Doc Rivers Boston Celtics Game Winner

Written by Coach Peterman

I have coached at the NCAA Division 2 (Southwestern Oklahoma State University), NAIA (USAO), and JUCO Levels (Blinn College and Carl Albert State College) as well as high school. I just felt that fellow coaches especially young coaches need to constantly work on their “game”. Just like the basketball players that we coach. We as coaches need to improve ourselves. That is my story and why I do this blog.

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October 11, 2014

Doc Rivers Boston Celtics Game Winner

The 2010-11 Boston Celtics were looking to avenge a heartbreaking Game 7 loss in the NBA Finals the previous season. They stormed out of the gate and entered the All-Star with an NBA best record of 40-14. Less than 2 weeks late the complexion of the reigning Eastern Conference champs and maybe the whole league was changed when starting center Kendrick Perkins was traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder for Jeff Green. The once surging Boston Celtics stumbled the rest of the season and finished with a 56-26 record good for the 3rd seed in the 2011 Eastern Conference Playoffs. Awaiting the Celtics in the first round was their division rival the New York Knicks and its’ two stars; Carmelo Anthony and Amare Stoudemire.

Game 1 was a back and forth affair and with 21 seconds left in the 4th quarter the Boston Celtics had possession of the ball on the side down 1. Doc Rivers is widely regarded as one of the premier coaches in the NBA in dead ball situations. This particular scenario was no exception as Doc drew up an action that involved his three best players.

The play starts with Ray Allen inbounding the ball on the sideline opposite the team benches. Rondo is positioned at the ball side wing with Glen “Big Baby” Davis on the ball side elbow. Both are strategically positioned in this scenario in specific spots that won’t allow their defenders to help in the main action.

Kevin Garnett lines up about two steps above the free throw line and Paul Pierce is positioned at the lane line on the weak side. In the initial action Kevin Garnett sets a down screen for Paul Pierce who cuts towards Ray Allen to receive the inbounds pass with Carmelo Anthony trailing him as his defender the whole way. Pierce then takes a dribble away before entering in a middle ball screen with Ray Allen. Carmelo gets caught up in the screen and Ray Allen’s defender has to show for an extra second before he can square the ball back up. Ray Allen sets the screen and flares before Kevin Garnett steps up behind him to set a flare screen on the back side. Ray Allen’s defender was a step behind because of the hard show on the ball screen and Garnett’s defender didn’t step up and show hard enough on the flare screen. The combinations of the combined actions and the late defense all led to a wide open three-point attempt for Ray Allen who just so happened to shoot 44% from 3 on the season.

The Celtics used this particular set many times during the “Big 3” era with mixed results. Regardless of the outcome, an offensive play with 3 future Hall of Famers is always going to be difficult for any team to defend.

Coach Zall also has experience as an AAU Head Coach for the Boston Warriors. As Head Coach for the Warriors his team won the 2011 16U State Title and twice competed in AAU Nationals down in Orlando, FL. On top of being a student at Northeastern University, Zall was named Head Coach of the Men’s Club Basketball team for the 2012-13 season. During his lone season as Head Coach, Northeastern finished second in the Northeast Regional Tournament featuring colleges from throughout the East Coast. Coach Zall has also spent time as a Head Coach in the Bay State Games where his team won the Bronze Medal in 2012 and at various camps including: Five Star, Boston Celtics, NIKE, Franklin Pierce University, Hoop Group and The Elite 75.

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