Tonight on ESPN: Pistons at Celtics (7 ET)

Brown

Bench play was a big factor for the Celts going into the Detroit game and the Pistons managed to hold them to only a few baskets. Granted, the five starters played most of the game for Boston, but Detroit limited their number of possessions. When you play Chicago, it’s a much higher possession game. The biggest thing for Boston to combat is that Chicago plays an uptempo style that is lacking a true post-up game. When you play Chicago, you have to keep them out of transition. If they get a lot of easy baskets, similar to Detroit, it makes their halfcourt that much better. So if you’re Boston, you really have to defend the pick and roll because the Bulls do that multiple times in possessions. Then you have to keep people in front of you because Chicago’s game is penetrate and kick. If you have to help, you usually leave open shots.

I wasn’t very surprised with their slow start based on their history. Scott Skiles has always managed to hold it together and they’ve always gotten better. I think it’s real important to be playing your best basketball at the last part of the season, but they’ve put themselves in a hole. A lot of people said it was maybe because Gordon and Deng didn’t get signed and that could have affected their play. I think they haven’t been shooting the ball well and they don’t have the low post kind of game. If you’re not making outside shots and getting opportunities to score in transition because of your defense, you’re going to struggle. Now they have started to play better and more consistently. Their rookie Aaron Gray has given them a big boost off the bench the last few games. Tyrus Thomas has played better and so has Joakim Noah. It seems like they’re starting to play the way everyone expected them to, but again, if they don’t make outside shots, it’s usually pretty difficult for them to beat the better teams.

When you look at it the Bulls drafted Joakim Noah No. 9 and Aaron in the second round. But a lot of people had Aaron as a first round pick last year if he came out. Instead he decided to stay in school and then he kind of slipped in the draft. The last two games, he has been very positive off the bench, notching a double-double against Washington (10 points, 10 rebounds). Against Boston, in all likelihood he’ll play against Kendrick Perkins who is relatively young as well, which won’t put as much pressure on him. He has really done well. Tyrus Thomas has also played well his last two games and has become their number one shotblocker with Ben Wallace out of the lineup.

Ben Wallace didn’t play last night because of a problem with his foot and I don’t know what his situation will be, but if he doesn’t suit up, Andres Nocioni may have to guard Kevin Garnett. If that happens, he is giving up a lot of size. For anybody to guard Kevin it is a tough matchup, but it would be very, very difficult for Nocioni to stay out of foul trouble if he has to guard him. However, with that in mind, Kevin has to go out and guard Nocioni too, and Nocioni can shoot from deep, which is a factor.

I don’t ever think that way, but the better teams really talk about not losing two in a row. I’m sure that is something Doc is going to talk about. I would think the mindset of Boston is, if we’re going to be this special team that everyone expects us to be, we have got to make sure we don’t lose back-to-back games. Chicago has had a hard time putting together a winning streak and I’m sure Chicago is looking at this as a big game for them, a statement kind of game that can really put them in the right direction. Both teams certainly have incentives to win this game.

Usually the good teams take care of their home court and I don’t think Chicago has done that as well as in the past. To me the Bulls have played as well on the road as they have at home this season. They got a huge win in Detroit two weeks ago. They’re a team that has gone to the playoffs, so I don’t think playing on the road is going to be a factor for them.

I think they can if they have a good defense. I’ve always thought that it’s overrated to say you need a post presence. When I coached Allen Iverson we didn’t have a post presence but he created double teams which gave everyone else open opportunities. Because he created double teams on the perimeter, it allowed us to be a great offensive rebounding team. When you look at Chicago with Ben Wallace, Tyrus Thomas, Joakim Noah, and Joe Smith, you’ve got guys with length. If they can rebound effectively on the offensive glass then they’ll be ok. They can get by like that. When they signed Joe Smith, they were hopeful that he would be able to do that for them and I think recently since they’ve started him he’s done a pretty good job of that.

Deng and Paul Pierce are the keys in my mind. Both can score the ball, they both are underrated rebounders, they both have the ability to get to the free throw line and they will have to guard each other. You saw with Paul having to guard Tayshaun, a very underrated defender with length, and Tayshaun having to guard Paul, it impacted their games a little bit offensively. I will be curious to see which one is able to guard the other one and which one has success offensively.

Doc has shown unbelievable confidence in this kid for two years. Last year they really threw the point guard position at him and he got better and better as the season went on even though the team struggled. He has grown up a lot. The fact that he is playing with three tremendous players takes a lot of pressure off him. He is really athletic and he’s great in the open court. But playing with those three has allowed him to grow even more. You hope he stays out of foul trouble because I don’t know if they have a true point coming off the bench to back him up.