Re: Tommy is getting critical

["Berry, Mark S" <berrym@BATTELLE.ORG>]

Cecil wrote:

"I think his lack of a more impressive rebounding statline can be
attributedto the emergence of Adrian Griffin who has done a fine job as a
rebounder,as well as bringing an educated all-round game to the fore. It
appears thatthe stat driven will make a case based upon whatever stats they
want to use.Battie, to a small extent, and Pierce when healthy, would also
contribute onthe boards."

This is true, and I'll turn it around to make a point I've finally come to
believe this season: Antoine is a classic example of a guy who put up big
numbers on a terrible team because he was allowed to. 

We didn't have any reliable scorers, so he shot and scored a lot. We didn't
have any other rebounders, so he ended up with a lot of rebounds. Now, we
have other scorers and rebounders and Toine isn't getting the number of
shots he used to get. Unfortunately, his efficiency hasn't gone up. He isn't
taking better shots, just fewer. He isn't a 10-rebound a game player on a
good team. He is what he is: An inefficent 19 ppg, 6 rpg player who isn't
nearly as good as any of us thought he was. And he certainly isn't  worth
the maximum salary. (BTW, argue the merits of a Hughes trade if you will,
but Hughes is locked up for three seasons beyond this one at Pierce money.)

And, to answer Paul's question as to whether Toine has been selfish or
uncoachable this season: Whether he has or hasn't, the perception is there.
People see a guy jacking up 25 shots to get 20 points, hear about him
skipping voluntary minicamps and coming to camp out of shape and they form
their own opinion. Even the most ardent Toine supporters must admit,
employee No. 8 isn't going to get anyone's vote for Employee of the Month.

Mark