nyshakespeare wrote:

Boston still can play... are they?

Hopefully the long lay off wont equate to rust to start the game because we cant affoed to play from behind on the road.

Some pre-game keys:
Defending Pierce: Melo has to get into him on the defensive end and not let him get into rhythm. Pierce always seems to have a 5 min stretch were he is unconscious and nails everything against us. Also, Melo needs to go at him on the offensive and get him into foul trouble.

Rebounding: Amare needs to get into the paint and help Chanlder out on the boards. 1 and done. Also, as well as our second unit played against the Cavs, we are very small when we go JJ at center and Novak at 4. The Cavs got plenty of second looks against that unit but didn't capatilize. The Celts will.

Rondo: We have to get back on defense. Rondo is a one-man fastbreak and puts a ton of pressure on us in transition. also, I hate when teams sag off of him and dare him to shoot. When teams do this, it allows him to see his offensive players, unharrased, and make easy passes. At some point, I can see Shump on Rondo, probably in the second half.

Pick-n-Roll/Lin: As I said earlier, I can see Rondo picking up Lin full court. Rondo's long arms may lead to some deflections and steals. Lin has to keep the turnovers down and we may need to get another ballhandler (Shump) in early to halp Lin bring the ball up. No JO, I think, so Garnett will be the primary shot blocker and defender of the pick and roll. I think we should run the pick-and-roll with whomever Garnett isn't guarding. If we dont, Garnett along with Rondo are going to trap Lin off the picks. This spells danger. Rondo and Garnett are clearly the two best defenders on the Celts. Garnett is also the best forward in terms of helping and recovering. We may have to do some secondary pick and rolls after the ball has swung, and sideline/weakside pick and rolls away from Garnett. Why not some Melo and Stat pick and rolls. Its worked in the very few times we saw it.

Melo: We really need a good game from him. He needs to offset Pierce and thensome. An effecient 25-6-6 would be great. Dont settle for the midrange jay, would like to see more bully-ball like we saw against Cleve. Put pressure on the defense and force the refs to make the calls.