Thursday, November 29, 2012

Notes: Brooklyn Nets vs. Boston Celtics [11/28/12]


Brooklyn Nets 95 - Boston Celtics 83

The Good

Nets: Defense and they left it on the whole game. Boston could not shoot without a hand in their face or a Net right beside them. The full court press by the second unit killed the Celtics. Barbosa and company didn't even know how to respond. In the other end, their shots were falling, the pick and roll with Deron opened everybody up. Even Jerry Stackhouse went 5 of 6 from the corner three, it helps when no one was ever there to bother him at all.

Celtics: The interior defense completely shut down Brook Lopez (9 points). Kevin Garnett, and Jason Collins did not give Brook any breathing space, every time he got the ball, he was immediately bodied up and forced into a tough shot. They held Brooklyn to only 38 points in the paint, no one in a black jersey wanted to go inside.

The Bad

Nets: I didn't particularly like the play that involved Gerald Wallace bringing the ball down. They ran this play a few times, where Deron Williams will be at the baseline, waiting for a off ball screen to come up and get the ball back from Wallace. It usually ends with the defenders on Williams, and a open shot for Gerald, which is not an ideal offensive weapon.

In the second half, they stopped moving the ball, and resorted to iso-ball. Plays were thrown out the window, everyone just stood still and watched Joe Johnson dribble, while Boston creeped closer.

Celtics: Rajon Rondo got ejected from the game (So did Gerald Wallace and Brook Lopez for fighting). Without Rondo to penetrate and space the floor, the Celtics, who were already suffocated by the Brooklyn defense, had even more trouble getting a good shot. Like the Nets, they decided to not run plays and it was just chaotic.

On defense, they over helped inside too often, leaving their opponents open for easy jumpers. They were in way too deep, and had no chance to recover.

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