I know Stevens has a system but.....

[rondohondo]

Why can't he adjust to the talent he has on the team? I know others have brought this up , but it's so true.

- Rondo is a tremendous pick and roll player , KO has outside shooting ability and play making ability towards the basket, yet we hardly a pick in role between the two.
- Sully is a very good low post scorer, but spends the majority of his time in the high post out to 3pt land .
- Avery Bradley should not be the player with the 2nd most shots on the team (13.5) , while KO is only getting 8.5 a game while shooting over 60% from the field and 53% from 3 coming into tonight.

Bradley is really irritating me , and this offense doesn't fit the talent we have on this team IMO. Coaches need to adjust to their talent .

[RJ87]

I agree with most of what you wrote, but Kelly could have more shots if he wasn't so hesitant. He really needs to stop pump faking so much.

[mgent]

I would like us to be a heavy pick and roll team compared to the rest of the league.  Top 5 in terms of plays per game.  1-3, 1-4, and 1-5.

[knuckleballer]

I don't agree with the criticism of Stevens.  We just don't have that much talent.  We don't have a starting caliber shooting guard or center and our power forwards still have a lot of developing to do.

Rondo is an excellent pick and roll player, but KO is not at this point.
Sully is playing center and being guarded by the opposing center making it difficult to post up.
KO is not shooting enough, but that is largely on him.  He needs to be more confident and aggressive.  He's getting better, but still has a long way to go.
I agree Bradley is doing too much on offense.  He needs a more limited role, but there isn't anyone to take his minutes or to take the shots.  I'd like to see Green do more, but that's just not in his nature.

Every NBA analyst had us as a bottom 5 team and we are currently 3 and 4.  That's not the coach's fault.

[Who]

I think Olynyk is probably best used off the ball in the pick and roll.

Similar to how Dallas often gets more joy out of using Tyson as PnR big than using Dirk as the pick-setter. Opponents so worried about Dirk's shooting ability that they struggle to get help defenders down to Tyson in time. Dirk can be even harder to defend away from the action than directly involved in PnR.

Problem is Sully is not a great roll man either. So he doesn't make great use of Olynyk's floor spacing. Neither does Bass. Zeller is the best option. Most direct in his cuts. Quick, good size and good hands. Maybe that is part of the reason why Zeller and Olynyk seem to have some good chemistry in early part of season.

[ImShakHeIsShaq]

Another thread talking about offense, not surprising. 0.0


It's our garbage defense that is the problem. We are ranked near the top in a lot of offensive categories from fg%, rb, paint scoring what have you. Our defense is tragic though.

[LooseCannon]

- Avery Bradley should not be the player with the 2nd most shots on the team (13.5) , while KO is only getting 8.5 a game while shooting over 60% from the field and 53% from 3 coming into tonight.

I think Bradley should be taking around the same number of shots as Green, and I think it would be okay if he had slightly more.  I think it's okay for Bradley to be taking more shots than Sullinger.

[Clench123]

What infuriated me the most tonight was him watching our 14 points (or so) lead vanished without calling a time out.  I was stunned...

[Evantime34]

Another thread talking about offense, not surprising. 0.0


It's our garbage defense that is the problem. We are ranked near the top in a lot of offensive categories from fg%, rb, paint scoring what have you. Our defense is tragic though.

Completely agree.

However, I do think Steven's defensive system is flawed. Bradley, Rondo and Smart are/were playing way too aggressive, which has lead to foul trouble and easy drives to the hoop. Without any mobile defenders behind them, there is no way these guys should play that aggressively.

On offense I think we do actually run a decent amount of Pick and Rolls but they would be more effective if we had an athletic big who could roll hard to the hoop rather than two guys who are more pick and pop guys than pick and roll guys.

What happened tonight was the Thunder threw a zone at us and suddenly we completely gave up on getting into the paint. We became a three point happy team who doesn't shoot the 3 well.

[Snakehead]

What infuriated me the most tonight was him watching our 14 points (or so) lead vanished without calling a time out.  I was stunned...

Same.

It wasn't just to call a time out to stop a run, call a time out to get a shooter on the floor!  It was ridiculous.  Pressey, Turner, Wallace were all on the floor at the same time vs the zone.

[eugen]

What infuriated me the most tonight was him watching our 14 points (or so) lead vanished without calling a time out.  I was stunned...

Beacuse we do not have a real coach...

[Beat LA]

Another thread talking about offense, not surprising. 0.0


It's our garbage defense that is the problem. We are ranked near the top in a lot of offensive categories from fg%, rb, paint scoring what have you. Our defense is tragic though.

Completely agree.

However, I do think Steven's defensive system is flawed. Bradley, Rondo and Smart are/were playing way too aggressive, which has lead to foul trouble and easy drives to the hoop. Without any mobile defenders behind them, there is no way these guys should play that aggressively.

On offense I think we do actually run a decent amount of Pick and Rolls but they would be more effective if we had an athletic big who could roll hard to the hoop rather than two guys who are more pick and pop guys than pick and roll guys.

What happened tonight was the Thunder threw a zone at us and suddenly we completely gave up on getting into the paint. We became a three point happy team who doesn't shoot the 3 well.

What I don't understand is why all of the guards are trying to fight over the top of a pick when one is set near where Red Auerbach is etched on the court.  Near the 3 point line I understand the strategy, depending on who you're defending, of course, but when the pick is set halfway between the top of the 3 point arc and half court, GO UNDER THE PICK.  Even if you're guarding Reggie Miller lol.  You can always adjust, or at least that's what Stevens is supposed to be able to do.  Ugh.

[tstorey_97]

Ainge did not give Stevens any players. The team has no front court, no shooting guard and is populated by back ups. Stevens has installed a system that attempts to diminish the 3 out of 5 mismatches the Celtics are faced with whenever they play.

Finally, the defense is comical, thus creating a desperate need for five offensive players to stand on the 3pt arc and chuck...hoping to make up for giving up lay up after lay up.

Regardless, this year? World of difference over last year. Far better. You want wins? Get a starting center and a shooting guard and get rid of the GM who wants a draft pick....in the meantime the Celtics are gonna kill the Knicks...I think.

[D.o.s.]

But he's still better than Doc, right?


Or is that the gratuitous overreaction for when we win? I can never keep these straight.

[furball]

What infuriated me the most tonight was him watching our 14 points (or so) lead vanished without calling a time out.  I was stunned...

Same.

It wasn't just to call a time out to stop a run, call a time out to get a shooter on the floor!  It was ridiculous.  Pressey, Turner, Wallace were all on the floor at the same time vs the zone.

My thoughts on the lack of a time out is what's his/the teams philosophy this season.  Is Stevens trying to win as many games as possible and make a (useless) play-off run or is he trying to develop players and see how they react and respond to things to see what type of players they are.  You don't call a time out because you want to see if the guys can get things under control by themselves.  You want to see how they will handle things.  Maybe that's the philosophy this season.  Keep developing and figuring out the roster rather than making a play-off run at all costs.  I don't know, I'm just thinking that would explain him seeing if the team can play out of their own mess.