Re: Kenny and other thoughts

[Joe Hironaka <j.hironaka@unesco.org>]

Rohan Prashad wrote:

> I haven't commented on all the criticism on Kenny, because I haven't
> been able to watch a game until tonight.  Kenny looked really slow on
> both offense and defense in the first quarter, and looked like he got
> winded very quickly.  He did take too many shots, but that was mostly
> because guys weren't coming free off the picks, or not posting up with
> good position. He had no choice but to throw up a jumper. But the team
> still plays much better together when he's on the floor, and almost all
> of our runs come when he's in the game.  In the 2nd quarter and
> throughout the rest of the game I thought he played well and even did a
> good job on defense.  He finished with 20 pts. (mostly on FTs) and 7
> assists (even though he had two nice passes botched by Eric Riley and
> Minor).  He still handles the ball expertly, and is the best floor
> leader we've had since DJ.

Hi:

Sadly, I can't evaluate how poorly Kenny is playing and hustling until I get
the video, but you all have to love his attitude after the game, as reported
by Michael Holley:

''Hey, man,'' the point guard announced  near the entrance of the locker
room, ''this is a new era for the Celtics. This is the Pitino Era. We're
about to play some ball here (.....) I hope teams understand they are
playing the Boston Celtics. We are not the rebuilding Boston Celtics. When
we're on our game, we can do some damage. Look at the Pitino Era. We're not
going to be blown out by teams. Do teams know that? If they don't, they
better ask somebody.''  (Boston Globe)

As far as the desire to win goes, I think Celtics point guard Kenny Anderson
sounds A-okay.  "If they don't, they better ask somebody." You bet!

Hey, I love it.

Joe


p.s. It's nice to be able to check out the Boston Globe and finally
rediscover an in-depth, upbeat, human interest in the players and plays of
our '99 Celtics. IMO, we still have to read the occasional snide,
smarter-than-thou, dry-as-dust, sleep-inducing, smug cynicism of Peter May.
The fun part there is watching May scramble to cover his tracks after having
campaigned the entire off-season to dump Antoine Walker, even having gone so
far as to suggest that the PJ/Mashburn for Antoine trade would be a good
deal for Pitino to make.