Danny Ainge Takes Full Responsibility for Celtics' Loss

[cltc5]

This reminded me of Doc (Clippers-Grizz):

One of Del Negro’s biggest criticisms has always been his inability to manage minutes and player rotations for maximum effectiveness, and in a move of desperation, played Eric Bledsoe less than 10 minutes and Jamal Crawford just 12 in favor of Grant Hill and Willie Green, who had barely seen the court at all previously in the series.
 
Del Negro repeatedly said afterward that he was trying to go small to get an advantage...

How did that work out?

http://probasketballtalk.nbcsports.com/2013/05/04/grizzlies-advance-to-the-second-round-with-game-6-win-over-clippers/related/

 

[cltc5]

I have to agree with these thoughts.  Shav did hustle and he did try hard when he got minutes.  He wasn't an embarrassment.  I will give him that. 

But exactly who would he be matched up with that would have helped the C's in the series versus the Knicks?  I can't think of one one rotation Knick big that would have a good matchup for him.  I mean he would have gotten pounded by TC, way too small to defend Tyson.  He would have had his shorts handed to him by melo.  He doesn't have the strength to fight off Martin for rebounds.

The playoffs are really about matchups and where you can get an advantage.  It doesn't seem like there was any advantage with Shav in the lineup.

Shav Randolph is not some kid who has a bunch of upside or can learn all this new stuff. He will be 30 later this year. He's been around the league since 2005.

Shav is what he is. He is an inept offensive player, a horrible shooter of any kind, has little to no post game, is limited in his athleticism and can rebound above average for his size(meaning 6'10" but kind of thin and no vertical). I think he played well here for what was asked of him.

But he got lost on the defensive rotations, had trouble defending the pick and roll and didn't have the ability to defend perimeter PFs or close out on three pointers very well.

He had no business being on the floor in the playoffs. If he sticks, it will because Wilcox doesn't and nothing better presented itself. But with a non-guaranteed contract, and three others also on the roster(White, Pierce, Williams) I could see his waive-able contract being moved in a package like Sean Williams was last year.

And how did those matchups work out?   I guess we'll never freakin know what woulda worked when you play only 7 guys!

So you would have had Shav as a rotation player for the C's against the front line of the Knicks?  Who exactly is he going to matchup with?  What Knicks player does he guard that doesn't just completely dominate him?

I get that we all have our pet bench players that we want to see get minutes.  But this is silly.  KG on fumes is way better than full strength Shav any day.  Might as well start Melo, because 'you never know'.  Well we do know.  We needed points in this last series and we weren't getting them from Shav.

So then wouldn't a rested KG be better than a KG on fumes?  That, at the least would be where shave, etc could help out.  Shave proved he could rebound, score, etc.  And so they get eaten in the paint, how the heck would that have been different.  So at the least guys get rest and maybe, just maybe one of our bench bigs clicks and he can contribute al Steimsma.  We were never afforded that luxury because Doc played Keystone cops with the rotation all series long.

[nickagneta]

I have to agree with these thoughts.  Shav did hustle and he did try hard when he got minutes.  He wasn't an embarrassment.  I will give him that. 

But exactly who would he be matched up with that would have helped the C's in the series versus the Knicks?  I can't think of one one rotation Knick big that would have a good matchup for him.  I mean he would have gotten pounded by TC, way too small to defend Tyson.  He would have had his shorts handed to him by melo.  He doesn't have the strength to fight off Martin for rebounds.

The playoffs are really about matchups and where you can get an advantage.  It doesn't seem like there was any advantage with Shav in the lineup.

Shav Randolph is not some kid who has a bunch of upside or can learn all this new stuff. He will be 30 later this year. He's been around the league since 2005.

Shav is what he is. He is an inept offensive player, a horrible shooter of any kind, has little to no post game, is limited in his athleticism and can rebound above average for his size(meaning 6'10" but kind of thin and no vertical). I think he played well here for what was asked of him.

But he got lost on the defensive rotations, had trouble defending the pick and roll and didn't have the ability to defend perimeter PFs or close out on three pointers very well.

He had no business being on the floor in the playoffs. If he sticks, it will because Wilcox doesn't and nothing better presented itself. But with a non-guaranteed contract, and three others also on the roster(White, Pierce, Williams) I could see his waive-able contract being moved in a package like Sean Williams was last year.

And how did those matchups work out?   I guess we'll never freakin know what woulda worked when you play only 7 guys!

So you would have had Shav as a rotation player for the C's against the front line of the Knicks?  Who exactly is he going to matchup with?  What Knicks player does he guard that doesn't just completely dominate him?

I get that we all have our pet bench players that we want to see get minutes.  But this is silly.  KG on fumes is way better than full strength Shav any day.  Might as well start Melo, because 'you never know'.  Well we do know.  We needed points in this last series and we weren't getting them from Shav.

So then wouldn't a rested KG be better than a KG on fumes?  That, at the least would be where shave, etc could help out.  Shave proved he could rebound, score, etc.  And so they get eaten in the paint, how the heck would that have been different.  So at the least guys get rest and maybe, just maybe one of our bench bigs clicks and he can contribute al Steimsma.  We were never afforded that luxury because Doc played Keystone cops with the rotation all series long.

The time to use scrubs to rest players is during the regular season. You play the best of your best in the playoffs. KG missed games and averged 30 MPG so he COULD play 38-40 MPG in the playoffs. KG had an amazing playoffs. Bass and Green did as well. The problem was that KG, Pierce, Green, Bass, Lee, Terry, Bradley is just not a good enough core to win a playoff series. It really doesn't matter who the other worse players are or even if they play. Its the core that matters and the core wasn't good enough this year

[elcotte]

DA had a chance to sign for veterean minimum "The bird man" and K. Martin. But he went to bring bench junk from China instead. Please how smart is that??!! He destroyed the team...

enough already....neither bird man nor k martin are hall of famers...