Interior Defense

[droponov]

To be fair, Krstic, Murphy, and Green are still learning the system, and the C's play a complex defensive system.  Yes, these guys are not shot blockers, but once they learn the correct rotations, it is going to make a big difference on the interior defense.

Also, tonight, the perimeter defense was a much bigger problem than the interior.  Yes, they were getting layups, but that is because Nash and Brooks were being allowed to get deep penetration which forced help, and led to the open shots. 

the outside game is a by-product of the inside game, though. The Suns second unit was just cruising in and out of the lane at will...

I know many think Curry is laughable at this point, but I really think we need someone who can stuff up the middle. plus, what's the real risk at this point?

But they wouldn't be cruising in and out of the middle if the guys in the perimeter were stopping them from getting into the lane.  And that's the problem.  

Now, a big part of that is the big men, who should be hedging better (although Krstic did an excellent job of this for stretches) to help on the picks.  But the bottom line is the C's defense has always started from the outside in.  They are able to protect the rim because they do such good a job of stopping the penetration out at the point of attack.  When they do not stop the point of attack, it doesn't matter who you have protecting the basket, because the rules make it very tough to do anything to stop someone once they are in the lane.

As for Eddie Curry, regardless of his ability (or inability) to clog the lane, he was bought out after the deadline, and can't be on the playoff roster, so he is not the answer.

Nope. Before the deadline according to the reports in the press.

[Change]

Eddie Curry a Celtic?

[droponov]

Interior defense

solution: Eddie Curry

Is this sarcasm or are you serious?

unfortunately not. He's the only the guy out there with the bulk to really stuff up the middle. Even with KG playing great tonight, PHO in the second half was cruising through the lane like someone left the windows open...

And it wouldn't be any different with Eddie Curry. He was a worse rim protector that Krstic... and this was when he could play. Was he practising with NY? The last pic I saw of him he looked like Oliver Miller.

Anyway, overreacting to small samples is a mistake. The Celtics interior defense with Garnett off the floor won't be very good till Jermaine O'Neal comes back, but if he's going to come back, there's no need for a panic move. And signing Curry wouldn't solve anything.

fine, but look at how quickly Doc had to put KG back in the game. We are in a battle for the top two spots in the EC, so the regular season actually does matter...

I mean, this is not about a small sample size. Nenad and Murphy are not good defenders. Curry is not great either, but at least he might keep the middle from seeming like a revolving door...

Why would you believe in such a thing? Curry may be even worse than Murphy and he's certainly worse than Krstic. And I'm talking about the prime Curry, a relatively fit NBA player. But a rim protector? Are you sure you're thinking about the right Eddie Curry? He's that one guy about whom when reporters asked him "what can Curry do to improve his rebounding?", Scott Skiles laconically answered "jump". The current Curry? I doubt he can even sprint for the full length of a basketball court.

Play Chris Johnson if it's such a big problem (and IMO it isn't). He's a very good shot-blocker and a better defender than Curry would be or ever was. I really doubt you can add a better defensive big than him at this point.

[winsomme]

To be fair, Krstic, Murphy, and Green are still learning the system, and the C's play a complex defensive system.  Yes, these guys are not shot blockers, but once they learn the correct rotations, it is going to make a big difference on the interior defense.

Also, tonight, the perimeter defense was a much bigger problem than the interior.  Yes, they were getting layups, but that is because Nash and Brooks were being allowed to get deep penetration which forced help, and led to the open shots. 

the outside game is a by-product of the inside game, though. The Suns second unit was just cruising in and out of the lane at will...

I know many think Curry is laughable at this point, but I really think we need someone who can stuff up the middle. plus, what's the real risk at this point?

But they wouldn't be cruising in and out of the middle if the guys in the perimeter were stopping them from getting into the lane.  And that's the problem.  

Now, a big part of that is the big men, who should be hedging better (although Krstic did an excellent job of this for stretches) to help on the picks.  But the bottom line is the C's defense has always started from the outside in.  They are able to protect the rim because they do such good a job of stopping the penetration out at the point of attack.  When they do not stop the point of attack, it doesn't matter who you have protecting the basket, because the rules make it very tough to do anything to stop someone once they are in the lane.

As for Eddie Curry, regardless of his ability (or inability) to clog the lane, he was bought out after the deadline, and can't be on the playoff roster, so he is not the answer.

If our defense works outside in, then we are in trouble anyway because Shaq right now is the main answer to our middle woes.

Perk made players think twice about freely swinging through the lane...he trapped up high as well but that's mostly KGs  function...

[mmbaby]

Last time we went and got more bigs, look what happened. Troy Murphy, Green.

Happy with Kristic though

[BballTim]

Interior defense

solution: Eddie Curry

Is this sarcasm or are you serious?

unfortunately not. He's the only the guy out there with the bulk to really stuff up the middle. Even with KG playing great tonight, PHO in the second half was cruising through the lane like someone left the windows open...

  According to the espn box scores Phoenix scored 26 points in the paint compared to our 52. Out of all the games concluded Phoenix is the only team with less than 30 points in the paint, and 5 of those teams who scored more points in the paint than Phoenix scored in the 80s for the game while Phoenix broke 100.

[tenn_smoothie]

Our interior defense is currently walking around the training center in OKC - wearing orange & white shoes, no less because he angrily threw the green pair he had on in the trash can when he arrived.

