These two teams compare in interesting ways. Both teams have offensive fire power provided primarily by three players. They are both run by coaches who stress offense. Previously, neither team has played very good defense.
This off season, both coaches hired defensive specialists for assistant coaches. Even then, there is a connection. The Wizards hired Jeff Van Gundy protege, Tom Thibodeau, on July 3rd. On Independence Day, just 24 hours later Tom had declared his freedom. It just wasn’t the right fit.
After the Celtics decided not to go the youth route any longer, during which time Larry Brown was the assistant coach of choice for Doc Rivers, the Celtics landed ‘the one that got away’ from Washington – Tom Thibodeau himself.
What most Celtic fans don’t know is that Washington did not give up on it’s efforts to land a top defensive coach. Three weeks later, they ended up with a very good one. His name is Randy Ayers. His resume is excellent.
From July 24 on the Wizards NBA.com website….
“We are pleased to have Randy join our coaching staff,” Jordan said. “As an assistant with the Philadelphia 76ers, he implemented the defensive schemes for a team that advanced to the NBA Finals, and he has been on staffs that have made numerous postseason appearances. He will fit in nicely with our coaching staff.”
Ayers spent the last two NBA seasons as an assistant coach with the Orlando Magic, where he helped Orlando reach the NBA Playoffs last season with the league’s seventh ranked defensive unit. Having joined the Magic as an assistant coach on June 10, 2005, Ayers saw the Magic cut the opposition’s scoring from 101.8 points per game in the season prior to his hire, to 96.0 ppg in his first season in Orlando and 94.0 ppg last year.
Not too shabby. Previously he was the head coach at Ohio State where he lead then to 4 post season appearances.
This year both teams will run most of their offense through three players. Arenas, Jamison and Butler could score as high a percent of their team’s points as the Celtic’s vaunted threesome – Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, and Ray Allen.
Eddie Jordan is a offensive minded coach. Doc Rivers has stated in the past that he runs practices stressing offense. Both coach’s teams have provided results that bear those thoughts out.
But now each team has reinforced its coaching ranks with top notch defensive ‘wizards’, though the Celtic’s was a Wizard for ‘but a day’.
The Celtics are already showing results. According the Cs own website, the Celtics were the top defensive team in the league for preseason according to Mike Zarren….
The Celtics had the #1 defense in the league this preseason, holding the opposition to 0.884 points per possession.
We have witnesed the defensive stands that held teams in check for long periods of time this preseason. It was something to behold. Rajon Rondo, James Posey and Tony Allen surround and support the great defensive effort of Kevin Garnett with talent of their own on that side of the court. Even Paul Pierce and Ray Allen are hustling around the court and diving for loose balls. It matters. A team is as good as its weakest link defensively. Other teams will exploit those weak links as often as possible.
Early indications already show good results. I expect Washington to get results before the year is through as well.
Tonight’s game pits teams that are similar in some ways. Let’s see how things turn out, and which team’s defensive coach has the early results in their favor.
T
