WALTHAM, Mass. – An average Boston Celtics practice lasts roughly 90 minutes.
Wednesday, being their only practice scheduled this week, was an exception, as the C’s went at it for nearly 120 minutes in preparation for their final two preseason games on Thursday and Friday.
After studying up on their film, the C’s focused heavily on their ‘ice’ defense. It’s a term that many newcomers are unfamiliar with or not used to, as Amir Johnson explained after practice.
“I haven’t iced in a while,” said the 6-foot-9 forward. “I used to do that defense back in Detroit [more than half a dozen years ago], so I’m just trying to get accustomed to our defense and get back in the form of icing.”
The focus in an ice scheme is for a big man to take away a dribble-drive opportunity for an opposing guard during pick-and-roll plays. The big man plays ‘soft’ on the screen, staying well off of the ball, as opposed to ‘showing’ on the screen. This tactic allows the big man to stay long and agile while maintaining space between he and the dribbler, which takes away the guard’s ability to blow past him. Icing is particularly effective when the defense forces the ball handler to the sideline, preventing him from creating space to drive to the basket or get up an open shot.
Celtics coach Brad Stevens says it’s a vital part of his system, and broke down the general key matters he stresses when defending the opposition.
“I think the biggest thing is just being able to recognize who you’re defending and understanding in any area that the most important thing to protect is the basket,” said Stevens. “The next most important thing is the ball because only the person with the ball can score. And then obviously you need to get the shooters next; being able to figure out who those guys are -you can play their percentages some – and then you adjust accordingly.”
After getting their defensive pick-and-roll game down, the C’s turned to some five-on-five action to get the guys in game shape for their upcoming back-to-back.
For David Lee, it was an opportunity to get in some much-needed cardio after missing Monday’s game with strep throat.
Lee said he “definitely got winded after being on the floor for a few minutes. [It was] to be expected, but I’m just glad I got being sick out of the way in preseason when it doesn’t count as much as in the regular season.”
Being at near-full strength for today’s practice was important, Lee explained, given that the regular season tip-off is just one week away.
“You want to hit the ground running come opening night,” said Lee. “It’s all about obviously remaining healthy, but getting a good rhythm and start getting the lineups down and what coach wants to accomplish in terms of rotations.”
Another goal Stevens looked to accomplish during the lengthy session was to work on the team’s late-game situational plays.
Stevens reflected on the team’s first four preseason games and noted, “We haven’t been in a situation yet where we’ve advanced the ball or called late timeouts or been a one-possession game as far as in the exhibition season to work on those things.”
Stevens showed last season that he thrives during such circumstances and could fill a book with high-pressure situational plays he has drawn up.
Being just one week from tipping off the regular season, the C’s need to be studying up on those plays, because we’ll surely see plenty of them in the near future.
After missing Monday’s game against Brooklyn, Jae Crowder (sprained thumb) returned to practice on Wednesday.
However, Isaiah Thomas, who also did not dress during Monday’s win, remains sidelined as he is currently dealing with a left shin contusion.
Stevens indicated that it does not appear to be a serious injury, but the training staff recommended that they should be cautious regarding his return.
“The way that it was told to me was that we want to be smart and conservative this week with him,” Stevens relayed. “He might play one of the next two nights, but I have no reason to think, based on the injury right now, that he wouldn’t’ be back at the latest on Monday.”
