Etwuan wants to play

[slamtheking]

I'm glad he wants to play, who wouldn't be?

But I wanna see him earn it. Work hard in practice, do all the little things, show that you deserve to be out there and then play.

Not to turn this into a Doc-bashing thread, but it's well established that Doc puts guys, especially rookies, on the bench and just will not play them.

It's well-established that Doc will not play guys who haven't proven that they possess a reliable, NBA-caliber skill.

Odd. I feel like he plays guys like that all the time.  

beat me to it as visions of Mikki Moore flashed in my head.  Doc plays vets, period.  talented or not, a vet will always get on the floor ahead of a young player, talented or not.

Every young player that saw court time under Doc was because Doc had no veteran options to use in the game instead.  Bradley's seeing the court these past 2 games because the only other option for Doc off the bench is Moore who's a rookie.

[Tai]

Bradley has shown me much more defensively than most guys on this TEAM, let alone any rookie we have. To be frank, I think Bradley may actually be able to help us this year if he can find his freaking jump shot. Apart from that, no way that Moore has anything defensively on Bradley. Not at this point.

A lotta of y'all seem to think Doc's down on rookies. Maybe it's because they don't know anything about the defensive system, yet. After it seemed like Krstic, for example, wasn't getting it either, his minutes appeared to drop.

[MBunge]

Maybe it's because they don't know anything about the defensive system, yet. After it seemed like Krstic, for example, wasn't getting it either, his minutes appeared to drop.

If the defensive schemes are THAT frickin' complex that even established NBA starters can't grasp them, the problem is with the schemes and not the players.

Mike

[nickagneta]

Maybe it's because they don't know anything about the defensive system, yet. After it seemed like Krstic, for example, wasn't getting it either, his minutes appeared to drop.

If the defensive schemes are THAT frickin' complex that even established NBA starters can't grasp them, the problem is with the schemes and not the players.

Mike

Or the players are that stupid because the system has produced one of the best defensive teams in league history(2007-08) and three other years of being either the best or second best defensive team in the league. That system is also now in Chicago and was responsible for the Bulls becoming such a good defensive team.

[MBunge]

Or the players are that stupid because the system has produced one of the best defensive teams in league history(2007-08) and three other years of being either the best or second best defensive team in the league. That system is also now in Chicago and was responsible for the Bulls becoming such a good defensive team.

If you can't trade for players in mid-season because even NBA veterans who are starters on other playoff teams can't pick up your defensive scheme, THAT'S a problem with the scheme.

Two, Carlos Boozer was an all-star level performer in Utah who has seen his minutes and production cut in Chicago and Boozer's struggles with the defensive system is clearly part of the problem.  Rip Hamilton, the guy who was supposed to make the Bulls a legit title contender, has averaged fewer minutes in the first two games than he did last year in Detroit and has seen his production fall off a cliff as well.  I wouldn't be surprised if his struggle with Chicago's defense explained that as well.

Mike

[Tai]

Or the players are that stupid because the system has produced one of the best defensive teams in league history(2007-08) and three other years of being either the best or second best defensive team in the league. That system is also now in Chicago and was responsible for the Bulls becoming such a good defensive team.

If you can't trade for players in mid-season because even NBA veterans who are starters on other playoff teams can't pick up your defensive scheme, THAT'S a problem with the scheme.

Two, Carlos Boozer was an all-star level performer in Utah who has seen his minutes and production cut in Chicago and Boozer's struggles with the defensive system is clearly part of the problem.  Rip Hamilton, the guy who was supposed to make the Bulls a legit title contender, has averaged fewer minutes in the first two games than he did last year in Detroit and has seen his production fall off a cliff as well.  I wouldn't be surprised if his struggle with Chicago's defense explained that as well.

Mike

What do you want us to say? Some plays can figure it out and some can't? Fine. That's life. Like Nickagenta touched on, the results speak for themselves, and it made Thibodeau probably the most well-known (definitely the most paid) assistant coach out there, and ultimately led to him getting his head coaching gig with the Bulls. Oh, and lo and behold, Thibodeau's 1st season as coach for the Bulls, they're #2 in points allowed after being #13 the year before, and #1 in opponent FG percentage (granted, they were #3 the year before).

Not sure if you're a Pats fan, but if you are, think Ochocinco. He's been around all season and seems to JUST be grasping the offensive playbook. However, the offense is one of the best in the league; 3rd in scoring, 2nd in passing yards.

[mc34]

I expect to see E'twuan get some time today. Hopefully we can blow the game open early and get the starters some rest.

[MBunge]

Not sure if you're a Pats fan, but if you are, think Ochocinco. He's been around all season and seems to JUST be grasping the offensive playbook. However, the offense is one of the best in the league; 3rd in scoring, 2nd in passing yards.

And if Ochocinco had been brought in to be the lead receiver on the Pats instead of an afterthought, then what?

I'm not saying the Celtic defense sucks.  But just as its rotations seems to constantly put Boston in bad rebounding position, if it's so complicated that NBA veterans who are both starters and adequate defenders on playoff teams become defensive liabilities when they arrive in Boston, that's a problem.  How do you fix it?  I don't know.  Maybe it's just a problem you live with because the defense is so good.

Mike

[Jon]

There's quite a good chance that the Etwaun/Avery debate will be centered around who's rocking the better suit in about two weeks time. 

Wouldn't worry about either one of them too much right now. 

[Interceptor]

Oh...so when Nenad Krstic went from being a starter on a Western Conference playoff team to playing even more minutes for Boston to averaging less than 6 minutes a game in the playoffs against New York, when exactly did the magical fairy wave her wand and take away Krstic's "reliable, NBA-caliber skill"?  Was it two minutes before tip off of Game 1 against the Knicks?  Did the fairy send Doc a tweet to let him know that he could stop playing Krstic because he was going to lose his "reliable, NBA-caliber skill"?  Or did Doc just devine it like the guy from The Dead Zone by touching Krstic on the arm?

Mike

Krstic got injured in the last couple games of the season, right before the playoffs. Bone bruise in his right knee.

[syfy9]

Norris Cole in a Boston jersey!

[Meadowlark_Scal]

IF he wants to play, he should go to another team..like Miami...they play the guys they draft..because....they drafted them..! Doc will play him in...10 years, after he proved himself in practice..!

[kozlodoev]

Moore didn't show much defensively in the preseason. Too small to guard forwards and bigger guards, too slow-footed to stay with quicker guards. He'll stick around because he can shoot, but I'm not sure he'll be as good as people expect him to be.

Glad I wasn't the only one to notice this.

Of course he's too small to guard forwards.  But he may have some potential to be a rotational combo guard, and he can guard some 1's and 2's adequately now, with just a couple of weeks of rookie preseason.

Doc tried him at the PG spot in preseason, and he didn't look good trying to move his feet against Calderon and Bayless. Didn't look like had any special assets in the ball handling/passing department either.

I agree that there is certainly a niche in the NBA occupied by undersized, moderately-athletic shooting specialists -- I was merely pointing out that his ceiling may be a Delonte West/Eddie House type of contribution, which may disappoint some people around here.

[hpantazo]

I'm surprised this is such a big deal, he was just stating the confidence he has in himself, knowing that he's better than Cole. Also, every young NBA player wants to play, well except maybe Bradley who looks terrified that Doc asked him to enter the game every time he comes on the floor.

[kozlodoev]

I'm surprised this is such a big deal, he was just stating the confidence he has in himself, knowing that he's better than Cole.

For what it's worth, Davis also had the confidence that he was "stuck in Garnett's shadow" ...