It's just not that important (as far as this particular team's strategy goes). What's more important is that we get back on defense and stop the other team from scoring.
Once we get that good shot, the most important aspect is to ensure that the other team doesn't get a high percentage shot. Don't worry about rebounding because if we can stop them scoring, we don't need to put an emphasis on rebounding
Deny the ball and force the opponents to take an ill-advised shot/possession-preferably a jumpshot. Get the defensive rebound
The last 5 years has been about getting back on defense and stopping them from scoring. People say 'well why don't we rebound and defend together?'. It just doesn't work that way,
you reiterated my point - i saw way too many possessions where the Celtics worked very hard and forced a bad shot only to surrender one or even two offensive rebounds that forced them to do the same work all over again.
and great defense and great defensive rebounding do go hand in hand - not sure where you got the idea that it was so difficult to have both - if you don't, you defeat your whole purpose.
Now ......... can anyone address my Pietrus question ?
Defense can lead to bad shots, leading to defensive rebounds-Everyone knows this. But the point is that Doc Rivers does not encourage
offensive rebounding and is adamant that they get back on defense instead of fighting for the offensive boards and second shot. He isn't going out and getting guys who are rebounding specialists just for the defensive end- they have a priority to get 1) elite defenders and 2) guys who can score jump shots at a high rate to increase our offensive efficiency. He's got Jeff Green, Wilcox and Sullinger to hopefully increase our benches rebounding, but still it's just not that important to our strategy.
Our defensive rebounding rate is not bad- it's about average, it's our offensive rebounding rate that is terrible and it brings our total rebounding numbers down tremendously.
We are right around the middle of the pack for defensive rebounding percentage at 72.4%, but our offensive rebounds are easily the lowest in the NBA at 19.7%. The closest to the bottom after us are Golden State at 23% - a huge difference by NBA standards. Our defensive rebounding numbers are actually better than OKC's. But their offensive numbers destroy us because we choose to get back on defense. Their bigs stay inside the paint, get the ball, and kick it back out to the elite wings for another shot. Our bigs stretch the floor and run plays off the elbows, utilizing their superior shooting ability. Ie: Bass, KG, Steimsma
If we want to be a great offensive rebounding team, we need to do things like: Get more players like Jeff Green or a young Paul Pierce, or Josh Smith and Lebron James, who are bigger wings that can get to the hoop and create multiple second chance looks for themselves. Or we need All Star caliber big men to get the wings crumbs and get their own crumbs from close range shots. Unfortunately, we don't have big guys or multiple wing options like that, and they felt the ones on the free agent market were too expensive- so they are sticking to their strategy of a jump shooting team that shoots at a high clip and shoots free throws well- while getting back on defense to force the rest of the NBA (who aren't as good as us at jumpshooting), to take similar 15-20 feet shots.
I hope it isn't too hard to understand my rambling, but you're making it sound like it's easy to put together a team of elite rebounders that can get offensive rebounds and be a great defensive team. There's only two teams like that in the NBA and they're the Bulls and the Heat-teams with mulitple All Stars and MVP players in their prime. The Grizzlies are close to them but their offense isn't as polished.
/End rant.
Topic: Please explain to me why DA didn't pursue rebounding ? (Read 14219 times)