how anyone can argue that in the last two Finals matchups, the Lakers used this strategy to great advantage at times - especially last year.

what he needs to do is stop worrying about FT's and just take the ball strong to the hole. He can get by anybody. Just do it and punish the defense. Even if you miss the FT's, you still put the other team in foul trouble, just like Shaq does.

Quote from: BballTim on February 13, 2011, 12:35:01 PM

Quote from: soap07 on February 13, 2011, 11:51:08 AM

Quote from: BballTim on February 12, 2011, 11:47:31 PM

Quote from: LilRip on February 12, 2011, 11:24:52 PM

in an article by Zach Lowe, http://nba-point-forward.si.com/2011/02/11/lakers-masterfully-disrupt-bostons-offense/ , he talks about how the Lakers guarded the Celtics the other day. And y'know, it's essentially pretty simple: play off Rondo, make the big 3 work for their looks.

and i think the reason this works is because well, i'm not convinced Rondo can make you pay for not guarding him. at least, if the team has a pretty good big man/men. i mean, i like Rondo. he can destroy opposing offensive rhythm with his deflections and defense, and he can cut up opposing defenses by delivering terrific passes, and he can get his teammates ridiculously easy looks with these same passes. but despite this, i sometimes still have those thoughts where i wonder if this team's championship chances would've been better served if we had a guy like D-Rose instead. or Billups (rebuilding/future aside). or Westbrook. i don't think the disparity in court vision/defense is as large as the disparity in offensive capability.

shooting has always been a weakness of Rondo, and though he has shown good improvement, that's not my issue with him. I think Rondo needs to start being more aggressive in scoring, period. I'm talking driving it to the hoop and looking for the contact, and looking to score. especially when it's obvious that teams are cheating off of him. i don't care if he does shoot 60% (?) from the FT line. i don't care if it's not an and-1. Just get to the line and make the other team play you.

it's important to not hesitate taking that 18ft jumper and yeah, Rondo usually doesn't anymore. i don't mind that. But i think when he does that, the other team gets a boost because they were able to "force us into doing something we didn't want to do". so they think that their defensive gameplan is at least working. i'm reminded of that game against the Bulls which we lost. When we were shutting them down, and everything they wanted to run, and boozer was getting owned, etc etc., D-Rose seemed to say eff it, and just started driving. Rose, in the interview after the game, pretty much said that he was looking more for the contact in those drives (i'm assuming, as opposed to being able to actually score off the drive). i think Rondo needs to do more of the same. When we sometimes hit those... major offensive slumps, usually caused by teams cheating off of Rondo, he needs to be able to make the other team pay for it.

  Maybe, in his next article, the guy could break down the first game they played, when Rondo had 15 assists in the second half, the Celts outscored the Lakers 59-42 in the second half and the Celts shot over 60% from the field. Maybe no Shaq, no Nate, no Marquis (and no Delonte) and PP getting over the flu helped the Lakers a little.

Yeah, there are games when Rondo can overcome the fact that the Lakers don't take him seriously enough to guard. However, I don't see how anyone can argue that in the last two Finals matchups, the Lakers used this strategy to great advantage at times - especially last year.

  I don't think the Lakers got much out of it in 07-08. And if Artest hadn't kneed Ray in the thigh they wouldn't have had much luck with it last year either.

in 07-08, 3 years ago? when Pierce was the team's Finals MVP and best offensive threat? when our best offensive lineup usually featured Eddie House because he could hit that 3 with deadly accuracy and because they were playing off of Rondo? or in game 7 last year when Kobe gathered all those rebounds, and when our offense stalled late in the game?

yes, we blew out the Lakers pretty well the other game at their home floor, when we outworked them. But i think you'd have to be a pretty big homer to not recognize that the Lakers also defend us pretty well in the half-court setting.