Ray says he wouldn't mind coming off bench

[Chief]

Doc Rivers is a fool. He makes it sound like Ray would be out of the league without Rondo. The guy is a future HOF, played many years without Rondo, I'm sure he could get his offense playing with other people.


Good for Ray though. At least he's saying all the right things. Very professional.

Finally, I wonder why Rondo gets so mad at "things" sometimes?

Reading your posts is like listening to Curt Schilling discuss Bobby Valentine.  Did Doc do something to you in your childhood?  He isn't a fool. He isn't an idiot. He doesn't suck.  He's also not perfect.  Listen to his HOF players talk about him. KG last week: "Doc is the best coach I've played for". 

Don't make it personal. It's my opinion about Doc. You can have your own

[Neurotic Guy]

Doc Rivers is a fool. He makes it sound like Ray would be out of the league without Rondo. The guy is a future HOF, played many years without Rondo, I'm sure he could get his offense playing with other people.


Good for Ray though. At least he's saying all the right things. Very professional.

Finally, I wonder why Rondo gets so mad at "things" sometimes?

Reading your posts is like listening to Curt Schilling discuss Bobby Valentine.  Did Doc do something to you in your childhood?  He isn't a fool. He isn't an idiot. He doesn't suck.  He's also not perfect.  Listen to his HOF players talk about him. KG last week: "Doc is the best coach I've played for". 

Don't make it personal. It's my opinion about Doc. You can have your own

Not personal, just an observation with a touch of sarcasm -- sorry if the comment was over the line (I wasn't meaning to infer anything lascivious, sorry if it came off that way).

Your comments about Doc often pertain to a specific disagreement with his moves -- I have no issue with those opinions.  But you engage in hyperbole when you make statements like 'He's a fool'.  That's personal.  It's annoying to me -- just my opinion.

[Chief]

Doc Rivers is a fool. He makes it sound like Ray would be out of the league without Rondo. The guy is a future HOF, played many years without Rondo, I'm sure he could get his offense playing with other people.


Good for Ray though. At least he's saying all the right things. Very professional.

Finally, I wonder why Rondo gets so mad at "things" sometimes?

Reading your posts is like listening to Curt Schilling discuss Bobby Valentine.  Did Doc do something to you in your childhood?  He isn't a fool. He isn't an idiot. He doesn't suck.  He's also not perfect.  Listen to his HOF players talk about him. KG last week: "Doc is the best coach I've played for".  

Don't make it personal. It's my opinion about Doc. You can have your own

Not personal, just an observation with a touch of sarcasm -- sorry if the comment was over the line (I wasn't meaning to infer anything lascivious, sorry if it came off that way).

Your comments about Doc often pertain to a specific disagreement with his moves -- I have no issue with those opinions.  But you engage in hyperbole when you make statements like 'He's a fool'.  That's personal.  It's annoying to me -- just my opinion.

I bash players, coaches, and GMs if needed. If it's annoying to you, I'm sorry, but it will continue.

PS-I gave you a TP for your honest opinion though.

[Meadowlark_Scal]

Ray is a true pro....but coming off the bench would be both good for him and us....it would cause other teams to have matchup / rotation problems....!

[Jon]

Ray is a true pro....but coming off the bench would be both good for him and us....it would cause other teams to have matchup / rotation problems....!

I am warming to that idea a bit; however I also think it'd be good to treat Ray like KG. 

Take both of them out at the 7 minute mark.  Bring in Steamer and Bradley to play with Bass, PP, and Rondo. 

Then at the 2-3 minute mark you could take out Pierce, Bass, and Rondo and bring back KG and Ray (along with Pietrus when he returns) and run a pretty potent lineup of Bradley, Ray, Pietrus, KG, and Steamer. 

The real key is balance, and I think that achieves it without the drama of benching Ray. 

[OmarSekou]

Ray can't get his own offense against 1st unit defenses. Not sure if the same would be true against 2nd stringers. And if it is, we can keep Rondo in with him.

