Is it me, or are ESPN trying to help the Heat out? Check this.

[Senninsage]

http://espn.go.com/blog/truehoop/miamiheat/post/_/id/6788/how-the-celtics-make-lemonade

Call it whatever they will, but this seems like an attempt to help Miami better understand Boston's plays. Yes, I know Miami is already doing these things themselves, but this is a very blatant, and not cleverly masked, attempt to aide Miami in whatever way that they can.

Not saying this will decide games or the series or anything, but it strikes me as a bit shady.

[greenpride32]

What do you the think the coaching staffs do to earn their pay?  Plays that teams run are no secret.  Didn't you hear Doc was running MIA plays during the ASG?

[dark_lord]

espn is the least of our worries......the bias from the officials should be the concern

[nickagneta]

I'm sure the Miami pre-scouting department does a better job of providing the Miami coaching staff with material on what plays the C's run and so I don't see this as blatant help to the Heat by ESPN. I do find it weird that they decided to single out the C's in this manner though as compared to other teams though this could just be a run of articles they are going to do showing each team's plays. How knows?

Remember, Vince Lombardi ran the same plays over and over and over again and every coach and team he played against knew what he was going to run. He just had the philosophy that as long as they ran their stuff as well as they could, no one could stop them, and he was right. 5 NFL championships and two Super Bowl championships say so.

[LooseCannon]

It's just you.  The point is to inform fans about the game.  If you think it is shady that there is a post on how the Celtics offense runs on the TrueHoop network affiliate Heat Index, then it would also be shady if a similar post about the Miami offense appears on the Boston equivalent, CelticsHub.com.

[ejk3489]

I don't think it's shady...ESPN dedicates a whole webpage (NBA Playbook) with this exact same stuff for every team

[Rondo9dunx]

what is with the wave of "omg espn hates us" threads lately? who cares...

[ACF]

espn is the least of our worries......the bias from the officials should be the concern

QFT and looking at YOU, David J. Stern.

[Senninsage]

I already pointed that out, and I know that takes place. At no point did I attempt to say that it doesn't, but this strikes me as a bit more of an obvious sign that ESPN is, kinda pitifully, attempting to help out their favorites a bit.

Fact is, if I were in the media, there is more excitement in the Miami Heat advancing, than there is for a team like the Celtics, and because of that, a lot of those in the media would like to see the Heat advance all the way to the finals. I think that's the calculation that ESPN are making, and they are hoping an article like this helps along the way.

Not like it will, because at the end of the day, you still have to go out there and play the game, but I don't like it is all.

Call me crazy, but I still don't like it.

[FromDowntown]

I already pointed that out, and I know that takes place. At no point did I attempt to say that it doesn't, but this strikes me as a bit more of an obvious sign that ESPN is, kinda pitifully, attempting to help out their favorites a bit.

Fact is, if I were in the media, there is more excitement in the Miami Heat advancing, than there is for a team like the Celtics, and because of that, a lot of those in the media would like to see the Heat advance all the way to the finals. I think that's the calculation that ESPN are making, and they are hoping an article like this helps along the way.

Not like it will, because at the end of the day, you still have to go out there and play the game, but I don't like it is all.

Call me crazy, but I still don't like it.

You're crazy. =)

[Senninsage]

I already pointed that out, and I know that takes place. At no point did I attempt to say that it doesn't, but this strikes me as a bit more of an obvious sign that ESPN is, kinda pitifully, attempting to help out their favorites a bit.

Fact is, if I were in the media, there is more excitement in the Miami Heat advancing, than there is for a team like the Celtics, and because of that, a lot of those in the media would like to see the Heat advance all the way to the finals. I think that's the calculation that ESPN are making, and they are hoping an article like this helps along the way.

Not like it will, because at the end of the day, you still have to go out there and play the game, but I don't like it is all.

Call me crazy, but I still don't like it.

You're crazy. =)

Well, I'm glad I tell ya, glad! =)

I will not have ESPN take this championship away from me. (haha, channeling my inner celtic pride - love that movie.)

