Once Dwight Howard gets the ball..

[xx.]

You will never see it again. He get's it, he will shoot it no matter what despite being double teamed and having open shooters at the 3 point line

 

Yeah, he's having a great game but I think the Magic would be winning by at least 10 if he just dished it out to the open shooters.

[Doc]

I feel like its cause they usually never look for him. he doesn't get the touches he deserves, when he does, hes not too sure what to do.

[ExplosiveScoring]

By Dwight Howard, did you mean Andrew Bynum? Or Luol Deng?

[bigdog17k]

We haven't been moving the ball around the past two games like we normally do, everybody is trying to just take it themselves and it's not working. You can see after timeouts we'll start to play better for a bit, and get some movement and hit a trey. But then we just stop and go back to somebody holding the ball too long. Dwight had a better game this time, but I still think he made some mistakes, and poor decisions offensively. Not sure how this series is going to play out now... but not looking good at all. -_-

[Real Deal]

He can drop 20 and 30 all he wants, but he can also be a liability on offense. His game isn't as polished as Hakeem's and Shaq's was, and those 5-6 foot hook shots he puts up, while he's fading away, are difficult shots for him to make.

 

Orlando was most successful swinging the ball on the perimeter. While they do need to go inside to Dwight, he has to accept the double and play off of it. That's what great big men do on the offensive end.

 

The Celtics are forcing Orlando into whatever game they want them to play, and that's the making of a truly great defensive team. However, with the weapons the Magic have back on offense, they should be able to counter that somewhat.

[ExplosiveScoring]

He can drop 20 and 30 all he wants, but he can also be a liability on offense. His game isn't as polished as Hakeem's and Shaq's was, and those 5-6 foot hook shots he puts up, while he's fading away, are difficult shots for him to make.

 

Orlando was most successful swinging the ball on the perimeter. While they do need to go inside to Dwight, he has to accept the double and play off of it. That's what great big men do on the offensive end.

 

The Celtics are forcing Orlando into whatever game they want them to play, and that's the making of a truly great defensive team. However, with the weapons the Magic have back on offense, they should be able to counter that somewhat.

There's not much they can counter.

 

Plan A for the Celtics: Stop Dwight Howard and Stop the 3 point shooters

Plan B for the Celtics: Let Dwight get his numbers and continue to stop the shooters.

 

Their shooters aren't going to be able to get going if they are just going to single cover Dwight all night. Because there's no way they can operate for those shooters. I mean unless they go away from Howard and just start pick n rolling like crazy out there.

[Real Deal]

There's not much they can counter.

 

Plan A for the Celtics: Stop Dwight Howard and Stop the 3 point shooters

Plan B for the Celtics: Let Dwight get his numbers and continue to stop the shooters.

 

Their shooters aren't going to be able to get going if they are just going to single cover Dwight all night. Because there's no way they can operate for those shooters. I mean unless they go away from Howard and just start pick n rolling like crazy out there.

The two plans you listed don't account for slashing guards, and Nelson and Vince are two of those. Unfortunately, as stated, Vince would rather take a contested jumper, and Nelson is too indecisive.

 

The way to beat Boston? Drop the ball into Dwight, let him draw a double, then start passing it out and swinging it to shooters. Boston has to show a double most of the time, and they usually do...and when that happens, there is ALWAYS someone open.

 

The man to take advantage of is Ray Allen, and that's all on Vince. He's not getting it done, Howard isn't passing out of the doubles, and the Magic have two road games coming up that, surprisingly, could be their last two games of the season.

[Real Deal]

That's not me saying Orlando will be swept, though...but there's still a chance of it.

[ExplosiveScoring]

The two plans you listed don't account for slashing guards, and Nelson and Vince are two of those. Unfortunately, as stated, Vince would rather take a contested jumper, and Nelson is too indecisive.

 

The way to beat Boston? Drop the ball into Dwight, let him draw a double, then start passing it out and swinging it to shooters. Boston has to show a double most of the time, and they usually do...and when that happens, there is ALWAYS someone open.

 

The man to take advantage of is Ray Allen, and that's all on Vince. He's not getting it done, Howard isn't passing out of the doubles, and the Magic have two road games coming up that, surprisingly, could be their last two games of the season.

