NBA Finals Game 3: What’s Up, Doc?

It's too early to say that the Lakers have regained control of this series; they still trail 2-1.

It's too early to say that Kobe Bryant has figured out the Celtics' defense; he shot over 50% for the first time in four tries against the C's last night.

It's too early to say that K.G. is out of gas, as Phil Jackson mentioned in the post-game press conference last night.

But it's never too early to second guess Doc Rivers. While the C's still have control of the series despite the loss last night, Rivers might want to rethink his strategy for Game 4. Some of the most glaring coaching mistakes from game three:

• Not double-teaming Kobe in the final minute.
• Only playing Leon Powe six minutes.
• Playing Sam Cassell at all.
• Not force-feeding the ball to K.G. in the post.

We'll start with the most inexcusable error: allowing Ray Allen to cover Kobe one on one in the final minute. What is the theory behind that? Has Doc watched a single playoff game this year? If Kobe has a chance to put a team away in the final minutes of a game, he will. He's done it no less than seven times (off memory alone) in this postseason alone.

In the two possessions before Kobe's game-clinching baskets, the Celtics double-teamed Bryant as soon as he crossed half court. Both times, he passed immediately, one resulting in a terrible shot by Sasha Vujacic, the other a three-pointer in which the Lakers worked the ball well and Vujacic still had to knock down the shot with a hand in his face.

It was obvious what the Lakers were going to do if the Celtics double-teamed: get the ball to Lamar Odom in the middle of the floor. In the previous two double-team possessions, the Lakers had executed properly once, or 50% of the time.

Basically, what Rivers was saying is that he'd rather take his chances with Kobe going right at Ray Allen with no help than to take the ball out of his hands. Honestly, how often would you expect Kobe score in that situation? 85%? 90%? He never comes up empty in spots like that. Never. Ask San Antonio. Or Utah. Or Denver.

Doc had a chance to force the Lakers into two situations: one where they have a 50% chance of converting, one where they have about a 90% chance. He chose the latter.

Late-game strategy wasn't the only area where Doc was lost. His rotation was also a mess.

Leon Powe played the game of his life in Game 2. He scored 21 points in 15 minutes. Check out the excerpt form my NBA Finals preview:

"Y — Youth. Just like "next," youth can play a huge role in an NBA finals. "Next" is all about who is taking the leap, but youth can be about what young player finally pops up and shows his team he is ready to play. Think Tayshaun Prince, Josh Howard, or Stephen Jackson-type performances in recent NBA Finals. Those guys may not have been ready to carry a team, but they were able to step up and make big plays in big games and force their way into the forefront for their respective teams."

That completely describes Leon Powe's performance in Game 2. He was the young role player who comes out of nowhere and completely changes the series. There is one in every finals. Game 2 was Leon Powe's coming out party.

So how does Doc reward him? By burying him deep on the bench and playing Powe only six minutes in game three. Six minutes?! Could he have done any more damage to his confidence last night? I imagine the conversation Doc had with Powe before game three went something like this:

"Leon, you were great in Game 2. You gave us the energy and a spark off the bench we really needed. You kept making impact plays and swinging the momentum in our favor. Great job. Unfortunately, I won't be able to give you a single opportunity to repeat all those great things you did for us in Game 2. Not even if K.G. and Paul go a combined 8-for-35. I just can't. You understand, right?"

Good luck trying to get any production out of him for the rest of the series.

Unfortunately for the Lakers, Doc also remembered that Eddie House is still on the team. Maybe Rivers got as tired of Cassell's act as everyone else and just said, "Screw it, let's see what Eddie can do." And even though House's shot was off (to be expected since he had played all of 11 seconds in the past four games), the Celtics showed their only signs of life when he was in the game in the third quarter.

You know what that means: Sam Cassell will be the first Celtic off the bench in Game 4, taking shots that Ricky Davis wouldn't even dream of and talking trash to the guy who sits next to the Laker bench and claps with his program some more, while Eddie House does his "good teammate" routine and encourages his team even though he no doubt has to be furious that he's not playing.

It's one thing to not play the right players, but it's another to mismanage the ones who are playing. Doc had no trouble doing either last night. K.G. came out and couldn't buy a jumpshot in the first half, but it wasn't until about halfway through the third quarter that the Celtics finally cleared out for him on the block. He scored on two consecutive post plays.

Even if Garnett was 5-5 in the first quarter instead of 0-5, you still have to run through him in the post. It is inexcusable to allow almost 30 minutes go by before you exploit the biggest mismatch your team has offensively.

As bad as Rivers handled Game 3, Celtics fans need not panic. Despite all the shortcomings of your head coach, you still lead 2-1. You have two more games in L.A. to steal one and pretty much wrap up the series by only needing to take one of the two remaining homes games you have left. You are still in the driver seat.

Unless Pierce keeps going 2-of-14. Then you're screwed. (You know I couldn't go the entire column without taking a cheap shot at the Wheelchair Basketball Champion).