Re: Thoughts on K. Anderson

[Dan Forant Sr <dforant1@nycap.rr.com>]

 Now Kenny is having marriage problems it seems. So he had problems
distributing the ball because of all the money he will have to fork over,
was on his mind. What happens this season if he doesn't get his birthday
wish, or the cleaners shrink his suit, or the airlines lose his
baggage................................etc. So Kenny comes in out of shape.
So the team has to suffer because he is lazy, overpaid, and unmotivated.
Ship Kenny off to the Knicks so they can get Patrick his ring. He is not a
Boston type player, the Mystique and all that. Kenny was always about Kenny.

jahill@leasingservice.com
At 04:04 PM 6/28/99 -0400, you wrote:
>Giving a different insight (my own) to the Anderson dilemma my start a
>flame war against me but here goes.......
>
>Anderson came in two seasons ago and made positive impact.  Last season
>was a disaster.  It was a disaster for most players on the team and IMO,
>the Coach, I think we could all agree.
>
>Anderson started the season out of condition as did all the players
>except 2-3.
>
>He is/was going through a (by all reports) a nasty divorce which is
>quite mentally debilitating.  There is very little positive personal
>improvement while entangled in this country's legal system dealing with
>judges, lawyers and court personal who all have their own agenda.  Which
>typically is based on only their own particular need. (This is a
>sweeping statement not meant to malign any individual on this list.  How
>bad could "you" be if you bleed Green?)
>
>I think that Anderson simply coasted this past season.  As did many of
>the players. The designated vs. earned, team leader was anything but,
>until the end of the season.  The Rook was good until the injury, but
>nobody played well consistently through out the season. (Maybe Barros
>did)
>I personally thought they were poorly coached as well.
>
>I still think there was a lot of discontent between the players because
>of poor shot selection/ball hogging by a number of players.  There
>wasn't a common team cohesiveness throughout the season.
>
>There appeared to me, many times, that the players just did their own
>thing because they didn't like what the other players were doing, or not
>doing.  As in "Well I may as well shoot it, that player just missed his
>last 3 shots and wouldn't pass it to me when I was open."
>
>This style of play has to stop.  With a focused Anderson and teammates
>that are in shape and where they need to be on the floor, when their
>supposed to be and rotating as their supposed to we'll see a team of
>skilled players winning the games they should and looking like they
>deserve to be playing NBA ball in the ones they lose.
>
>This can be an exciting team to watch.  Anderson didn't forget how to
>play point, his mind was on his divorce and "hey no one else was trying
>hard" (My qoutes).  With him and his teammates in playing shape,
>mentally and physically, I think we'll see the Anderson from those
>couple months 2 seasons ago (hopefully minus the injury).
>
>I wouldn't object to starting the season with this same team if they all
>come to play team basketball, together!
>
>Anderson may not be an all star point for the rest of his career, but
>neither will most anyone at point in the draft this year that we could
>get without giving up all the "potential" players the team currently
>has.  And anybody we could trade for at point isn't any less of a gamble
>then Anderson or never was as good as he has shown he can be.  That
>isn't to say we couldn't get an upgrade at the point, but at what
>expense?
>
>Now if even 1 player shows up out of shape or has not worked on their
>free throws or whatever was needed to improve their game, I'd send them
>home the first day of camp with instructions to call their agent and
>find a trade the team would be interested in. Before they get "hurt" and
>we have another PE on the team.  This year I wouldn't take any excuses
>for anything less then full effort.  A bad pass, a poor shot I can live
>with.  Lack of effort will get the whole team booed this coming season,
>IMO.
>
>Pitino has put the pressure on the players to win together with his
>prediction of being in the playoff's this coming season.  Barring
>injuries, if they don't, heads will roll.  If they do, it won't matter
>who opts out as a free agent because they will be able to attract the
>right replacements/trades.
>
>I think Anderson gives a better shot at making the playoff's this year
>then a rookie.  With the salary cap and luxury "tax" that P. Riley
>referred to in an another post, a lot of teams will need to go younger
>in the next couple years as our 22-25 year olds are hitting the
>beginning of their prime.  The disgruntled veterans who were left out of
>the big money sweepstakes will want to play for a ring.  The Celt's can
>get a point of the future in the next 3 years.  The real question, IMO,
>is the 4 of the future.
>
><Jim