No inside game!! Help!!

[Birdman]

Last night proves my point and everyone elses point, the Celtics has NO inside game on offense and defense. But we knew this since Perk was traded. Not going to win a championship if the C's dont get a big inside. Utah may be our only chance of getting a "big" man..Enes Katner, Derrick Favors, Big Al, and Paul Millsap. Trading a package of Bradley, Green or Bass may get one of them. Doubt they will trade Al or Enes. But have to do something. Maybe Josh Smith. We are going to hear this all season so get ready folks!!

[Jon]

What would Perk exactly have done? 

He certainly would've never provided an inside offensive game.  He never had that. 

Defensively, he may have helped some; however, let's keep two things in mind. 

First, if Doc had elected to go with Perk at the 5 and KG at the 4, Bosh and LeBron would've been blowing by Perk and KG respectively.  Moreover, we wouldn't have had a mismatch offensively since Bosh would've stayed on KG and likely Battier would've guarded Perk.  And as I said above, Perk doesn't have the offensive game to make Miami pay for that. 

Second, Doc had two large defensive options to go to in the forms of Darko and Collins.  He didn't go to them; so let's not make this about Perk.  Perhaps he should've gone to Darko or Collins, but as I said above, Miami makes it tough to do so. 

[Birdman]

Teams are going to go inside on us. Heck i can blow by darko and collins..need a defensive guy who can rebound and make u think twice before coming inside..perk was that

[Who]

What would Perk exactly have done? 

He certainly would've never provided an inside offensive game.  He never had that. 

First, if Doc had elected to go with Perk at the 5 and KG at the 4, Bosh and LeBron would've been blowing by Perk and KG respectively.  Moreover, we wouldn't have had a mismatch offensively since Bosh would've stayed on KG and likely Battier would've guarded Perk.  And as I said above, Perk doesn't have the offensive game to make Miami pay for that.

Second, Doc had two large defensive options to go to in the forms of Darko and Collins.  He didn't go to them; so let's not make this about Perk.  Perhaps he should've gone to Darko or Collins, but as I said above, Miami makes it tough to do so. 

Perk has looked pretty good posting up Haslem in the past. I imagine Darko could do similar though. Ditto for Battier trying to defend either player (just too big / too strong for Battier to cover effectively).

I think LeBron could defend either player (Perk/Darko) comfortably enough though with Battier switching onto Pierce and Bosh staying on KG (with KG defending Battier on the other end and Pierce staying on LeBron), and like you say, allowing Miami to maintain it's small-ball lineups.

Thus keeping their offensive integrity (and gaining a slow-footed center to exploit - as they did in the Finals) while Boston loses theirs offensive punch (with Perk detracting from their offense with LeBron covering him).

I agree it's not a good option. Perk would do more damage than good here.

[Reyquila]

Perk is not an option, but we better do whatever is necessary to keep some young, strong, athletic inside help or we will be mincemeat for years to come. Wilcox, Darko, Collins, do not make the beginnings of an inside player. What troubles me is that Danny and the top brass knew this and decided not to do anything intelligent about it; like they are content just to make the playoffs. well, If thats what they want, they will surely get it.

[SHAQATTACK]

Yep...COuld use Kevin Love or at least Josh Smith .

[snively]

We don't necessarily need an inside game offensively - it's not like Miami has a true post player. 

Based on the first game, it's our defense that needs the most work.  We were pretty terrible against units that could put 5 shooter/scorers on the floor in the preseason and that's Miami's M.O.  Rondo/Lee/Pierce/Green/KG should be an effective defensive group against those squads, but I guess it's going to take time.

It definitely would be really nice to have a mobile, above average defensive big to play with & in relief of KG though.

We won't be able to get away with plodders like Darko against Miami most nights and that leaves us with a lot of undersized power forwards filling the big man rotation around KG.  That gears the game more towards a scoring contest and Miami seems a little better suited for that style, though we definitely can hope for better offense out of KG, JET and Green in future track meets.

[nickagneta]

Defensively, KG looked slow and not at the physical or playing level he was for most of the latter half of last year and into the playoffs. Bosh schooled him and blew past him repeatedly and he couldn't move quick enough or jump high enough to effect a lot of the inside penetration from smaller Heat players.

Of course, the rotations and the high screen pick and roll defense were horrid and KG was left out on an island by himself for the most part underneath as LeBroBass/Green constantly had to step out to cover LeBron or Lewis when they were playing PF.

