Scoring distribution

[Alex Wang <awang@mit.edu>]

It might be interesting to look at the positions of the top scorers 
of the contending teams:

Indiana: Miller (SG, 19.6), Smits (C, 17.2), Mullin (SF, 11.8)
Chicago: Jordan (SG, 29.3), Pippen (SF, 17.8), Kukoc (F, 13.4)
Atlanta: Smith (SG, 20.5), Laettner (PF, 15.6), Mutombo (C, 14.2)
Miami: Hardaway (PG, 18.4), Mourning (C, 15.6), Mashburn (SF, 14.9)
Seattle: Baker (PF, 19.7), Payton (PG, 19.4), Schrempf (SF, 16.1)
Lakers: O'Neal (C, 27.3), Jones (SG, 18.0), Bryant (SF, 17.1)
Utah: Malone (PF, 25.5), Hornacek (SG, 14.7), Stockton (PG, 12.7)
San Antonio: Robinson (C, 22.8), Duncan (PF, 17.8), Johnson (PG, 10.0)

Conclusions: With few exceptions, the top teams all have prominent
(and many times dominant) inside scorers. The exception is Chicago
which can do without due to Jordan. In fact even Chicago runs several
successful post-up plays a game for Longley.

Also, you need about two good scorers that give you 16-20+ pts each,
and a decent third option. Right now for the Celtics, Walker will
give 20+, Mercer can probably push his average to 16+, and Billups
would be the third option. Unfortunately most of those points would be
off low-percentage jump shots.

The present personnel that the Celtics have could probably win 50 games 
in a future season (assuming that Walker, Mercer, Billups continue to
improve) but there's very little championship hopes due to the lack of 
interior defense and scoring. When Walker is made to sit in the low 
post all game he's not at his most effective - he can't overpower 
the better defensive PF's inside. It's also tougher for him to use his
passing skills from there.

Alex