You have the ball in a tie game with 5.2 seconds left coming out of a timeout. Your options should be win or go to overtime. As a coach there is no way you should lose the game. If your team loses the game in regulation it should be completely put on your shoulders.
I'm not going to kill him for either of the failed decisions but the results are what matters. I understand giving the ball to Pierce on the final possession, I don't like it, but I understand it. He's the 'clutch' guy, apparently he's the man for the final second. He had an off night and probably wasn't the best option but I'll get over the decision to give him the shot. However, not instructing him to take his dumb fade away jumper when there was under a second in regulation was completely idiotic.
The next decision to put in Tony Allen was questionable but not terrible. House isn't a good defender and Rondo was getting abused downlow by Billups, so putting in the athletic Allen was not a bad move. However, you as a coach have to know that he is completely overaggressive and that Billups and Rip are two of the masters of the pump fake and rub. In the huddle you should emphasize not biting on any pump fakes, especially to Ray, who's smart enough to know better in the closing seconds, and Tony who were guarding the likely culprits.
Both decisions were bad but not terrible, but the end result is completely Docs fault and reminded me of the days which seem long ago where I wouldn't have minded if his head was on a platter.
Comments
Also as tmags said - the pressure defense was the run Detroit needed...all the Celts needed was SOMEONE to dribble...