Did Anyone Expect Us To Win Game One in Boston?

[JackB1]

Of course not! I think the thing that most of us are upset about is HOW our big guns

played...or should I say, didn't play. I was also upset to see Woody is sticking with the same horrible strategy of not playing Acie and playing Chillz at the point sometimes.

Good news is, we have 3 more games to see what we're made of. I think it will be tough to win game 2 in Boston...but I would be encouraged if we got more scoring from Bibby, Smoove & Co. Then if we could win at least one at home, I think it would go a long way for this team.

If we have 3 more displays like we had Sun nite, then this team has to do some serious soul searching.

[TruJerz]

I thought if we would get one at Boston that it would be Game 1 simply because I thought maybe Celts would underestimate us and come out flat but I still know even if they did come out flat that they would still have a shot at winning the game. Im surprised we lost by that much though

[Dnice]

I just hope they at least can compete at the end and make it a game out of it.

[Eddielives]

Bibby being able to hit his shots is a huge determining factor in our ability to win. If Joe can't carry the load himself and Bibby's shot is off, we stand absolutely no chance in this series.

[coachx]

Win..............No

Compete..............Yes

If the PGs can knock down some shots we would have at least been in the game and competed. JJ needs to shoot better too. Not great.....just give us 42% at least. If our guards had better shooting nights we would have at least made the game competitive.

Then a better coach may have made the game "winnable." Not saying a better coach would have won us the game but it just would have been winnable. Examples:

1. not having confidence for ANYONE to play few minutes with 2 fouls in the 1st half (Smoove).

2. Playing Chillz at PG (Plain STUPID)

3. Matching Chillz up on Rondo defensively reguardless of if he is playing a SF role offensively. (EVEN MORE STUPID)

4. Instructing your players to go underneath screens rather them making them fight to go through or above them for better defense vs. the jump shot off the screen. I can understand allowing your players to do it vs. Rondo b/c he is not known as a shooter. However, we do this every game vs. ever opponent without EVER adjusting.

5. Instructing the players to switch ever time on defense. Why ? I understand when Marvin or Smoove switch but Bibby got caught on Garnett a few times and it seemed the Hawks didn't even care.

6. Struggling in the half court offense and not being able to run enough. This has one common possible solution - Yes the rookie Acie Law......give the kid a shot. He might just suprise you under the bright lights.

7. Post up JJ vs. Allen. The Celtics will double team and hopefully Bibby can get going.....Or the Celtics switch Pierce on JJ and Allen on Marvin where Marvin can take Allen inside. We have to play to our matchup strengths and that is one of our few match up strengths vs. their starting 5.

[TheNorthCydeRises]

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1. not having confidence for ANYONE to play few minutes with 2 fouls in the 1st half (Smoove).

Especially when KG came back into the game and sparked the C's a little. At least put him back in for a few minutes, to see if he could slow down their momentum. If we were winning, I could see why he held him out.

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2. Playing Chillz at PG (Plain STUPID) 3. Matching Chillz up on Rondo defensively reguardless of if he is playing a SF role offensively. (EVEN MORE STUPID)

Mike Fratello, when raving about how good of a player JJ is, suggested that if Bibby kept struggling, that Woody shoud think about putting JJ at the point, so that they could play Chill. Woody did that toward the end of the 3rd. With the lineup we had in the game, the only options were to either play JJ or Chill at the point, which also meant that one of those 2 had to guard Rondo.

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4. Instructing your players to go underneath screens rather them making them fight to go through or above them for better defense vs. the jump shot off the screen. I can understand allowing your players to do it vs. Rondo b/c he is not known as a shooter. However, we do this every game vs. ever opponent without EVER adjusting.

Part of defending the screen and roll, is also for the defender whose man is setting the pick, to also fight through the screen. He has to at least show enough toward the man receiving the ball, so that he has to hesitate for a little. You'll routinely see our big men give a partial show to the man receiving the ball, but he'll turn his back completely to that man, in order for him to quickly get back to HIS man to prevent a lay-up. That's whe the ball hadler will immeadiately pull up from 3. Zaza is especially bad about this.

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5. Instructing the players to switch ever time on defense. Why ? I understand when Marvin or Smoove switch but Bibby got caught on Garnett a few times and it seemed the Hawks didn't even care.

They don't switch everytime. Otherwise, there wouldn't be a complaint about fighting through a screen. The best way to defend the perimeter, when your man to man defense is shaky, is to switch. But you're right about switching. It might get you into a horrible matchup.

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6. Struggling in the half court offense and not being able to run enough. This has one common possible solution - Yes the rookie Acie Law......give the kid a shot. He might just suprise you under the bright lights.

Our best solution is for Bibby to get his azz going. He's been the key to the increased success in our running game and in our halfcourt execution the past 2 months. Acie's time will have to come next year, when hopefully he and Bibby are pretty much our version of Toronto's TJ Ford and Jose Calderon ( even though they even looked like crap against Orlando )

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7. Post up JJ vs. Allen. The Celtics will double team and hopefully Bibby can get going.....Or the Celtics switch Pierce on JJ and Allen on Marvin where Marvin can take Allen inside. We have to play to our matchup strengths and that is one of our few match up strengths vs. their starting 5.

JJ did post up Allen, but the C's covered that by letting Ray guard JJ until JJ made his move toward the goal. That's when KG or Perkins would rotate toward JJ, and defend his shot at the rim or at close range. JJ got his shot blocked a few times because of this. That team is very good defensively, and those vets know who can shoot and who can't shoot. Even when someone is open, they're running and flying out at the shooter. That team is GOOD. And they're better than people give them credit to be. I'm disappointed in Bibby, more than anybody else. Age and experience wise, he's the one guy that should know what the playoffs are all about. And he played like Anthony Johnson last night. Wait . . even AJ wouldn't have played that bad.

[mrhonline]

I never even expected them to compete.

I expect one close loss, two blowout losses, and a win in Atlanta.

[TexasPete]

The Hawks won't even get a whiff of a game in this series. Woodcock will have to collect his Larry O'Brien trophies and save them for his next assistant coach gig.