Video Breakdown of the Knicks Exposing Rajon Rondo

The Knicks defensive strategy was crazily effective when I went back and watched the game on DVR. It wasn't with just Rondo either--when Scalabrine, who may be the worst wide-open shooter in the NBA next to Rondo, was in the game, the Knicks basically ignored him in the corner by 15 feet as well (but isn't that illegal? I thought you had to be within arm's length of your man if you're not doubling.). Scalabrine was playing good defense on Harrington but you can't mount a comeback only on one end of the floor. The first and third quarters were mirror images of each other: the Celtics were down 21-12 before Rondo left the game in the first and they had lost the third by 9 before he left the game in the third. Fortunately, they can bring House off the bench to bust that strategy but unlike last year when they also brought Posey to spread the floor, against the Knicks it was Scalabrine who just shrunk the floor and let the Knicks play with 4 players in the paint. Personally I would have played Glen Davis or Leon Powe, who you would think would just allow the Knicks to pack the paint but by their offensive rebounding prowess, would demand the Knicks to put a body on them.

As a Celtics fan, the game was infuriating. Whoever was guarding Rondo or Scalabrine, be it Jeffries or Harrington, basically ignored them from the moment they crossed halfcourt. With barely a cursory look, they went straight into the middle of the paint, sometimes on top, sometimes on the bottom. They only left the paint after they counted to three and stepped out, then went right back in. What being in the middle of the paint allowed them to do was double Garnett with a speed most doubles can't execute, which meant Garnett, one of the best passing big men was flummoxed like I had never seen him before. Also making it tough was that it were two 6'10 guys doing the doubling. Besides lightning fast doubling and redoubling, the other defensive advantage was being right in the position to intersect and trap Pierce when he drove into the paint. Pierce would drive and within two steps, 14 feet from the basket, the help defense would already be there. That kind of thing never happens and can only happen if you playing 4 on 5 on offense. Two hallmarks of the Celtics offense, Pierce driving and Garnett in the post, were almost completely taken out by the Knicks strategy.

Playing off Rondo with a bigger player wasn't just started by the Lakers. Detroit tried it too during the ECF by having Hamilton guard Rondo but Hamilton, while an aggressive and feisty defender, is too light to be a menace on doubles and too small to defend Rondo at the rim. The ability to double hard while also being big enough to meet Rondo at the rim and stop him is a must to execute this defensive strategy. Rondo's a good finisher but he's not at Tony Parker's level where he finishes at will against bigger guys.

I shudder at other teams executing this strategy. If I were Detroit, I would have Prince guarding Rondo. He's big enough and smart enough on defense to play the rover and he would have a much bigger defensive impact affecting two or three staples of the Celtics offense than trying to stop Pierce, which he's is not capable of doing over a playoff series. Miami too with Shawn Marion, Charlotte with Gerald Wallace, Houston with Battier or Artest and so on.

That said, it did take Garnett going 1-6 and being in foul trouble and Ray Allen missing all nine of his three point attempts for the Celtics to lose. They can counter with House and by their best players playing to their ability.

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Great , anybody that know b-ball understands
that Boston is not all that ;
Boston set up many plays that most of them start
with Rondo but if Rondo is nullified from the get go
and don't aloud him to move up and down the paint
at will ( free willie)you will see 3 aging superstars
catching a breeder here and there out of rhythm
and out of momentum, for sure, you can bank on it !

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In fact, it took another good coach to realize
the set-up plays that Boston has been uing for a while
courtesy of Tom T. and his defensive strategy and the
knicks gave them right back at them and by the way
the chant D-E-F-E-N-S-E , defense was born in the
Garden in the 70,s and I mean Madison Square Garden
NYC with Red Holzman as a coach for the Knicks
that is !

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Interesting analysis.

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This is nothing new. Cleveland did the same thing last year with Delonte roaming on the other side of the floor. It hurt the Celts last year & nearly cost them the series. Kobe was doing the same thing on XMas day. This is why Boston needs to find a capable back-up pg who can knock down jumpers. Ed House is not the answer, he's a 2-guard.

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I just learned about the result of tonight's game;
Boston is not only to B teams but loosing to
teams that have good coaches like Larry Brown
tonight ;
I guess these coaches have Tom T. numbers or
running out of set plays or fresh legs or both.

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