What are you talking about? Celtics are not doubling and that's their plan. Let Dwight score all the buckets he wants, they didn't expect him to score 30 tonight anyways, and even with those 30 points that wasn't good enough to get his team a win.

 

So really, if they can't get their shooters going in a half-court set. They're just going to have the push the tempo, and that's their only hope. They can't out-execute them like they could against Atlanta.

[AtTheDriveIn]

If only our shooters could make shots as well.

 

Lewis' confidence has shrunk in a big way this series. He attempted a total six shots in this game. I think for him, it was all mental. Last game he couldn't catch a break, went 2-10 and 0-6 on threes and this game it's much of the same story. I saw Matt Barnes more offensively (and cringed every time he took a contested shot) than I did of Lewis today. When the Magic payed him 120+ million dollars to have him around, I understand that it's one or two games, but I still expect a consistent performance, not a disappearence.

 

The guard play today (tonight for the Americans) was atroscious as well. 9-27 from the starting guards and 3-9 from Reddick was more the deciding factor than Howard was. Offensively, Howard was great, and I'm a big critic of his offensive game. We just couldn't make shots. Boston's defense was great, yes, but Nelson, Carter and Reddick (Reddick had about 3 missed wide open shots that I think even I could have made) all had wide open shots that they could not make. It just looked like all the Magic perimeter guys were shaken by the Celtics in the first game. The Magic haven't experienced a good defensive effort in the playoffs yet so it's been an awkward adjustment for them, in some ways. I'm hoping they turn the shocking performances around soon and tune out some good shooting games.

[Real Deal]

What are you talking about? Celtics are not doubling and that's their plan. Let Dwight score all the buckets he wants, they didn't expect him to score 30 tonight anyways, and even with those 30 points that wasn't good enough to get his team a win.

 

So really, if they can't get their shooters going in a half-court set. They're just going to have the push the tempo, and that's their only hope. They can't out-execute them like they could against Atlanta.

They doubled him a few times in Game 1, and he shot 3-10. Didn't do it in Game 2, and he dropped 30. Those doubles aren't hard double-teams, with full commitment, but having an extra player sliding away from a perimeter shooter to watch Howard with caution...it changes everything if the Magic capitalize on it.

 

Perkins is an excellent defensive player, but Howard can put him in foul trouble early. Davis and Sheed can't hold Dwight, at least not for extended minutes, so the aggressive Dwight has to show his face just enough to put Perkins on the bench, then doubles will come as they did in Game 1, and Howard starts to kick out to the shooters.

 

Pushing the tempo won't get it done. Cleveland tried this a few times with O'Neal on the bench. Boston may be old in terms of age, but they aren't playing like it, and if Ray has trouble getting back on transition, Rivers will stick Tony Allen in there, and that will be the end of that mess.

 

Orlando's only hope is to hit their shots. Live by the three, die by the three. They have nothing else, until Howard's offensive post skills improve. Had Cleveland shown that they could adjust, they'd be in the ECF...but like Orlando, Cleveland is a one-trick pony on offense.

[AtTheDriveIn]

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_CqDk4jAv_Y4/S_N5Rc1IERI/AAAAAAAADUA/MXFBG23s3O8/s1600/18.jpg

 

Problem = solved if Lewis could shoot this series.

[ExplosiveScoring]

Actually they didn't double him at all in Game 1, so I'd like to hand me what you're smoking. In Game 2, they threw some doubles though.

[Real Deal]

Actually they didn't double him at all in Game 1, so I'd like to hand me what you're smoking. In Game 2, they threw some doubles though.

Like I said, they weren't fully committed to the double. It wasn't like they were playing him the way teams used to play Shaq. Once Howard gathers for his shot, they close in on him. That's his cue to pass the ball.

 

Plus, you just told us all they let him score 30 without doubles...and he scored his 30 in Game 2, so I'm not sure what you're saying. I don't smoke.

[moeroadkill]

they did double him in the 4th in game one for some unknow reason and thats got back into the game when they hit a few three i remember lewis hit on and so did williams maybe

[Warren2ThaG]

http://i2.cdn.turner.com/nba/nba/2010/news/features/shaun_powell/05/16/magic.celtics.g1/0516_sheed526-t1.jpg