RE: Billups slowly improving

[John Lyell <Jlyell@concentric.net>]

I agree with everyone and we will have to rely on Pitino & Wallace's 
 talent evaluation skills.  We all were amazed with the Knight, Massenberg, 
Declercq, and Bowen signings, but I am pretty happy with all their 
progress, especially Bowen at what we are paying him. But you must pull the 
trigger when the time is right.  ML stood pat when we could have gotten 
Rider for Dee Brown and now we are stuck with Brown, Barros, and Minor 3 
overpaid guards with little trade value. Dee Brown just looks lost out 
there and makes stupid rookie mistakes.


Phoenix just had too many guns tonight. Ceballos (still would love to see 
him on the Celtics) Mcdyess, & Robinson just eat us up. We got to see what 
a real point should do as Kidd and Nash continued topentrate anddsih off 
for easy baskets.  IMO Nash shows much more point guard skills than 
Billups, and would be an excellent floor leader for us.  Having trained 
under Johnson & Kidd he will eventually benefit someone.  Phoenix really 
needs a big man, I wonder if we could get Nash for Declercq in some 
package.  Andrew could help them inside.







I am sorry if I sounded as if I am cursing Billups or anyone.  I didn't.  I
won't.  Coz this is my fave team and I will support them on whatever they
would do as long as it's done for the good of the team and the fans.

Cecil, please understand that I am only just saying what I see for now 
about
this rookie of the Celts.  Everybody has his rights to say what he/she 
feels
about something or anybody.  I was only saying all the things Billups still
need to improve to be a better point guard.  I just think this is good coz
anybody would want to have someone say what he needs to improve on, yknow?
I mentioned he wasn't in the caliber of Marbury, Iverson and other points, 
I
only meant that he isn't that flashy and exiting as them.  He's a
contributor to the team and what's important is that he is effective
sometimes.  Everybody should admit that he's still inconsistent coz he's
young and raw and didn't play PG.  I know that!  All I am saying is that CB
has to see all his weaknesses and work on it so in the future he can be a
better PG.  I am not even saying that his playing SUCKS or he should be
traded, coz I hate to see his talent and potential go to other teams.  So,
in short, CB is really improving but still lacks a lot of things a PG 
should
have in him.  I'll just pray that he keeps playing hard and that in time he
would be THE CELTICS' NO.1 PG.
-----Original Message-----
From: Cecil Wright <nocw1@nsh.library.ns.ca>
To: John Lyell <Jlyell@concentric.net>
Cc: celtics@igtc.COM <celtics@igtc.COM>
Date: Wednesday, December 31, 1997 3:27 AM
Subject: RE: Billups slowly improving


>
>
>On Mon, 29 Dec 1997, John Lyell wrote:
>
>> I agree his play has improved, but he still does not show me the
instincts
>> of a real point.  On too many occasions where the lane is open he pulls
it
>> up instead of penetrating to the hoop or dishing it off to teammates.
Maybe
>> this will come in time, but didn't we say that with Barros & Brown ?
>>
>That is why we need to exercise patience.  Considering that he is
>adjusting to a position he didn't play at Colorado, I'm happy with the
>progress he's made up to this point.  There are negatives to be found in
>the play of each one of the Celtics which simply proves they're human,
>not machines.  I guess it bothers me a lot when the critics make their
>assessments at early stages of a career, because often times, the player
>is only a shell of himself at that stage.  I hope we don't make the same
>mistake with ANY of our young players.  Jaime makes a point that he's not
>exciting.  Good grief, if winning basketball games isn't exciting enough,
>something's wrong.
>
>I hear you when you say Billups is improving but...  Apparently his
>improvement is not acceptable entirely.  It seems as if you want
>"mistake-free" basketball and you're not going to get that from anyone.
>
>For instance, against the Lakers, during one series, he penetrated the
>lane, went up in the air, tried to dish to Walker who would've had an
>easy jam, but it was slapped away by the defender.  If he takes the shot
>and misses, he would be criticized.  But he is trying to help his team
>win and was thwarted by an alert defender.
>
>He also came down on a 3 on 2 break and when he got to the line he shot.
>Some will say that this was poor judgement but, in fact, when a guard
>gets to the line he SHOULD shoot, especially when the defenders lag off
>to cover the wingmen.  This prevents the chance to draw a charge and
>still gives a 3 on 2 rebounding opportunity.
>
>Nobody wants to see Boston win more than me.  I've been a fan since my
>first visit to the Garden in 1962.  This kid has intangibles right now,
>and in time, will show vast improvement in his areas of deficiency.
>
>1.  He's very young.
>
>2.  He's adapting to a new position.
>
>3.  He's playing defence in a system unlike anything he's ever seen.
>
>4.  His fellow teammates are relatively immature and raw also.
>
>Comparisons to other guards don't prove anything at this point unless you
>compare him to fellow rookies like Antonio Daniels, Knight and Vaughn.  He
>seems to have a healthy respect for Pitino and vice versa evidenced by
>the minutes he keeps receiving of late.  But the fact is he earns his
>PT.  He has done a credible job already on Iverson, Van Excel and
>Stoudamire, but never do I read anything about it.  It's a continuous
>situation of doubt regarding his tools as a player.  Once upon a time, a
>gifted defensive point guard was considered a jewel.  Here some of us are
>offering only pessimisms about a rookie who has played 27 games.
>Honestly, what rookies don't struggle for a while?
>
>Give Pitino a chance to work with this kid before we trade him away for a
>bag of marbles and a cheese-steak sandwich.
>
>Cecil
>