[18isGREATERthan72]

I already pointed that out, and I know that takes place. At no point did I attempt to say that it doesn't, but this strikes me as a bit more of an obvious sign that ESPN is, kinda pitifully, attempting to help out their favorites a bit.

Fact is, if I were in the media, there is more excitement in the Miami Heat advancing, than there is for a team like the Celtics, and because of that, a lot of those in the media would like to see the Heat advance all the way to the finals. I think that's the calculation that ESPN are making, and they are hoping an article like this helps along the way.

Not like it will, because at the end of the day, you still have to go out there and play the game, but I don't like it is all.

Call me crazy, but I still don't like it.

Why do we as Celtic fans always think that the Media is against us, and the League is against us, etc etc?!

How is there necessarily more excitement in the Heat advancing, than us?  The way I see it, there is just as much, if not MORE excitement from us advancing.  First, assuming everything plays out as it should, the ECF would be us vs the Bulls.  Doc vs Thibs.  Rondo vs Rose. KG vs Noah.  There is plenty of storyline there.  Then after we win that series, it would hopefully be the Lakers.  Do I even need to explain?  Last season it was like record setting TV ratings for the Finals.

Also, yes, a few years ago the Kobe - LeBron showdown was being hyped up, but what happened?  LeBron skipped town on Cleveland, and went to Miami.  Now most of the country hates him, and could care less.  I think ESPN did a poll the other day, and like 60% of the country wanted the Celtics to win the series.

Finally... You think anything that ESPN writes as far as strategy the Celtics have is something the Heat don't ALREADY know?  You think LeBron goes on the Heat Index (Probably does just to read about himself) saying "I wonder what stuff the Celtics are running now?"

Get real.

[shookones99]

I already pointed that out, and I know that takes place. At no point did I attempt to say that it doesn't, but this strikes me as a bit more of an obvious sign that ESPN is, kinda pitifully, attempting to help out their favorites a bit.

Fact is, if I were in the media, there is more excitement in the Miami Heat advancing, than there is for a team like the Celtics, and because of that, a lot of those in the media would like to see the Heat advance all the way to the finals. I think that's the calculation that ESPN are making, and they are hoping an article like this helps along the way.

Not like it will, because at the end of the day, you still have to go out there and play the game, but I don't like it is all.

Call me crazy, but I still don't like it.

Why do we as Celtic fans always think that the Media is against us, and the League is against us, etc etc?!

How is there necessarily more excitement in the Heat advancing, than us?  The way I see it, there is just as much, if not MORE excitement from us advancing.  First, assuming everything plays out as it should, the ECF would be us vs the Bulls.  Doc vs Thibs.  Rondo vs Rose. KG vs Noah.  There is plenty of storyline there.  Then after we win that series, it would hopefully be the Lakers.  Do I even need to explain?  Last season it was like record setting TV ratings for the Finals.

Also, yes, a few years ago the Kobe - LeBron showdown was being hyped up, but what happened?  LeBron skipped town on Cleveland, and went to Miami.  Now most of the country hates him, and could care less.  I think ESPN did a poll the other day, and like 60% of the country wanted the Celtics to win the series.

Finally... You think anything that ESPN writes as far as strategy the Celtics have is something the Heat don't ALREADY know?  You think LeBron goes on the Heat Index (Probably does just to read about himself) saying "I wonder what stuff the Celtics are running now?"

Get real.

YUP agreed 100%   

[Celticsfan336]

If the Heat are looking at ESPN for their gameplan, then we are in good shape.

[action781]

This is just one offensive set that Boston might run.  I actually haven't even seen them run it that often.  Usually the first action in our offensive sets is Ray Allen running off a baseline screen or 2.  My personal favorite offensive set is extremely basic and fast, the one called "45" when the 4 and 5 both come up and set a ball screen on each side for Rondo at the top of the key around 18-20 feet from the hoop.  I think this is our most effective play and we get so much out of it so quickly.  We usually save it for 4th quarters though.

But anyways, this is just one set, and I haven't seen us use it that much.  The purpose of this article was to applaud the celtics teamwork, unselfishness, and dedication in never giving up on a broken play.  I'd be surprised if Miami even reads ESPN.