That Miami team, when hitting the three, can just spread your defense out to an extreme and pick apart any defense they want to. But they have to be hitting those threes to do it.

[Section301]

Last night proves my point and everyone elses point, the Celtics has NO inside game on offense and defense. But we knew this since Perk was traded. Not going to win a championship if the C's dont get a big inside. Utah may be our only chance of getting a "big" man..Enes Katner, Derrick Favors, Big Al, and Paul Millsap. Trading a package of Bradley, Green or Bass may get one of them. Doubt they will trade Al or Enes. But have to do something. Maybe Josh Smith. We are going to hear this all season so get ready folks!!

First, I love Perk. I hate that he's gone.  But face it, Perk was the starting center on the team that Miami beat in the Finals, so being bigger in the middle is absolutely no guarantee that a team can beat Miami. 

Second, if being big in the middle is the answer, how did Miami manage to get all the way through the playoffs without a legitimate big man of the type you describe?  Bosh is anything but a low post presence in the mold of Favors, Jefferson, JSmoove, etc. 

Third, last night may have proved your point, but it certainly didn't prove mine (since I'm part of "everyone else"), mostly because what you suggest is a point I've never made.  I find it hard to take the results of one game (the first of the season, especially)and extrapolate it to "proof" of something that can't be known until May.  By your logic, the great start of the 76ers should have been "proof" that they were the best team in the East.  And the way the Celtics dominated the Heat in the regular season should have been "proof" that there was no way the Heat could beat the C's in a seven game series.  And, most importantly....the C's lousy first half was "proof" that they had no shot at making it as far as the ECF. 

FWIW, in crunch time in 2008, Doc put Perk on the bench in favor of playing Posey.  Charles Barkley spent most of that season saying the C's couldn't win because they were just a jump-shooting team. They can win without a dominant big in the middle. 

[j804]

What would Perk exactly have done? 

He certainly would've never provided an inside offensive game.  He never had that. 

Defensively, he may have helped some; however, let's keep two things in mind. 

First, if Doc had elected to go with Perk at the 5 and KG at the 4, Bosh and LeBron would've been blowing by Perk and KG respectively.  Moreover, we wouldn't have had a mismatch offensively since Bosh would've stayed on KG and likely Battier would've guarded Perk.  And as I said above, Perk doesn't have the offensive game to make Miami pay for that. 

Second, Doc had two large defensive options to go to in the forms of Darko and Collins.  He didn't go to them; so let's not make this about Perk.  Perhaps he should've gone to Darko or Collins, but as I said above, Miami makes it tough to do so.

I don't know why Doc didn't at least give Darko a shot couldn't have been any worse than we were...he's agile and gives us rim protection.

[arambone]

I bet Sullinger has a more efficient season than Al Jefferson. Last night was Sullinger's first game, it was a ECF playoff atmosphere, and he still played decent.

Just give him a few games to settle in in the post, and then watch as his game expands and his value skyrockets.

20 years old, natural stud.

[pearljammer10]

We havent had an inside game for a number of years. I wonder when Doc and Danny are going to realize small ball isnt going to work the best for us.

[Celtics18]

We havent had an inside game for a number of years. I wonder when Doc and Danny are going to realize small ball isnt going to work the best for us.

Not since we traded away Al Jefferson.  We need to return to the glory days of '06-'07.

[CFAN38]

I actually was going nuts during the game becuase of the Cs unwillingness to attempt to go inside.

At one point the Cs had Sully and KG on the floor being guarded by Haslem and Lewis. This is a no brainer to me. With Lewis Guarding Sully doc needs to plant his big but on the block, put KG at the foul line and let them work a 2 man game. Sully should be able to drop stop Lewis all day...

Instead Doc had Sully at the 3 pt line and Rondo was feeding KG in the post. KG wasn't looking to score he just kept kicking it out.

By seasons end I think this will change and Sully will become a factor with the second unit against the Heat.

[ummidkme]

The reason we had no inside game was because Doc did not try to establish any inside post presence. It was the first game so I am not worried. I think in the future you will see a lot more post-ups with Rondo, KG, Sully and JG. Darko may be a possibility as well. I think Doc is still experimenting and doubt the type of play we are seeing now, both in terms of offense and defense, are what we will be seeing around mid-season.