Re: So This Is What We Waited 3 Months For?

["KK" <Kestutis.Kveraga@Dartmouth.EDU>]

----------
>From: Mister Ghost <mister_ghost@yahoo.com>
>To: celtics@igtc.com
>Subject: So This Is What We Waited 3 Months For?
>Date: Fri, Feb 5, 1999, 22:48
>

> These are a few of my least favorite things:
>
> - Toni Battie at center.  The guy's a small
> forward for Pete's sake.

Riley is a much better choice right now - and he is still out of shape. What
an excellent minimum-wage pickup. But Willis and Oakley are just too smart,
too strong, too experienced for both Battie and Riley - yet.
>
> - Ron Mercer playing.  What was the point?

Exactly. However, none of his replacements was any better last night.

> - Antoine taking a hundred shots again.

Disagree here. He shot 9-18, not a bad percentage, and most of the shots
were not forced. In the two games that I've seen him, Antoine seems much
more team-oriented, tries to find his shots within the offense (what little
of it there was last night), and generally appears to be more mature and
captain-like. I'm very encouraged by this change in the right direction
after signing the extension.
>
> - Pierce, the best Celtics player since Larry
> Bird not taking a hundred shots.

Well, he only took 4 fewer shots than Walker (7-14). But yes, the guy is
amazing. While I've only seen him for two games, I'll grant that Warwick may
be on to something with his bold prediction. 19 pts., 50% shooting on 2s and
3s, 9 rebounds, 5 assists, 4 blocks, 2 steals and only 1 turnover! And he
only  turned it on in the 2nd half, when it was clear that nobody else was
going to carry the Celtics.

> - Celtics woefull interior defense.

see above

>
> - The shooting of Bowen, McCarty, and Minor.
>
> - The fact that Pitino wasn't serious about
> having this Celtic team make the playoffs.
> If he was, he would have used some of the
> Celtics exceptions and signed the Jimmy Jackson
> type of players.

I doubt that he "wasn't serious". It's probably just the best he could do
without forcing things too much. I'd rather he stay on the conservative side
until we have a bit more time to evaluate what we really have here. I
definitely did not want to see a repeat of his first summer/fall here -
signing a bunch of mediocre players to fairly substantial contracts, as if,
to paraphrase LB, a large contract could transform a role player into a
star.
>
> - Kenny Anderson not passing to open men, taking
> his own shot first.

I was very disappointed with Kenny and thought he was the primary reason the
Celtic offense wasn't working. I was surprised to see he had 7 assists -
other that the first 5 minutes or so, he seemed way too selfish to collect
that many.
>
> Maybe Jackie MacMullan wass right.  Oh well,
> Lamar Odom is looking good at the moment.

I don't think we should very disappointed after this schooling. As losses
go, this was an excellent one because of its didactic value and timing. IMO,
it would have been far less useful for them to beat a clueless Toronto for
the third straight time and gain a false sense of accomplishment.
Besides, Popeye and DCq didn't play, a whole bunch of players had a bad
game, Toronto was seriously PO'd about the two blowouts etc. etc. Tonight
should be different.