Doc will bungle the rotations with JO coming back

[FatjohnReturns]

Sorry I dont have alot of faith in Docs ability to manage rotations.Our schemes seem to be overcomplicated and even had Tommy saying in the postgame that the new guys look lost and we should stop running so many plays and just play basketball.

If I were Rivers I would start Jermaine tommorow vs the Spurs. We need to figure out quickly if Jermaine can be more effective with the staters than Krstic and we dont have much time to do it.  

Here is Doc "There’s a chance [he could play Thursday], but I doubt it,’’ said Rivers. "It’s just so quick. Honestly, the only way is if we had some other injury or something. Even then, I doubt if I’d do it. I’d go with the six guys we’d have in uniform.’’ No Doc its not quick he has been out all season. He said he is ready to go so put him on the floor. Holding him out now only makes it take longer to establish some rhythm.

With both Jermaine and Shaq coming back what do you think the coaching staff should do about the rotations? How should the minutes be divided so the Celtics can play their best?

[Yvette]

Doc said that he's gonna use 9 players in the rotation come play-off time. That includes Shaq and Jermaine... So we more or less know who gets to play and who wears the tie...

[nickagneta]

Jermaine O'Neal has barely played for this team this year. He's played in 17 games at an average of 17 MPG or basically less than Nenad Krstic has played for the C's this year.

Why exactly should Doc trust JO to know and perform the responsibilities of the offense and defense more than he does someone like Krstic who came over in a trade after 50 games?

Doc's first responsibility should be getting the O'Neals(both of them) in game shape, regardless of when they play, whether they start, who they play with, or how they play. Get them in shape and ready to give significant(importance not amount) minutes come May and June. Then once that is done., determine, if he hasn't already, which players play best together and which will make the best rotation.

My guess is his playoff starter will be:

Shaq, KG, Pierce, Allen and Rondo

And the bench will be:

Baby(sixth man and significant 4th quarter minutes), Green(20 MPG filling in the hybrid 3-4), West(20 MPG playing the combo guard playing with Allen and Rondo), JO or Murphy or Krstic(as the fourth big in case of foul trouble or needed for fouls or offense or defense in the front court(limited minutes), Arroyo in case of serious foul trouble with Rondo and another guard(limited minutes) and everyone else will be garbage time.

[Edgar]

the sixman minutes for bbd are coming from no bigs
real 6th is green and 7th delonte
with JO or shaq u will see a lot of scary changes
but those can only be good imho

[Dunn]

Jermaine better start and finish. No way if he's got his legs and fouls to use should he be sitting in the 4th. He should start while he can with Shaq still out, just in case of another Shaq setback. You don't keep a player away this long to just have him back up two scrubs. I want to see Krstic and Baby playing together as well and then call it a night.

[Who]

What's to bungle?

The Celtics desperately need a fourth big man to come in and play 15-18 minutes a night + desperately need a backup big man who can come in and supply interior defense. JO's return is a perfect match for the team's needs and his own recovery (the difference between fit to play + match fit).

All simple decisions. What will get more complicated is finding a way to get Troy Murphy minutes once JO returns + finding a balance between Shaq/Krstic/JO once Shaq returns and also re-adjusting BBD's minutes once that happens.

But for now, everything is simple. JO is set to return and he has a clear cut role to fill.

[clover]

I'm going to pick a somewhat optimistic, but not best, scenario:

JO comes back and is healthy, though Shaq can never get and stay on the court.

Doc gradually ups JO's minutes from 12 to 25 during the season and 25 to 30 during the playoffs.  JO moves into the starter slot after 3-5 games, and Baby and Krstic both scale back to about 15 minutes by the end of the playoffs.

Okay, while we're at it, by that point KG is playing 35 minutes, the rest of the Big Four are at 40, Delonte and Green are each at 12.  That's on average, with no foul trouble or big matchup problems.

The gradual shift to the rotational endgame starts tonight.

[LooseCannon]

Jermaine O'Neal has barely played for this team this year. He's played in 17 games at an average of 17 MPG or basically less than Nenad Krstic has played for the C's this year.

If you think of him as someone who has played a tad more than Delonte West has all season, does it make you feel better?

[nickagneta]

Jermaine O'Neal has barely played for this team this year. He's played in 17 games at an average of 17 MPG or basically less than Nenad Krstic has played for the C's this year.