Ray's smart. He's going to find a way to get points and contribute regardless of whose he's in with. I think we should make the switch because our starting unit appears better with Bradley.

[mcshane41]

Some guy who knew a bit about basketball once figured out that the 6th man role was a smart tactic to maximize your chances of winning - hold off one of your best players then bring him in when the other team is starting to get gassed or is playing less talented bench players. Have him light it up against them and help push the leads your starters created...

Red something? Smoked a lot of cigars...

Ray is the better player, which is maybe the reason he should come off the bench.

[CelticsFanNC]

Some guy who knew a bit about basketball once figured out that the 6th man role was a smart tactic to maximize your chances of winning - hold off one of your best players then bring him in when the other team is starting to get gassed or is playing less talented bench players. Have him light it up against them and help push the leads your starters created...

Red something? Smoked a lot of cigars...

Ray is the better player, which is maybe the reason he should come off the bench.

  Agree'd.  +1

  Not only would Ray be a huge help to the bench, Bradley's presence is helping Rondo thrive on both ends more consistently because we get out into the open court more consistently and he doesn't have to expend so much energy constantly guarding the opposing teams primary ball handler.

 When we had JO, KG PP, RA starting alongside of Rondo we rarely got into the open court. 

  KG at the 5 has an athletic advantage he rarely ever has at the 4 anymore.  Bradley and Bass have young legs. 

  Injuries have caused us to become younger and more athletic in the starting lineup  It is no coincidence Rondo is playing a whole lot more consistently with guys who can consistently get into the open court.  Injuries kind of forced Doc into doing what some of us have hoped for all season and it seems to be working.  Rondo is a better [layer when he plays with better athletes.  Bradley has been a huge part of that.

[GreenFaith1819]

Some guy who knew a bit about basketball once figured out that the 6th man role was a smart tactic to maximize your chances of winning - hold off one of your best players then bring him in when the other team is starting to get gassed or is playing less talented bench players. Have him light it up against them and help push the leads your starters created...

Red something? Smoked a lot of cigars...

Ray is the better player, which is maybe the reason he should come off the bench.

  Agree'd.  +1

  Not only would Ray be a huge help to the bench, Bradley's presence is helping Rondo thrive on both ends more consistently because we get out into the open court more consistently and he doesn't have to expend so much energy constantly guarding the opposing teams primary ball handler.

 When we had JO, KG PP, RA starting alongside of Rondo we rarely got into the open court. 

  KG at the 5 has an athletic advantage he rarely ever has at the 4 anymore.  Bradley and Bass have young legs. 

  Injuries have caused us to become younger and more athletic in the starting lineup  It is no coincidence Rondo is playing a whole lot more consistently with guys who can consistently get into the open court.  Injuries kind of forced Doc into doing what some of us have hoped for all season and it seems to be working.  Rondo is a better [layer when he plays with better athletes.  Bradley has been a huge part of that.

Interesting concept.

But would Doc do it?

[Jon]

Some guy who knew a bit about basketball once figured out that the 6th man role was a smart tactic to maximize your chances of winning - hold off one of your best players then bring him in when the other team is starting to get gassed or is playing less talented bench players. Have him light it up against them and help push the leads your starters created...

Red something? Smoked a lot of cigars...

Ray is the better player, which is maybe the reason he should come off the bench.

But keep in mind the success that Doc has had with taking KG out at the 5 minute mark and then bringing him back at the end of the first quarter when the opposition is bringing in the bench.  This is accomplishes the same thing a 6th man does.  

I think a nice compromise would be to do the same with Ray.  As I said above, taking him and KG out at the 7 minute mark and the bring them back at the 2 minute mark.  We then get two stars coming back in to get us over the late first quarter, early second quarter drought that often occurs.  

[Senninsage]

I do believe it would be a very good idea to have Ray come off the bench. He can get his shot well enough with the bench people, and Rondo sometimes plays with the bench unit anyway, so there would be times when Ray has a superior passer getting him the ball in all the right places.

