Why No Greg Stiemsma, Doc?

[clover]

Great article over at Celtics Town dissecting Stiemer's time in the game last night:

http://www.celticstown.com/2012/05/09/why-no-greg-stiemsma-doc/comment-page-1/#comment-182008

We spent the last two or three months of the regular season learning how Greg Stiemsma can impact a game, how he blocks a lot of shots and normally plays proper positional defense, how his rebounding and defensive low-post position have improved quite a bit since the Celtics’ season-opener on Christmas Day, how he occasionally hits jumpers because he weirdly possesses a nice mid-range shot. Yet for whatever reason, Doc Rivers decided to yank Stiemsma from the rotation last night. His usual second-half minutes went to Ryan Hollins...

[OmarSekou]

I think Doc's reason has to do with matchups and the fact that Hollins is faster and runs better (or potential injuries to Steamer).

The bigger question is what is up with people's fascination with Stiemsma. He has the potential to be a good player but right now he's marginal. Aside from the people who would take him over Perk, do people really think he's the deciding factor between us winning and losing?

Why didn't Dooling play much? Why didn't Quis or Sasha play at all? Who cares? These are our bench guys. The important thing is that they step up and play well when they get a chance. I felt like Hollins did that last night with his energy so I don't have any issues with him taking Steamer's minutes for the night. Tomorrow's a new day and given the way things have been going, I bet the rotation will be different again.

[SHAQATTACK]

Believe Steamer is hurting alot more than Doc is letting on, he's saying he is ok, its the Celtic way of sucking it up and playing hurt.  ALso Doc maybe trying to work Hollins in and protect Greg at the same time .

[European NBA fan]

I think Doc's reason has to do with matchups and the fact that Hollins is faster and runs better (or potential injuries to Steamer).

The bigger question is what is up with people's fascination with Stiemsma. He has the potential to be a good player but right now he's marginal. Aside from the people who would take him over Perk, do people really think he's the deciding factor between us winning and losing?

Why didn't Dooling play much? Why didn't Quis or Sasha play at all? Who cares? These are our bench guys. The important thing is that they step up and play well when they get a chance. I felt like Hollins did that last night with his energy so I don't have any issues with him taking Steamer's minutes for the night. Tomorrow's a new day and given the way things have been going, I bet the rotation will be different again.

You should take a look at the link, if you want to know, why people are fascinated by Stiesma. He is a very active player, who gets involved on both ends. And he seems to have great BBIQ, since he almost always tries to make the right play.

He has won at least one game for us (against the Pacers, where his defense really changed the game), and he has the potential to do so against other teams.

The Hawks are a bad matchup for him, especially when they play Horford/Smith or small ball with Marvin Williams, since he is not that quick on his feet (probably due to his injuries), but he could (should?) play whenever Collins or Dampier is in.

[thestackshow]

Hawks are a nightmare matchup for our entire team.

Hawks have an advantage at nearly every position except point guard and even then, Teague has been destroying our team all series.

Luckily we are the better team, but we need to close these guys out on Thursday.

[TheReaLPuba]

Perhaps Greg can only play 1 stint and when he comes out he just can't get get back in due to injury.

We have seen less and less of him in the playoffs and he might be hurting more than what is being reported.

[CelticG1]

Hasn't Doc and Stiemsma addressed this and said it was because of matchups?

Are  they both lying?

[nickagneta]

I still say its injury related. Hollins is a complete stiff compared to Stiemsma. They guy has less than zero offensive game and I think my dog can catch a pass thrown to him better than Hollins.

[17wasEZ]

I still say its injury related. Hollins is a complete stiff compared to Stiemsma. They guy has less than zero offensive game and I think my dog can catch a pass thrown to him better than Hollins.

Who was that guy that caught those alley-oop dunks?

[Meadowlark_Scal]

Ya, if steamer isn't hurt...doc is way wrong there...hollins did do some good..but not 1/2 as good as the steam would do...joe j would NOT waltz in the those shots in the paint...at least they would be contested...if steam isn't hurt...doc needs a donk on his fool head......i still say rondo and all need to get hollins and steam a few more tries in the paint...why...we need all to score 10 or so....harder to cover 5 than 4.....they both can dunk...once you get a guy feeling it..it happens...we have seen that...I'd say dump MD, activate williams or jjj.....bigs...!

[Clovertown]

Perhaps Greg can only play 1 stint and when he comes out he just can't get get back in due to injury.

We have seen less and less of him in the playoffs and he might be hurting more than what is being reported.

His feet feel better than they have for most of the year.  He played the last 2 months of the season with the feet soreness and did very well.  They rested him the last few games of the regular season so he would feel better.  Every article since then has Greg and Doc both saying he feels better.  Greg says it's the best he has felt for months.  He needs to play more.  He is better the more minutes he plays.  In fact the Celtics are 20-4 on the year when Greg plays 18 min or more.  Doc just isn't giving him the minutes for some reason.  It seems like the rookie treatment all over again.  If he makes a mistake he comes out.  I just don't get it.

[Bankshot]

Ya, if steamer isn't hurt...doc is way wrong there...hollins did do some good..but not 1/2 as good as the steam would do...joe j would NOT waltz in the those shots in the paint...at least they would be contested...if steam isn't hurt...doc needs a donk on his fool head......i still say rondo and all need to get hollins and steam a few more tries in the paint...why...we need all to score 10 or so....harder to cover 5 than 4.....they both can dunk...once you get a guy feeling it..it happens...we have seen that...I'd say dump MD, activate williams or jjj.....bigs...!

I hope Doc has a good explanation for this.  He does this a lot... changes up from what the rotation was during the regular season.

[Fafnir]

The funny thing is, the very article relates that the C's out outscored 6-4 over eight possessions and Stiesma had a TO.

Yet that's supposed to be the open and shut case that he should be on the floor?

[alajet]

I still say its injury related. Hollins is a complete stiff compared to Stiemsma. They guy has less than zero offensive game and I think my dog can catch a pass thrown to him better than Hollins.

Come on. Give Hollins his due credit. You can't deny he put out a good effort and energy to the floor in Game 5.
Yes, he's offering next to nothing in offense, but if he's going to get a couple of rebounds, create havoc in the paint with his energy every time he goes out there, I'm all right in playing him. He deserved his second half minutes by his good first half, imo.
And it's great if we can have both Stiemsma and Hollins playing some sort of reliable basketball at center. It's not as if we are asking either of them to be a star. Just show the effort and something good should happen and Hollins did the job the previous night. Stiemsma has been doing it for a couple of months from now already.
So, things aren't looking as miserable as it did when JO first went down.

[coco]

Why no Stiemsma?  Because Doc decided that Hollins is more athletic.  No other reason.  Had nothing to do with production.

Hollins was playing hard I admit, but Siesma was doing just fine before he was replaced.

If there is a big that needed to be replaced, his name is Bass.  Appart from a short good minutes in last game,  he's been horrible.

Also, If I am Doc, I would have sit RRondo in the third quarter for a hot and ready KDooling.  Dooling came to play the other night, while Rondo took his feet off the gas when he thought ATL has given up in the 1st quarter. 

I hate Doc's rotations.  Always have.