Kevin Eastman Boston Celtics “Defense”
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Important words in terms of our development as a team 1. Trust Trust needs time (doesn’t happen overnight) Trust needs consistency Trust needs proof (if you say you’re going to do it, do it. If you say you’re going to be there, be there. If you say 2:30, it’s 2:30) 2. Leadership Do you occupy the seat or do you execute the position? Is that ‘C’ on your chest just for decoration?) Leadership can build or it can destroy. 3. Talent With the Celtics, we have talent in 2 areas: physical and mental. We don’t want players with talent. We want talented players. That –ed is everything; -ed= Extra Dimension.
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3 things talented players do: 1. Makes teammates better 2. Makes the team better 3. “If I take care of the first two, I’ll naturally get mine, but I’m 3rd.” –KG
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What’s your culture? Winning/success
Personal sacrifice
Accountability
»Discipline-wise, everything goes through those 3 pillars
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Standards: Stay in present (not worrying about next year No excuses (we worked with the players to come up with their standard 11 excuses that they would use. We don’t tolerate them.) Be a great practice team
Every decision we make is through the prism of our culture and our standards. •
The “Get Past” List (things we need to get past if we want to be any good)
1. Hard: Why? Because it’s HARD being a good defensive team. 2. The “It’s”: Get rid of “It’s too long” or “It’s too hard” or “It hurts” 3. Personal: Get rid of the personal agendas •
George Karl: “We’re not coaches; we’re directors of ego management and attitude adjustment.”
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Knowledge + sustained thought + experience = wisdom
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Success Checks (team or business) 1. Your PT/paycheck is your responsibility. You want to play (business: earn) more, bring more value. Stop worrying about playing/making more and focus on becoming more because if you bring value, the PT/money will find you. If you can do 1 thing and I can do that too along with 1 more thing, I play or I get the job. 2. Big eyes, big ears, small mouth. Doc Rivers wants to know what every coach in every sport does. 3. Success leaves footprints. KG hounds Bill Russell with questions when he comes to town. The best want to know what the best does. By talking to them, we get the benefit of their success. 4. Invest vs. Entitlement Young players desperately need to hear this: “YOU’RE ENTITLED TO ABSOLUTELY NOTHING IN THIS GAME.” Turn entitlement to the power of investment How does Ray Allen invest in his success? Come to the arena 3 hours before a game and see Ray Allen’s shooting workout. How do players invest in their success? Practicing, talking to good players, watching film (their own), watching film (the best).
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The Power of the dash: “When my father died everyone kept on talking about the 86 years he lived until. I realized that when people looked at his tombstone that read 1921-2007, they just simply didn’t get it. His life wasn’t about the 1921 nor was it about the 2007. It was about the dash.” When your time is done at the spot you’re at: will you leave a job or a legacy? If you ask yourself what you can do to leave a legacy, you’ll automatically make yourself better.
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Are you in your players’ top 3? If your players were to name their 3 most impactful people in their lives, how many lists would you be on? Doc Rivers is maniacal about this.
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Doc’s first 2 questions to the Boston Celtics organization: 1. What do we want to be? 2. Who are we really?
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Defense (3 parts) 1. Transition D
2. Pick & Roll D
3. Half Court D
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9 Tenets of “Boston Celtics Defense” 1. Transition D (back & set) 2. Keep ball out of paint 3. Apply intelligent pressure 4. The shots we give up are contested 2’s 5. Gang rebound 6. Take care of ball, paint and then get out to contest 3’s. 7. We need to be a great closeout team. We need to be a great shrink team 8. T-A-L-K 9. Hit first
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Shrink spots: be in their driving lanes. Off ball, take away penetration lane before the ball handler even thinks about it.
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If a blind person were to come to your practice, what would they hear? Good teams: squeaks and voices.
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Get past personal. Great defensive teams can’t be personal (“He scored on me last time so there’s no way I’m helping off him to stop the ball.”)
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Core of good defense = multiple efforts (Conversely, the core of good offense = multiple actions).
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Brad Stevens to KE: “Midway through the season, we were allowing our opponents to shoot 45% from the field. We determined that 3 more stops a game would have lowered that percentage to 39%. We had a lot of success selling the difference 3 stops a game could make (would take us from being ranked in the 200’s nationally in FG% defense to being ranked in the top 50).
