![](images/spacer.gif) |
Browse by Sport |
|
![](images/spacer.gif) |
Find us on |
![ASAP sports on Facebook](images/fb_icon.gif) |
![ASAP sports on Twitter](images/twitter_icon.png) |
|
![](images/spacer.gif) |
|
![](images/spacer.gif) |
|
![](images/spacer.gif) |
|
![](images/spacer.gif) |
|
![](images/spacer.gif) |
May 29, 2012
MIAMI, FLORIDA: Practice Day
Q. Doc, what did you guys do as a team today?
COACH DOC RIVERS: Watch film. Walk through a couple of things. You know, a little tape ballroom replica. What is it American Airlines Arena?
Q. Yes.
COACH DOC RIVERS: Impressive, huh? But other than that, it's just more film and head work.
Q. When you say‑‑ when the guys say you have to be more physical to try to stop them getting 21 of 27 shots in the paint, what does that entail?
COACH DOC RIVERS: It entails a lot of them had 19 lay‑ups. That doesn't mean physical as far as we're going to go fouling and knocking‑‑ we foul on our own anyway. What we have to do is protect the paint better. We have to play better defense.
Q. By their standards, LeBron had a relatively average night. And the role players like ‑‑
COACH DOC RIVERS: Our guys had a relatively average night too. We don't really think about what they do or don't do, honestly. We think about more what we can do better. We have to get easier shots. We have to get in transition more ourselves. We have to throw more advanced passes. We have to move the ball better.
Potentially we have to control the paint. And they controlled the paint. We were in the paint 37 times. We were actually 19 for 37 in that area, and they were 21 for 27. So they were far more efficient when they got in there. But of their 21 times, 19 of them were made lay‑ups. That can't happen (Indiscernible).
Q. Do you stick with Ray to make adjustments?
COACH DOC RIVERS: No, we're good. Ray is Ray, and we're going to keep rolling him out there and see what we can get. If we feel he can't give it to us, we'll go with someone else. But I think right now you have to give Ray a fighting chance every time.
Q. Do you think there's anything you guys can do to help Ray?
COACH DOC RIVERS: Yeah, we can help him better. We were supposed to. We just didn't do a very good job‑‑
Q. What about Paul too, His numbers shooting?ÂÂ
COACH DOC RIVERS: Yeah, Paul, we have to get him going offensively. He has to be more aggressive, he has to be more assertive, he has to attack more.  You can look at his numbers. It's easy to read. If he has no foul shots and only two rebounds, then it wasn't a physical game for Paul. Paul is every bit as physical as LeBron, as far as body types. So he just has to do it.
Q. Doc, balancing what you see versus what we know about Ray, the decision that you make‑‑
COACH DOC RIVERS: It's a decision you make in the game. It's a tough one. But you go in the game and you watch. It's just going to be that way. It's just not the easiest thing to do. Obviously it's hard for Ray. I'm sure there will be a time where I take him out, he's going to be feeling great, and it's just something you see. It's just what it is.
Q. What do you see with his shooting?
COACH DOC RIVERS: Well, I don't think he has his balance. You can see it on his free‑throws. He's falling forward. He's kicking his leg out every shot. If you watch Ray, Ray is an up and down‑‑ if you drew a square box, usually Ray always lands in the box when he shoots. Right now he's all over the place. He's leaning, going sideways, falling forward.
So it's somewhat of a balance issue. But it's probably‑‑ it's all created by the injury.
Q. When you said you can help him, there are things you guys can do‑‑
COACH DOC RIVERS: Well, I'm talking defensively. Offensively we're going to keep giving him shots. I always believe Ray will figure it out. You clearly never saw me shoot the basketball. What the hell can I tell Ray about shooting? I mean, really. When you think about it, I don't think I've ever said a word to Ray in my life about shooting.
But we do have to try to get him open more to give him more time. The one thing you can see that he's changed, it's not as quick, his release. Probably because of his feet. So we have to try to figure out ways to give him a little more time to shoot.
Q. When you talk about protect the the paint and not giving up the easy baskets, what is the biggest adjustment you need to do for Game 2?
COACH DOC RIVERS: Protecting the paint, clearly. I think if we do that, our offense will be much better. That means we're getting multiple stops and we're out running. Part of the reasons we didn't run much is because they scored half the time or they got offensive rebounds, and they were lay‑ups. We have to get multiple stops so we can get Rondo in transition.
Q. Do you need more from the power position? I think Shane Battier had ten rebounds whereas Brandon didn't.
COACH DOC RIVERS: Brandon didn't have a great game last night. We need more from the Boston Celtics. We're not going to point at one guy. I think all of us, coaching staff, players, we can all do better.
Q. How much do you take out of what you saw in the second quarter?
COACH DOC RIVERS: That was a small lineup, so you take a little bit out of it. Honestly, if I take more out of the other three‑quarters, as poorly as those quarters were played, there were a lot of things we did well in those.
But we just didn't finish. We didn't finish the possessions offensively. We gave up offensive rebounds. We missed point‑blank lay‑ups. In those same stretches. We have to get more multiple stops so we can run.
Obviously the positive thing is great, but that's fools gold in a lot of ways.
Q. When your guys (Indiscernible) how do you keep emotions up?
COACH DOC RIVERS: Well, that's how they've been all year. Obviously, one of your key guys, you monitor it and you watch it. You can tell they believe by their anger after the game. Half the guys in our locker room yesterday, or in film. Today we'll start out by showing 19 straight lay‑ups. Who wants to watch that? I didn't. I watched it four or five times.
But it's a good question. But their beliefs are always pretty strong.
Q. Doc, what did you think of the zone?
COACH DOC RIVERS: I thought we were lacking. I thought defensively I think we stopped them six out of seven. I thought they missed five wide‑open shots, honestly. I think our zone will play a part in this series, but not if we play it like we played it last night. It was a case of them missing wide‑open shots. I told our guys that.  I said that was a horrendous zone last night. They will score if you play it that way.
So we have to be better in a lot of areas.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports
|
![](images/spacer.gif) |