featured-image

Pregame Post-Ups: C's Must Be 'Appropriately Selective' on Glass

Marc D'Amico
Team Reporter and Analyst

Friday, April 20 - Game 3 - Celtics at Bucks

Pregame – Celtics Must Be "Appropriately Selective" with Offensive Rebounding

MILWAUKEE – The Boston Celtics grabbed 20 offensive rebounds and scored 42 second-chance points during their first two games of their first-round series against Milwaukee. Brad Stevens warned prior to Game 3, however, that the C’s must be tactical in how they attack the offensive glass.

The reason is because recklessly attacking the offensive glass plays directly into Milwaukee’s greatest strength: transition offense. Stevens saw his team’s unnecessary effort on the offensive glass backfire during the first quarter of Game 2, when the Bucks opened the quarter on a 13-2 run.

“We kind of broke our own transition defensive rules on some of those crashes, where we were crashing from the top of the key,” Stevens explained, “and then when they got the ball it was a 2-on-1 going the other way. And when it’s a 2-on-1 with Giannis (Antetokounmpo), you’re not getting a stop.”

Stevens used the term “appropriately selective” to describe how his players should attack the offensive glass. He says the same thing about how his team should play offense.

If a player has a quality look at the basket, Stevens wants that player to let it fly. If that player has a mediocre look at the basket, Stevens wants that player to continue to move the ball so that Boston can create a better look at the basket.

That is being appropriately selective.

From an offensive rebounding standpoint, Stevens wants his players to attack the offensive glass when they have a high probability of grabbing the board while not sacrificing the team’s defensive rules. If a player would need to break the team’s rules, or if he has a low probability of grabbing the board, Stevens wants his players to sprint back on defense.

“We did a great job in Game 1,” Stevens said of such decisions. “We did a bad job in Game 2.”

Stevens insinuated that the C’s played with fire with their transition defense during Game 2. He showed no confidence that his team would win Game 3 if it plays in such a manner.

“We’re going to try to get back, keep them in front, have five guys ahead of the ball,” he said. “We did a poor job of that in Game 2, and if we’re going to win tonight we’re going to have to do a much better job.”

- Marc D'Amico