If you think of him as someone who has played a tad more than Delonte West has all season, does it make you feel better?

No

[greenpride32]

What's to bungle?

The Celtics desperately need a fourth big man to come in and play 15-18 minutes a night + desperately need a backup big man who can come in and supply interior defense. JO's return is a perfect match for the team's needs and his own recovery (the difference between fit to play + match fit).

All simple decisions. What will get more complicated is finding a way to get Troy Murphy minutes once JO returns + finding a balance between Shaq/Krstic/JO once Shaq returns and also re-adjusting BBD's minutes once that happens.

But for now, everything is simple. JO is set to return and he has a clear cut role to fill.

Couldn't have said it better myself.  Though I disagree on the Murphy part; I think he's already played his way OUT of the rotation.  JO/Krstic/Shaq at the 5, KG/BBD at the 4 with Jeff Green taking spot minutes at the 4 if necessary; that doesn't leave a whole of minutes (or need) for another 4. 

[slamtheking]

I'm going to pick a somewhat optimistic, but not best, scenario:

JO comes back and is healthy, though Shaq can never get and stay on the court.

Doc gradually ups JO's minutes from 12 to 25 during the season and 25 to 30 during the playoffs.  JO moves into the starter slot after 3-5 games, and Baby and Krstic both scale back to about 15 minutes by the end of the playoffs.

Okay, while we're at it, by that point KG is playing 35 minutes, the rest of the Big Four are at 40, Delonte and Green are each at 12.  That's on average, with no foul trouble or big matchup problems.

The gradual shift to the rotational endgame starts tonight.

not that I think Doc manages minutes well but I would hope Delonte and Green get at least 18 minutes apiece to knock Rondo/Ray/PP's minutes down to 36.  I don't think that's much of a change that would negatively impact the team but would actually save Ray and PP's legs a bit as they get further into the playoffs.

[thirstyboots18]

I am interested in "why" you feel Doc can not handle the rotations?  Past performance?  Like 2008 when he took a team of unsuccessful "stars" to the Championship?  Last year, when he guided a team of players in various stages of healing, who had shown nothing in the regular season, to game 7 of the Finals?   Or the coach who, this year had the best record in the East until a five man trade, and who is trying to fit the new players in with the old players, despite all the uprooting and angst at a very difficult part of the year? A coach who has been doing this despite having his starting center and back up center on the injured list?   It will probably take a few games, and some adjustments, but IMO Doc is one of the three best coaches in the league along with Pop and Phil, as his past results show. 

[wdleehi]

If JO is healthy, he becomes the starting C until Shaq is healthy.



I can't see where this is messed up. 

[GranTur]

Playoff rotation assuming perfect health (minutes in parentheses):
Rondo (40) Delonte (20)
Ray (36)
Pierce (36) Green (20)
KG (32) Baby (20)
Shaq (20) JO (16)

General depth chart
PG: Rondo/Delonte
SG: Ray/Delonte/Wafer
SF: Pierce/Green
PF: KG/Baby/Green
C:  Shaq/JO/Krstic

Main concerns
-Health of Delonte, Shaq, and JO.
-Creating an offensive and defensive rhythm for the bench.
-Can Jeff Green be more assertive offensively and on the boards like Paul Pierce?

[clover]

I'm going to pick a somewhat optimistic, but not best, scenario:

JO comes back and is healthy, though Shaq can never get and stay on the court.

Doc gradually ups JO's minutes from 12 to 25 during the season and 25 to 30 during the playoffs.  JO moves into the starter slot after 3-5 games, and Baby and Krstic both scale back to about 15 minutes by the end of the playoffs.

Okay, while we're at it, by that point KG is playing 35 minutes, the rest of the Big Four are at 40, Delonte and Green are each at 12.  That's on average, with no foul trouble or big matchup problems.

The gradual shift to the rotational endgame starts tonight.

not that I think Doc manages minutes well but I would hope Delonte and Green get at least 18 minutes apiece to knock Rondo/Ray/PP's minutes down to 36.  I don't think that's much of a change that would negatively impact the team but would actually save Ray and PP's legs a bit as they get further into the playoffs.

I agree.  My numbers for them were by the end of the playoffs, when I think he rides them for all he can.  They should play less along the way, though that will be a challenge for Doc, with so many important games to get beyond the early rounds.