[PaulPierce34G]

Our interior defense is currently walking around the training center in OKC - wearing orange & white shoes, no less because he angrily threw the green pair he had on in the trash can when he arrived.

Is that seriously true? Sarcasm?

[winsomme]

Interior defense

solution: Eddie Curry

Is this sarcasm or are you serious?

unfortunately not. He's the only the guy out there with the bulk to really stuff up the middle. Even with KG playing great tonight, PHO in the second half was cruising through the lane like someone left the windows open...

  According to the espn box scores Phoenix scored 26 points in the paint compared to our 52. Out of all the games concluded Phoenix is the only team with less than 30 points in the paint, and 5 of those teams who scored more points in the paint than Phoenix scored in the 80s for the game while Phoenix broke 100.

but like Chris and I were discussing, PHO was using their free penetration into the lane to get open outside shots....they don't really have bigs who score in the paint.

this is a perfect example of where a stat doesn't tell the story. PHO (especially with our second unit) was moving easily through the interior of our defense.

[droponov]

Interior defense

solution: Eddie Curry

Is this sarcasm or are you serious?

unfortunately not. He's the only the guy out there with the bulk to really stuff up the middle. Even with KG playing great tonight, PHO in the second half was cruising through the lane like someone left the windows open...

  According to the espn box scores Phoenix scored 26 points in the paint compared to our 52. Out of all the games concluded Phoenix is the only team with less than 30 points in the paint, and 5 of those teams who scored more points in the paint than Phoenix scored in the 80s for the game while Phoenix broke 100.

but like Chris and I were discussing, PHO was using their free penetration into the lane to get open outside shots....they don't really have bigs who score in the paint.

this is a perfect example of where a stat doesn't tell the story. PHO (especially with our second unit) was moving easily through the interior of our defense.

Phoenix scored at a pace of 110.7 points per 100 possessions last night. For the season, they average 110.1 points per 100 possessions. So the Celtics held them to their exact offensive rating. They FG% was 42.9% last night, their season average is 47.2 FG%.

So, Boston played as an average defensive team against Phoenix. But only because of that late 3rd/early 4th 14-0 run, where they scored 14 points in 6 possessions with an efficiency of 4.6 points per shot. That was done against the Celtics 2nd unit, a team that, besides not having good interior defenders, had never played or even practised together. Throw that period out and Boston's defense was pretty good.

Until the O'Neals return, Boston won't be as good defensively as it was for the first half of the season when they were the best defensive team in the league. But they won't be awful either because they'll still be excellent whenever Garnett and any combination of Rondo/West/Pierce/Allen/Green/Pavlovic on the perimeter is on the floor. And even if that wasn't the case, playing Eddy Curry would make them worse.

[LilRip]

forget eddy curry! let's get jerome james!!! some of his highlights for you all:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8fDQCWroRCo

[BballTim]

Interior defense

solution: Eddie Curry

Is this sarcasm or are you serious?

unfortunately not. He's the only the guy out there with the bulk to really stuff up the middle. Even with KG playing great tonight, PHO in the second half was cruising through the lane like someone left the windows open...

  According to the espn box scores Phoenix scored 26 points in the paint compared to our 52. Out of all the games concluded Phoenix is the only team with less than 30 points in the paint, and 5 of those teams who scored more points in the paint than Phoenix scored in the 80s for the game while Phoenix broke 100.

but like Chris and I were discussing, PHO was using their free penetration into the lane to get open outside shots....they don't really have bigs who score in the paint.

this is a perfect example of where a stat doesn't tell the story. PHO (especially with our second unit) was moving easily through the interior of our defense.

  And the way to stop dribble penetration against our perimeter defenders is to sign Eddie Curry? So he can, what, guard opposing wing players and point guards? It all makes perfect sense now. When you were concerned about our ability to guard the rim, you meant guard the rim against players who aren't going to shoot but kick the ball out?

[BudweiserCeltic]

Interior defense

solution: Eddie Curry

Is this sarcasm or are you serious?

unfortunately not. He's the only the guy out there with the bulk to really stuff up the middle. Even with KG playing great tonight, PHO in the second half was cruising through the lane like someone left the windows open...

  According to the espn box scores Phoenix scored 26 points in the paint compared to our 52. Out of all the games concluded Phoenix is the only team with less than 30 points in the paint, and 5 of those teams who scored more points in the paint than Phoenix scored in the 80s for the game while Phoenix broke 100.

but like Chris and I were discussing, PHO was using their free penetration into the lane to get open outside shots....they don't really have bigs who score in the paint.

this is a perfect example of where a stat doesn't tell the story. PHO (especially with our second unit) was moving easily through the interior of our defense.

Tell Rondo to defend his man.

This is nothing new.

[drza44]

As someone else pointed out, the final is misleading.  The Suns had 59 points with 3 minutes left in the 3rd quarter and the Cs started taking out their starters.  For all intents and purposes, the Cs treated that as the end of the game.  That wouldn't have been any different no matter who the starting center was...the Cs simply took their feet off the gas.  But before they did, their defense was stifling a pretty good offense.

Right now, to me, this is a non-issue.  Get back to me in a few weeks, after we have a better idea what is going on.  I strongly suspect that our defense will be fin.e

[BballTim]

Tell Rondo to defend his man.

This is nothing new.

  Yes, just like it's nothing new that Nash had to call for a pick almost every time he wanted to get into the lane.