[CelticsFanNC]

Some guy who knew a bit about basketball once figured out that the 6th man role was a smart tactic to maximize your chances of winning - hold off one of your best players then bring him in when the other team is starting to get gassed or is playing less talented bench players. Have him light it up against them and help push the leads your starters created...

Red something? Smoked a lot of cigars...

Ray is the better player, which is maybe the reason he should come off the bench.

  Agree'd.  +1

  Not only would Ray be a huge help to the bench, Bradley's presence is helping Rondo thrive on both ends more consistently because we get out into the open court more consistently and he doesn't have to expend so much energy constantly guarding the opposing teams primary ball handler.

 When we had JO, KG PP, RA starting alongside of Rondo we rarely got into the open court. 

  KG at the 5 has an athletic advantage he rarely ever has at the 4 anymore.  Bradley and Bass have young legs. 

  Injuries have caused us to become younger and more athletic in the starting lineup  It is no coincidence Rondo is playing a whole lot more consistently with guys who can consistently get into the open court.  Injuries kind of forced Doc into doing what some of us have hoped for all season and it seems to be working.  Rondo is a better [layer when he plays with better athletes.  Bradley has been a huge part of that.

Interesting concept.

But would Doc do it?

  He should.  This is Rondo's team now.  We cannot expect Rondo to be a consistent player if we rarely get into the open court because playing exclusively half court basketball takes away Rondo's bread and butter.  He has been totally engaged these past few weeks IMO because we are consistently getting into the open court.

   We don't run 10+ seconds off the shot clock every trip up the court waiting for Ray to clear screens which is a staple of our offense with Ray.  Now in the half court KG and PP get more touches, Bradley is doing a great job of finding gaps in the defense which is stretched to it's limit because KG and Bass both have to be guarded on the perimeter while Rondo is just pushing all of the right buttons.

  Ray can probably still create his own shot against reserves and it better blends experience with younger legs.

[CelticsFanNC]

Some guy who knew a bit about basketball once figured out that the 6th man role was a smart tactic to maximize your chances of winning - hold off one of your best players then bring him in when the other team is starting to get gassed or is playing less talented bench players. Have him light it up against them and help push the leads your starters created...

Red something? Smoked a lot of cigars...

Ray is the better player, which is maybe the reason he should come off the bench.

But keep in mind the success that Doc has had with taking KG out at the 5 minute mark and then bringing him back at the end of the first quarter when the opposition is bringing in the bench.  This is accomplishes the same thing a 6th man does.  

I think a nice compromise would be to do the same with Ray.  As I said above, taking him and KG out at the 7 minute mark and the bring them back at the 2 minute mark.  We then get two stars coming back in to get us over the late first quarter, early second quarter drought that often occurs.  

  The problem with that IMO is you are starting out games and quarters with too many old legs on the court at the same time and therefore not maximizing your best player(Rondo).  What has been working lately IMO is we have a better blending of experienced veterans and young athletic legs then we have had at any other point this season.

  Doc has been doing that with KG all season.  It only really started working once he  was forced to move KG to the 5 and starting Bass at the 4(making us more athletic at both spots).

[thestackshow]

With Bradley in the starting lineup the team just looks faster, plays better defense, and gets more athletic.

Instead of standing at the 3 point line all game like Ray, Bradley makes hard cuts to the basket for easy layups, hes also a decent shooter and can hit the outside jumper and the three.

Its really a no brainer, we finally have a talented, athletic, elite defender at the wing that can shoot, cut to the basket, and also run the floor with Rondo.

No Brainer. Celtics have needed this for years. The team just looks much better defensively, and athletically with this starting lineup.

Ever notice our fast breaks? Bradley is ahead of the pack now, it used to be just Rondo, now he has a running partner.

[SHAQATTACK]

AB is seems to be learning and improving at a epic rate.  I think Ray is old and wise enought to see the energy he brings to the team. Ray should keep getting rest till the ankle gets better.

Hopefully we'll get Pietrus back in a few games.

If we only had Green and Wilcox