How to fix the offense? - Don't start Ray!

[raynman]

Everyone knows our offense has been atrocious not only this season but the past few years as well.. There have been stretches when we just can't score , especially during fourth quarters.. Our bench hasn't really been producing so it puts more pressure on the starters, particularly the core four to score buckets.. my idea of solving this with our current lineup is... have Ray Allen come off the bench! Of course, this depends on Pietrus' health.. If he can mesh well with the starters, he'd provide another scoring option and more defense to start off games.. Ray can come in as the 'stabilizing factor' for the bench, and he can be their got-to-guy.. This way , when Doc substitutes the bench guys for all the starters, our offense won't be lost.. And Ray can finish the game for clutch situations, of course.. This can also solve another problem - prevent the opposing team from starting off hot! Pietrus is a better defender than Ray- everybody knows that..
Of course, there are other options - Get a legit low-post presence, Replace Dooling with a TRUE PG, or brainwash KG into wanting to SHOOT! 

[greenpride32]

I disagree. Since Ray can no longer create his own shot he needs other scoring threats (Pierce Rondo Garnett) on the floor to allow for him to find open spaces.  If he is the "go to guy" and teams focus on him he will not be getting good looks.  And since he's our only consistent scorer this year so far, we'll probablly be down double digits by the time he gets into the game off the bench due to lack of offense.

[Eddie20]

Everyone knows our offense has been atrocious not only this season but the past few years as well.. There have been stretches when we just can't score , especially during fourth quarters.. Our bench hasn't really been producing so it puts more pressure on the starters, particularly the core four to score buckets.. my idea of solving this with our current lineup is... have Ray Allen come off the bench! Of course, this depends on Pietrus' health.. If he can mesh well with the starters, he'd provide another scoring option and more defense to start off games.. Ray can come in as the 'stabilizing factor' for the bench, and he can be their got-to-guy.. This way , when Doc substitutes the bench guys for all the starters, our offense won't be lost.. And Ray can finish the game for clutch situations, of course.. This can also solve another problem - prevent the opposing team from starting off hot! Pietrus is a better defender than Ray- everybody knows that..
Of course, there are other options - Get a legit low-post presence, Replace Dooling with a TRUE PG, or brainwash KG into wanting to SHOOT! 

Our bench O will be fine, but need Marquis to start shooting better. He's shooting 27% for the year and has shot 6 for 32 over the last 6 games.

[PosImpos]

Yes, let's bench our leading scorer.  Great idea.

[BASS_THUMPER]

Yes, let's bench our leading scorer.  Great idea.

kinda makes sense but it doesnt

last year i felt the big three didnt work together...they depend on the other guy to score...i understand what thread starter sayin but we cant do that

YEAH TEBOW!!!

*sippin*

[Roy H.]

Ray and Rondo depend so much upon one another.  I wouldn't break up that back court.

[raynman]

I disagree. Since Ray can no longer create his own shot he needs other scoring threats (Pierce Rondo Garnett) on the floor to allow for him to find open spaces.  If he is the "go to guy" and teams focus on him he will not be getting good looks.  And since he's our only consistent scorer this year so far, we'll probablly be down double digits by the time he gets into the game off the bench due to lack of offense.

Our bench O will be fine, but need Marquis to start shooting better. He's shooting 27% for the year and has shot 6 for 32 over the last 6 games.

I don't think Quis will ever improve offensively.. And Ray isn't just a spot-up shooter, he can create his own shot! He'd been a go-to-guy for years before he came here.. And going up against the opposing teams' bench defense would be a little easier..

[raynman]

Ray and Rondo depend so much upon one another.  I wouldn't break up that back court.

Wouldn't you like to see how GREAT Rondo is without a hall-of-fame shooter to pass to? And wouldn't you like to see how BRILLIANT Doc is in adjusting and creating offensive sets without relying on Allen and Pierce's bail-out threes?

[green7]

bradley may have to start friday we need as many people to shut down d.rose as possible hopefully rondo does not weak guard him like he did in april after that huge funk he went in after the perk trade

[BballTim]

Ray and Rondo depend so much upon one another.  I wouldn't break up that back court.

Wouldn't you like to see how GREAT Rondo is without a hall-of-fame shooter to pass to? And wouldn't you like to see how BRILLIANT Doc is in adjusting and creating offensive sets without relying on Allen and Pierce's bail-out threes?

  Yes, Rondo was completely unable to score or get assists at the beginning of the year when PP was out.

[raynman]

Ray and Rondo depend so much upon one another.  I wouldn't break up that back court.

Wouldn't you like to see how GREAT Rondo is without a hall-of-fame shooter to pass to? And wouldn't you like to see how BRILLIANT Doc is in adjusting and creating offensive sets without relying on Allen and Pierce's bail-out threes?

  Yes, Rondo was completely unable to score or get assists at the beginning of the year when PP was out.

