Re: what a winner takes? (LONG)

[bocelts@scsn.net (R. Bentz Kirby)]

Do you mean as in a team that can win a championship?  I believe there are
several ingridents but one is a complete intangible.  You have to have some of
the best players:

Celtics:  Russell, Cousy, Joneses etc.
Celtics:  Cowens, Jo Jo, Havlicek
Celtics:  Bird, Parish, McHale
76ers:    Malone, Dr. J, Bobby Jones
Lakers:  Kareem, Worthy, Magic
Bulls:     MJ and  Pippen (with the league being watered down, it doesn't take
but two now, when it used to take three!
Knicks:  Frazier, DeBuscher (sp), Reed, Monroe
Bullets:  Monroe, Dandridge, Unseld

So, it takes a core group.  On this Celtic team there are three players that
can rise to that level physically, Walker, Anderson, and Mercer.  But none of
them are there yet.

Second, you have to have damn good role players that can step up big time when
needed:

Bulls:  Paxson, Kerr, Longly, Perdue
Celtics:  Howell, Silas, Nelson, Cornbread Maxwell, Walton, Havlicek when he
first came up
Knicks:  Phil Jackson and Bill Bradley
Lakers:  Gail Goodrich, Michael Cooper, Kurt Rambis
etc.

Third, you have to have some of the best defenders in the game to shut down
somebody on the other team:

Bulls:  Jordan and Pippen
Celtics:  Duck Chaney on Oscar, DJ on anybody including Magic, Havlicek,
Lakers:  Michael Cooper
Pistons:  Dumars, Rodman, and Zeke
etc.

You have to have a clutch player:

Celtics:  Russell, Havlicek and Bird
Bulls:  Jordan
Lakers:  Kareem and Magic
76ers:  Dr J
Knicks:  Clyde the Glide
Bullets:  Unseld and Earl the Pearl
etc.

You have to have less talented players that blend their game to the team to
know that they can win.  This is where Jackson excells.

Bulls:  Brian Williams last year played for league minimum.
Celtics:  Schting (sp?), Klein, ML Carr
etc.

Seventh, the players have to be absolutely focused on their goal with no fear
and willing to sacrifice.

Eighth, the intangible, learning how to win.  If Utah would have known how to
win, they would have killed the Bulls last year.  Magic used to say that evey
year when the Celtics beat the Pistons, Zeke would be after Magic to teach him
what he had to do to win.  Walker clearly does not know what it takes to rise
to this level yet.  Michael had to learn, they all do.  Look at Philly, they
had to get rid of one of the games most talented players, George McGuiness to
win.  Why, McGuines was a selfish player who disrupted the flow of the team.
This can be learned, but it can not be taught.  I think Mercer will learn.  I
am keeping an open mind about Walker and Anderson.  I am afraid they may be
too selfish to learn that it is about making the team better.  Look, at
Jordan, many of their crucial games have been won by him hitting Scottie on a
cut or Kerr or Paxson for the open jumper.  Others have been won by Jordan
with a man in his face.  How do you know when it is time to shoot and time to
pass?  If you learn and you have the rest, you win it all.  Zeke learned it,
these guys can too.  Will they, I don't know.  Not unless Falk stays out of
their business for sure.  This me first attitude and Garnett money thing is
going to destroy a lot of young players with potential, which is what Walker
is right now, a young player with potential.

That last quality is what it takes.


Thomas J. Titus wrote:

> we have some very knowledgeable fans on this line. how about some views as
> to what it takes to have a winning combination. thanks TT



--

Peace,

Bentz
bocelts@scsn.net
http://www.scsn.net/users/sclaw