New-look Celtics no longer defenseless</p> <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>We've had only one week of NBA basketball in the 2007-08 season, but there already are story lines everywhere. Yes, Kobe is still with the Lakers. Yes, Isiah is still coaching the Knicks. Yes, Ron Artest and Stephen Jackson are still on suspension.</p> However . . . Miami is 0-3. The Pacers are 3-0. The Bobcats are 2-0. The Wizards are 0-3.</p> But here's the one stat that activated Norton and McAfee Security Systems on computers around the planet yesterday: The No. 1 defensive team in the NBA, in terms of field goal percentage, is the Boston Celtics. And not only were they tops in that category, they also were third in points allowed.</p> True, it's only two games, but when has a Celtics team ever crashed the San Antonio Spurs' party?</p> The Celtics opened against two (supposedly) decent teams, one of which, the Wizards, pretty much lives and dies with its offense. The Raptors can put up points as well and were at home. The result: The two teams combined to shoot 35.9 percent and average 89 points. And that's with an overtime thrown in Sunday against Toronto. Chicago is No. 2 in field goal defense at 38.6 percent and the Raptors are No. 2 in points allowed at 88.</p> We pretty much figured that this year's Celtics would be a vast improvement defensively over last year's Celtics because of (a) Kevin Garnett, ( James Posey, © assistant coach Tom Thibodeau, and (d) they couldn't be much worse. Garnett all by himself gives the team a defensive cachet and identity. As Gilbert Arenas, in one of his (rare?) lucid moments, said, "The other guys are great, but KG is the one who makes it go, especially on the defensive end."</div></p> We have to give a lot of credit to assistant coach Thibodeau who was an assistant at Houston last year, and they had the best defense there as well.</p>
You can give him a lot of credit, but you also have to remember that we've replaced our awful post defender(Jefferson) with a defensive-team of the year defender (Garnett).
I'll give credit to the improved post defence of the Celtics but against the Raps, even open looks weren't going down in the first half for the home team. I really don't think Boston will be the best defensive team in the league after 82 games. Even though it's early in the season the C's looks like their commited to playing tough, sticky D and are lucky that super stars get more calls than other guys.</p>
The Celtics are still quite flawed defensively. Perkins seems far more interested in being a goon than playing solid interior defense, which forces Garnett to cover for him at times when he should be defending the high post and the pick and roll. Also, even though Pierce and Allen are crafty defenders, they are not quick enough to keep up with the more athletic guards. Rondo is still too aggressive on defense and T.J. Ford burned him. He did do well against Arenas, though. I think Tom Thibodeau's presence has really helped the team defensively, obviously along with the addition of Garnett and Posey.</p>
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (David_Ortiz)</div><div class='quotemain'></p> Still need to find a good defensive center and give Perkins bench duty. somehow</p> </div></p> So are you suggesting that Perkins isn't a good defender? If so, I strongly disagree. He does get into foul trouble at times, which hurts the team and is more than frustrating, but he's an excellent post defender when he's on the floor. He can muscle, he's tough, he's a good help defender, he's a help on the glass, and he's an above average shot blocker. He still needs to improve the fouling, but I think he's a perfect complement to Garnett.</p> We need a reliable backup center, yes, but I don't think we need to go out of our way to get ourselves a center to replace Perk in the starting lineup.</p> </p>
yeah but i'd prefer someone who's only offensive post move isn't throwing the ball off the backboard at 200 mph.</p> </p> i just don't think Perk is that much of a quality starting C or that great a defender. he bites on every fake.</p>
I agree, the only thing I like about Perk is that he's strong and at times a good defender. But he makes a lot of mistakes.</p>
You can bitch and moan about him as much as you want, but you can't downplay his defense.Honestly, if there's one thing that Perk does well, its his defense and he takes pride in it. No, he's not the quickest guy on the floor (not many centers are) and yes he does get a lot of fouls (many of them are unfair, too!), but for what he brings on the defensive end (blocking out, blocking shots, rotating better than he did in years past) you really can't ask for more out of a late first round pick out of high school a few years back.
He needs to grow up and lose the 'tude. It's killing him out on the floor. He stomps around, he glares, he pounds his chest. And every time there's incidental contact he gets whistled for a foul. He's gotta stop this shit, he's no longer the biggest boy in the first grade. Those days are long gone. This team is playing for a title, they don't need him to be a cement head. They need him to stay out on the floor.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (ehmunro)</div><div class='quotemain'>He needs to grow up and lose the 'tude. It's killing him out on the floor. He stomps around, he glares, he pounds his chest. And every time there's incidental contact he gets whistled for a foul. He's gotta stop this shit, he's no longer the biggest boy in the first grade. Those days are long gone. This team is playing for a title, they don't need him to be a cement head. They need him to stay out on the floor.</div> Agree on that. It seems like the more and more he whines and throws his arms around the less and less the refs like him. I don't even think that he spent alot of time with Antoine here.</p>
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Black Republican)</div><div class='quotemain'></p> Defense my ass,yall goin' DOWNNNNNNNNN 2day.</p> </div></p> have fun?</p> </p>