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Boston Celtics’ perfect defensive possession: no penetration (and if there is, no shot by the handler); no shots on the first 2 passes.
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Do your 4 man shell in a diamond formation rather than the typical 4-out. The help on a baseline drive won’t come from the opposite corner in a game!
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What does communication do? 1. It intimidates 2. Head starts 3. Confidence 4. Wakes up the disengaged defender 5. Catches a mistake before it happens 6. Energizes
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3 communication rules: ELC (Early, Loud, Continuous)
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15 Defensive Thoughts: 1. What are the highest % shots in your game? In the NBA, it’s layups, free throws, corner 3’s, therefore, our defense is built to take those away.
2. Layups and FTs are a product of the ball getting into the paint. 3. Corner 3’s—none 4. We want to accomplish 3 things: keep the ball in front of us, protect the paint, and recover out to the 3. 5. Only thing we want to give up is a contested shot (preferably off the dribble). 6. Take care of the ball, then the paint, then the 3. 7. Focus + Effort 8. Force to the tape “Ankle to tape” Defending at the top of the key: forcing ball handler to the X on the left sideline (halfway between baseline and FT line). If he begins turning the corner, the X you’re going for now becomes the baseline (makes room in your scheme for the quick guard). Defending wing: forcing to the baseline X on baseline drive. Forcing to the top of the key X on middle drive. Doc: “Get him to the tape, tape guys tape.” 9. The penetration I allow hurts D in 4 areas: fouls on me, fault fouls (fouls drawn on my teammates as a result of picking up the ball handler I allowed to penetrate), short 2-on-1’s, and offensive rebounding. 10. Up top = “Weak area” (influencing offensive player to his weak hand) 11. On side = “No middle area” 12. Position, Awareness, Alertness Position: Where I need to depending on where the ball is. Awareness: I’m aware of what might happen next. I’m sniffing out the next action. Alertness: If we need you, you’re there. 13. How do you make adjustments? Do it better Do it harder Sub Scheme 14. How often do you drill scramble situations? Scramble vs. Rotation Scramble is random, rotations are something we practice every single day. 15. Analyze your stats
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8 Must-Haves: 1. Communication
2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.
Trust (the more you trust, the less you foul) Position Awareness Alertness Multiple efforts Resolve (Tom Thibodeau: The thing that separates the good defensive teams from the great defensive teams. Same stance, same intensity, no matter the results. The resolve to come back and do it again.) 8. Stay out of scramble; Live in rotation •
How do you get better? By working harder, more efficient and longer. There’s a price to pay for improvement.
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2 handed rebounds will be a big emphasis for the Celtics this year.
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Stick it out and stay with your beliefs. Ignore the results, if you really believe in what you’re doing.
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Winning on the road: Look at these and tell me if it’s offense or defense that separates the good road teams from the bad teams. 1. Defend 2. Eliminate transition baskets 3. Must rebound 4. Defensive resolve (play through their runs) 5. Eliminate turnovers
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Simple > sophisticated
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If you have these 5 things, you’ll be successful playing any style of defense: 1. Commitment 2. Habits 3. Focus 4. Passion
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Celtics’ practice soundbytes: “Low man wins” “Fouling negates hustle” “Defense is about commitment; Offense is about comfort.”
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Know the No’s: No No No No No
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middle layups uncontested shots ball watching buddy running
Terminology: Use “post across” rather than “post up”
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Post in the mini-lane rather than the block. There’s no skill needed down there!
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2 ways to buy time for your teammates: 1. High hands on closeouts 2. Stunting
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Skill development: bring something (passion) other than your knowledge.
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“Fool’s Gold” of transition defense = back but not set
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Transition Defense 1 man 2 man 3 man 4 man
back back back back
= = = =
dunk layup contested shot (we’re getting there) “Game’s on”
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With defensive transition you must make a decision in terms of how committed you are to going to the offensive glass.
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Tenets of the Boston Celtics’ transition defense: 1. 1,2, and 3 are back 2. 1st 3 steps are sprints. 3. Get below the ball. 4. In D tran there are no matchups, you’re guarding the team. 5. 2 back and we’re in a tandem 6. 3 back and we’re in a triangle 7. 1st big is to the basket and meeting the rim-runner high.
