Celtics lacking at point guard, defense
GAME TIME: Cavaliers 109, Celtics 104 (OT)
The most incredible aspect of the entire game was Ray Allen's blowing two free throws with the score knotted and 22.9 seconds left in regulation. Oh well, unexpected chokes also happen.WHY THE CELTICS CAN WIN THE CHAMPIONSHIP
They share the ball with total unselfishness.Kevin Garnett is murder in the low-post. For the game he was 6-for-10 in the pivot, not including two free throws, and an assist. Indeed, KG inside is the Celtics' go-to play.
Ray Allen still has an incredibly quick release. Plus he's a killer when he can take his right hand to the hoop.
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Paul Pierce has a very good left-to-right spin move, and a great right-to-left spin.
When the Celts have Allen or Garnett curling off weak-side screens, the inevitable result is wide-open shots.
Boston's collective 3-point shooting is remarkable.
Rajon Rondo covers lots of ground from the top-wing of the Celtic's 2-3 zone.
Kendrick Perkins does an excellent job of finding empty spaces under the rim whenever Garnett or Pierce is double teamed.
The Celtics' bench is longer than expected. Eddie House can catch and shoot. Posey is a dangerous long-range bomber and also plays aggressive defense. Brian Scalabrine can shoot, pass and execute.
Glen Davis definitely has a future. Because of his superior mobility and skills, as well as his capacity to play better defense, the rookie will eventually replace Perkins.
Above all, the Celtics' firepower is extraordinary.
WHY THE CELTICS CANNOT WIN THE CHAMPIONSHIP
Rondo is not capable of running a big-time ball club. Not only can't he shoot, but he can't finish in half-court sets, and his judgment is questionable. During the overtime period, Rondo fired up a silly 18-footer, and then also missed a layup. Because he's such a bricklayer, the Cavs routinely went under (and therefore stymied) any screen/roll in which he was involved.
Perkins cannot adequately defend an offensive-minded center, especially one who can face-up and then make a move. Also, Perkins is clumsy with the ball and is another inept finisher.
House has trouble making accurate passes in the paint.
None of the bench players are particularly good at creating their own shot opportunities.
Weak-side to strong-side cutters can dissect the Celtics' zone defense.
Because the Celtics overcompensate on opponents' ball-penetration, they're vulnerable to ball clubs who shoot well from the perimeter.
In the OT, the Celtics' offense was stagnant, and they depended too much on 1-on-1 stuff.
As a team, their passing and ball-handling can be shaky.
They must play thoroughly coordinated defense because too many of their individual defenders are subpar — Perkins, Pierce, and Allen.
But the three biggest reasons why the Celtics can't win the championship are San Antonio, Dallas, and Phoenix.
STRAIGHT SHOOTING — WHAT THEY'RE REALLY SAYING
Whenever there's some kind of public problem — like a feud between a player and his coach, or a shot fired by a player in a nightclub, or a furious demand to be traded — the fallout is usually dealt with by employing some kind of cliché. After the feud is reportedly settled, or the hot-shooting player does his time, or a trade never works out, bet on all of the participants to make one of the following statements:
What they really mean is that they refuse to assume any responsibility for their own mistakes.
With most teams having played about a dozen games, coaches of losing teams are likely to say, "It's a long season." What they really mean is this: "I hope the front office isn't smart enough to fire me."
When the coach of an underachieving team blames the lack of "team chemistry," here's what he really means: "How am I supposed to win with this dysfunctional roster that my nitwit general manager has put together?"
A coach who claims that his team's latest loss was his fault, or that he deserves the boos of the hometown fans, really wants to say that it's been years since he's missed a layup, or turned his head on defense, or taken a foolish shot.
In the wonderful world of the NBA, platitudes are usually more common than honesty.
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VOX POPULI
Many people have posted comments saying that according to you, no one in the league plays defense. I admit that I'm beginning to feel the same way myself. So, to satisfy me as well as your detractors, could you please list the top defenders at each of the five positions? — Cory G, Nova ScotiaPoint guard — Darrell Armstrong, Lindsey Hunter, Royal Ivey, and Jason Kidd.
Shooting guard — Renaldo Balkman, Raja Bell, Kobe Bryant, and Dwyane Wade.
Small forward — Ron Artest, Shane Battier, Bruce Bowen, Trenton Hassell, Andrei Kirilenko, and Tayshaun Prince.
Power forward — Tim Duncan, Udonis Haslem, Jared Jeffries, Malik Rose, and Michael Ruffin.
Center — Marcus Camby, Jason Collins, DeSagana Diop, and Kurt Thomas.
TRAVELS WITH CHARLEY
There's no question that Ray Allen is one of the best shooters ever. However, the most astounding exhibition of pure, one-on-none shooting I ever saw was demonstrated by Rick Mount. (Remember him?)I was doing a story on Willie Wise of the ABA's Utah Stars, a defensive whiz and an all-around nice guy. This was in the spring of 1974, just before the Stars faced Indiana in the Western Division finals — which Wise accurately predicted the Stars would win because Indiana's star forward, George McGinnis, was a choke artist. Anyway, because of several injuries to the Stars' big men, I was invited by the team's coach, Joe Mullany, to participate in an intra-squad scrimmage. Much to my delight, I conducted myself with aplomb, hitting a pair of buckets and setting sturdy screens. Then, after Mullany officially terminated the session, several players lingered to play HORSE.
Because of Mount, the Stars' rules for this popular shot-matching game were unique. Shots were counted as makes only if the ball didn't hit the rim! Every make had to be perfectly clean. Despite this wrinkle (or perhaps because of it), Mount won every game. (The best I could do was a third-place finish, behind Mount and Charley Beasley.)
Finally, only Mount and I were left on the court — and that's when his shooting prowess really knocked me out. In launching his jumper from any and all spots on the court, Mount was able to adjust the trajectory so that the ball hit the inner part of the backside-rim in such a way that the ball would nudge the iron, split the net, and then bounce back to him. He could do this about 90 percent of the time.
Too bad Mount couldn't handle, run, shoot with a hand in his face, or play defense.
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