After we won 16 in a row, I looked ahead at our schedule, and circled 2 games: Boston and Golden State. Boston is next. I specifically circled them because, even without Ray Allen, they are even better defensively, giving more playing time for the defensive guru James Posey to guard TMac. We saw how Thibs guarded Yao last game, and as a result, the Celts jumped to an early 20+ point lead, and Yao struggled throughout the game. This time, without Yao, it's just TMac, and I have a feeling Thibodeau will use his antics to shut down TMac, probably double teaming him every opportunity he gets and rotating off poor perimeter shooters, like Mutombo, a rusty Landry, Harris, etc. I'm just worried, because this guy knows a lot of our players tendencies, strengths, and weaknesses. He almost singlehandedly made the Celtics the best defensive team in the NBA, and his strategies and teachings have helped make the ROckets the defensive team they are today.
I'm more worried about Tmac's health/fatigue than what Tom Thibs knows. We're a different team now and every single player in the rotation is capable of going off offensively.
I think that is to our advantage.Since we should know his defense strategies inside-out.Because that's we used for the past 4 years.
I'm not "worried" per se. This streak isn't going to last forever and we are eventually going to lose a few games before the playoffs. If this were Game 7 against the Smelltics, I would be worried. That being said, T-Mac was shut out in the first half against the Fakers - and we still had a 15 point lead at halftime. This isn't a team that is going to crumble if T-Mac doesn't go off. Not like last year. Or the beginning of this year, for that matter.
I am not worry at all. here are some reasons why: 1. back to back game vs spurs then rockets 2. allen may not be fit to play at both games 3. looking at celtic since all-stars, they have lost every single games playing against the western 1-9 seeds team (more like 4 to 9) 4. Home court 5. 23 baby!!!
in todays nba, teams are so heavily scouted that every rockets opponent will know the players tendencies almost as well as thier former coach. secondly, shutting down tmac will not stop the rockets as seen against the lakers.
My worst fear came true tonight. I was going to start a new thread to credit Thibs for his defensive strategy, which in turn would urge you all not to bash Tracy. It looks like the defensive unit came into the game fully prepared despite it being the 2nd game in 2 nights. They did a good job on Tracy. To begin the 2nd half, he switched the defense up a little and started trapping Rafer at full-court, and forced our powerforwards to bring the ball up. By the time the forwards brought it up and gave it to Rafer or Tracy to set up a play, there would be about 11 seconds left on the shotclock. Also, it was interesting how Thibodeau yelled at his men to defend the P&R on Tracy. The Rockets ran P&R after P&R, making it even easier for the defense. Boston's big men (Scola's man) bluffed, but they had ANOTHER help defender to guard Tracy to prevent him from penetrating or shooting. He ended up giving the ball up to either shooters who could not hit the open shot, holding on to the ball - forcing the defense to drift back and taking a tough jump shot in the process - or passing to a teammate who was in a bad spot and could not create or do anything over Boston's big, interior defense. Now, having Yao could have certainly helped, and I think Thibs would have used a different strategy had Yao played, but as Halberstam put it, those are the breaks of the game. Harris and Scola tried their best, but unfortunately, it was not enough. I don't think Carl Landry could have helped all that much against that defense either. Props to the Celts for mastering P&R defense, one of the hardest areas of basketball to master. I don't see this team losing to any Eastern Conference team. The one team that can give them a scare is Orlando, and imo they can take them 7, but Boston just has too much depth. Just my $0.02 from tonights game.
You're analysis is spot on. I couldn't have said it better myself. It was the typical voice of JVG saying take away the middle. Don't let them have the middle. Great defense on T-Mac with help defense harrassing him all game long so he couldn't penetrate. Anyone trying to drive the lane got two or three defenders in his face. We had to kick the ball out for a three with the clock running down. If it wasn't us, I would say that was a masterpiece in constructing a defense.
That was the difference between this game and Sunday's game. The defensive themes were the same, but the Celts were better at adjusting and rotating effectively.
The idea was the same, but Thibodeau defended Tracy, specifically, differently than Phil. Phil did not have his guys rotating and helping out, and shutting off the paint at the same time. Thibodeau found a way to have Tracy surrounded, though they never double or triple teamed him entirely. I thought Adelman could have used Tracy in more iso's, because that could have negated a lot of the team defense Thibs was throwing at him. Usually that's what JVG would do, and that actually elevated TMacs game somewhat, because the onus was on him to perform. Tonight, Tracy did not even get a chance to get a good look, much less good shot, at the basket. He was clearly taken out of the game after the first few minutes of the first quarter.
OrangeRowdy95 I agree with you on what you saw from the game. I noticed early on that Tmac wasn't going to get anything as the defense was ready for him. I did want to see Aaron Brooks in this one more because of his quickness but I do understand he may could have made a couple too many rookie mistakes that we just couldn't afford against this Celtic defense.
Why should we be afraid of him? We won't see him again unless we meet Boston in the Finals. I'll gladly take that.
The thread was started 2 days ago in preparation for the game vs. Boston. Now, he's history, as is the game, but everyone on this board was so happy Allen was out, yet neglected Thibodeau's defensive acumen.
No other Western Conference team can replicate that defence, WITH the exception of the Spurs. We don't have a low post presence to punish defence like that where we can toss it to Yao and make him punish them helping on Mcgrady all the time. Garnett makes this defence work, in a pick and roll situation he can either make a good switch or cover the paint enough for the rest of the team to double or help on Mcgrady. I don't think the other teams can replicate this however they don't have the people to do it. The Celtics are the best defensive team in the competition after all.
you made a great point. i was very worried of that as well. thibs knows the rockets too well. however, i do think landry could have helped somewhat. landry's explosiveness and soft hands will make it tough when the come out so hard on tracy. what tracy has to learn is to give up the ball earlier instead of running towards the double team. ive always had a problem with that. ideally you would want scola to set a screen for tmac then fade out and catch the ball for a 15 ft jumper. after the defense rotates scola would find the open man for the shot. with landry, scola can throw it into landry and make a post up move for the bucket. this would be money with yao, but since he's out landry will have to do. this game sorely reminded me of the jazz series last year. the jazz defenders would double tracy so hard and it left us helpless. this year we would've had the personnel to combat this strategy if yao hadn't gone out. also, not saying that i want bonzi back, but bonzi would have helped in this game. a slasher and a post up presence can help negate thibs strategy. bonzi had a field day the last time we played boston. whatever just food for thought. we won't see boston again until next year and hopefully we'll have yao back to do the celtics dirty.
Tom T didn't invent it. It's exactly what the Jazz did last playoffs. They ran multiple players 1on1 at McGrady to tire him out. At the same time, they (the Jazz then, Celtics now) kept pressure on perimeter players who can't create their own shots.
