Allen’s presence created greater spacing, because defenses had to respect his marksmanship and simply could not help off him. While Terry and Lee can and do make 3-pointers, they don’t command the respect that Allen did, making things about a half-step easier for opponents in help rotation.
There was a possession in the second half of Saturday’s win at Milwaukee that saw three straight spot-ups become drive-and-kicks because there simply wasn’t enough clearance to shoot off the catch. That rarely happened with Allen, whose ability to square his body and release quickly is as precise as his shot.
Over time and repetition, this will get better. Rivers will determine whether it’s better to free up Terry and Lee with pindowns or pick-and-rolls. Point guard Rajon Rondo will learn when and where Terry and Lee want the ball. Simply put, the players here are too good and too committed not to figure it out.
“I’m very patient,” Pierce said. “I understand it’s a process. We’re only five games in. We’re still building.”
The bigger fix may be on the defensive end, where the Celtics have looked old and slow at times.
At is has been for the previous three seasons, Boston is last in offensive rebounds. That’s no accident; the
Celtics are annually among the best shooting teams, leaving less available offensive boards. And Rivers would rather set his half-court defense than chase misses, so he has his team retreat and balance the floor.
So far, however, the Celtics are not sticking by their principles. According to teamrankings.com, they are 27th in the NBA, allowing 16.8 fast-break points per game. Last season, they were sixth at 11.7. Two seasons ago, they were second at 10.9.
And when they are getting back, the Celtics are not quite digging in the way we’ve seen in the past. After the home loss to Philadelphia on Friday, Rivers lamented, “Every time we needed a stop tonight, we didn’t get it.”
The upcoming schedule isn’t overbearing, and Avery Bradley – whose on-ball defense would certainly be an upgrade – could return from offseason shoulder surgeries sometime in December.
Until then, the Celtics will be smart enough not to lose faith in the system or each other and leave the panic and finger-pointing to others.
“That’s losing genetics. We don’t have that in here,” Pierce said.
TRIVIA: Which current player has the longest current streak of games played? Answer below.