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Doc Rivers: Celtics unsung hero
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Paul Pierce is getting all the credit for nailing the game-winning shot against the Atlanta Hawks right now. And he deserves a lot of it.
But he doesn't deserve ALL of it. Doc Rivers deserves kudos for drawing up the perfect play.
What Doc did was create a scenario where Paul Pierce couldn't be double-teamed. Look at the spacing in the the top image (#1). Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen are in a triangle. Pierce, the best slashing threat, is at the top of the triangle. He's the one guy who could drive to the hoop, or take the jumper. That's the key here, because the defender could crowd Ray Allen more.
Pierce drew Al Horford on the switch, which meant KG had a mismatch as well. In #2, you see KG dive in case his man doubled. When Pierce crossed over, the Hawks couldn't double off of KG because that would give the Celtics an easy dunk. Mike Bibby couldn't double off Ray Allen, because he's the best shooter on the floor. The Hawks were stuck. They had to respect all options, leaving Horford 1-on-1 with Pierce.
In #3, you could see Paul's passing options IF the Hawks had doubled. But since they hung back... and since he left Horford in the dust with the crossover... Pierce's best option was to take the jumper rather than slash. This overhead view shows just how much room Pierce had to take the shot.
If you watch the play unfold, you'll see that the Celtics also had Eddie House at the top of the key if absolutely necessary. That's four options in seven seconds based on what the Hawks decided to do. The only decision the Hawks really had was to play straight up, and hope the Celtics missed.
The Celtics last year KILLED other teams after time outs. Doc Rivers and staff have a real knack for drawing up the one play that, if executed, can get the Celtics the bucket they need.
Last night, Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, and Ray Allen all executed that play to perfection. And execution like that is the hallmark of a winner.
