RE: who is your Celtic 97-98 MVP?

[jmc@ptc.com (Jonathan McIntyre)]

> Walker is of course our best player and team MVP otherwise...

I would argue that Ron Mercer has now taken over as best player on 
the Celtics.  Antoine does get more rebounds, and a few more points, 
but his scoring efficiency seems lower.  He takes easy plays and makes 
them hard, and often throws the ball away on offense, although he's 
still the only guy on the team with low post moves.  Andrew Declerq is 
beginning to develop some low post moves, but has a long way to go, though he
learns fast so I'm confident he'll be a real force after a summer of working
on things.  Ron Mercer takes hard plays and makes them look easy, is getting
more assists recently, and rarely is careless with the basketball.  Overall
he's more in control of himself than Antoine is, and is already better at 
deciding when he can safely drive to the basket without getting stripped, and 
when he should pull up for the shot, or pass to a teammate. 

> I vote Andrew D!!!!
...
> Who is everyone elses MVP?

Last night Fox did a "spotlight" on Andrew Declerq, and he didn't disappoint. 
Right from the start, he won the opening tip, then drove the lane 3 seconds 
later for the dunk on an Anderson feed.  The next play he made a great pass 
to McCarty (I think) underneath for an assist.  4-0 Celtics in less than a minute. 

But who would I vote for? 

If you allow a vote for any player currently playing on the team, no matter 
how much of the season they played, I'd argue for Kenny Anderson.  Not counting 
the Detroit game in which he played just 9 minutes so his impact was inconclusive, 
since coming to the Celtics, they've been 8-4 with Anderson in, and 2-7 with him
out due to injury.  The schedule has been just as tough, if not tougher, in the 
games Anderson has played.  That's the definition of a "valuable" player.  One 
who's play leads to a much larger number of wins.  I truly believe if
he hadn't been out those 9 games, the Celtics would be right in the
middle of the playoff race, tied with Orlando for 10th right now. 

An award for "Most Improved" would definitely have to go to Declerq.

Jon Mc