Offensive/defensive players

["Greg Odegaard" <gmodegaa@longvred.rmc.com>]

I don't think it is fair to call DQ's performance in a blowout like this
pathetic.  The team has a whole played pathetic.  Also to say DQ has no
business starting with his poor offensive skills, misses the bigger
picture.  Many great teams won championships without 5 scorers in the
starting lineup.  Non-scorers who were recognized as key or essential
performers on those teams.  Two that come to mind are Rodman on the current
Bulls championship run.  Yes they probably would have won anyway, as the
entire league as a whole has played way down to an overall diluted
expansion level. 

More notably is one Bill Russell.  He scored many points in many games, but
noone anywhere would have called him an offensive star.  He didn't need to
be with his HOF teammates.  I don't think it is too strong a statement to
make that the Celtics of the 60's might have not won but 7, 8, or 9 titles
instead of the 11 they did, if it were not for Bill Russells near total
domination of the defensive end of the game.  The Celtics of this era won
many many games and series in the last minute or seventh game of a series
on the strength of the team defense, anchored by Big Bill Russell.  His,
along with Wilt's, rebound stats boggle the mind when compared to the
All-Star stats of recent folks getting to or above 15 rpm.  They guys
routinely had 30 or more.
And if they had kept track of blocked shots, his would be a record noone
would likely touch.

Paul I agree more less with your premise hear, regarding DQ's role
longterm, and the possible benefit of having Geiger (no doubt he is better
than DQ and maybe DQ and Knight combined), but who among us would pass up
the resurrection of a 90's version of Bill Russell to lead this current
Celtic team to at least a half dozen championships over the next 15 years. 
WITHOUT  him ever being an offensive threat.  

Now back to your regularly schedule 90's version Celtics programming,

Rafters Baby (thanks to Bill, Bob, Tommy, Satch, the Jones Boys, Red
(both), Hondo, LB, Chief, etc.),
Greg

----------
> From: damekmo@teleport.com
> To: celtics@igtc.COM
> Subject: Re: positions
> Date: Wednesday, April 01, 1998 8:30 AM
> Declercq played 23 minutes and made
> one shot. Does pathetic adequately describe that? The waiting is over,
> especially now that Mercer is blossoming into one of the best shooting
> guards in the league and Anderson is coming back for a full season.
Pitino
> says he wants another scoring forward and a center. Geiger is big,
strong,
> is a good defender, and has a much better low post game than Declercq.
He's
> better than Declercq period. Declercq has no business playing 23 minutes
/
> starting in the NBA with his offensive skills. Put Geiger and another
> scoring forward on a team with Walker, Mercer and Anderson, and the
Celtics
> go 53-29 next year. Is Geiger worth 7 mil? Eldon Campbell gets 7 mil. and
> makes zero difference on his team. Geiger might make a world of
difference
> to the Celtics. 7 mil. might not be a bad deal for the team.
> 
> Paul M.
> 
> ps. Agree on Ratliff.... might be too "small."
>