Yes, and the Celtics lost all three.. My point is, our offense has been too reliant on the core four.. That's why when at least two of them are out, they're running like headless chicken.. Our offense needs variation.. I don't know what kind of offensive system Doc is running, if there is a system at all..

[Boris Badenov]

Yes, let's fix the offense by benching the guy whose adjusted field goal percentage is 74%...

[byennie]

I don't see how benching Ray fixes anything, considering you aren't going to cut his minutes (and if you do, well that certainly won't help the offense). So now Pierce is the only real scorer in the starting lineup?

Personally, I'd do 2 things. First, I'd give the starting 5 some more rope. They've played 4 games together and guess what, we're 3-1 in those games, and +26 in scoring differential. We had 1 stinker in Indiana where Pierce was ice cold. It happens.

But let's suppose the offense "continues" to be a problem. I say start Bass at center. Why?

1) He's our 3rd best scorer after Ray and Pierce. On some nights he'll be our 2nd or even 1st option.

2) He's only playing 27 MPG. Want more offense? Play him 35 MPG like Rondo and Ray. God knows O'Neal could use the rest. Dude is putting up something like 17/8 with that kind of playing time!

3) He'll be much harder to defend for opposing 5s than O'Neal, especially in the running game.

4) O'Neal can be our 1st big off the bench, since Garnett & Bass can both play the 4. Make the 2nd unit truly a defensive squad -- yeah they may have trouble scoring, but I'd rather have dangerous starting 5 with a hustle / defense 2nd unit, then 2 units that both struggle to score. Bradley / Dooling / Daniels / Pietrus / O'Neal / Stiemsma can all get after it on defense.

5) Stop swapping units wholesale -- leave at least one shooter (Ray, Pierce, Bass) in with the 2nd unit. Run lots of plays for that guy and let everyone else go nuts with pressure defense. For example, sub Pierce for Pietrus earlier in the game. Then bring him back to FINISH the quarter with the 2nd unit. He'll be the leader on the floor and can create his own shots. I think Pierce would relish the role - start the game, get his minutes, and LEAD the 2nd unit for short periods as well. Also, Pierce is our best player at drawing fouls. Why not play him at the end of quarters when teams are over the limit?

6) Encourage Garnett to focus even more on rebounding & defense -- he doesn't need to score as much with Bass on the floor, and frankly he's "only" the 4th or 5th best scorer on the team these days.

Now of course there is a downside to Bass defending the 5 for long stretches, but we already know we need him on the floor for most of the game, why not find the best way to play our best players?

[wiley]

I don't see how benching Ray fixes anything, considering you aren't going to cut his minutes (and if you do, well that certainly won't help the offense). So now Pierce is the only real scorer in the starting lineup?

Personally, I'd do 2 things. First, I'd give the starting 5 some more rope. They've played 4 games together and guess what, we're 3-1 in those games, and +26 in scoring differential. We had 1 stinker in Indiana where Pierce was ice cold. It happens.

But let's suppose the offense "continues" to be a problem. I say start Bass at center. Why?

1) He's our 3rd best scorer after Ray and Pierce. On some nights he'll be our 2nd or even 1st option.

2) He's only playing 27 MPG. Want more offense? Play him 35 MPG like Rondo and Ray. God knows O'Neal could use the rest. Dude is putting up something like 17/8 with that kind of playing time!

3) He'll be much harder to defend for opposing 5s than O'Neal, especially in the running game.

4) O'Neal can be our 1st big off the bench, since Garnett & Bass can both play the 4. Make the 2nd unit truly a defensive squad -- yeah they may have trouble scoring, but I'd rather have dangerous starting 5 with a hustle / defense 2nd unit, then 2 units that both struggle to score. Bradley / Dooling / Daniels / Pietrus / O'Neal / Stiemsma can all get after it on defense.

5) Stop swapping units wholesale -- leave at least one shooter (Ray, Pierce, Bass) in with the 2nd unit. Run lots of plays for that guy and let everyone else go nuts with pressure defense. For example, sub Pierce for Pietrus earlier in the game. Then bring him back to FINISH the quarter with the 2nd unit. He'll be the leader on the floor and can create his own shots. I think Pierce would relish the role - start the game, get his minutes, and LEAD the 2nd unit for short periods as well. Also, Pierce is our best player at drawing fouls. Why not play him at the end of quarters when teams are over the limit?

6) Encourage Garnett to focus even more on rebounding & defense -- he doesn't need to score as much with Bass on the floor, and frankly he's "only" the 4th or 5th best scorer on the team these days.

Now of course there is a downside to Bass defending the 5 for long stretches, but we already know we need him on the floor for most of the game, why not find the best way to play our best players?

Nice post.  I tend to agree with the strategy of living with a weakness (Bass' height) in order to maximize talent...They could also just up his minutes..

[pearljammer10]

Great idea... Lets reward this years best scorer and hottest hand...by putting him on the bench.