Re: NRe: Great Game

[Josh Ozersky <josh_ozersky@yahoo.com>]

The reason I think Antoine didn't fake is that he didn't see Davis
coming.  I wonder if Pierce would have made that shot?   (Although
Antoine is bad about going up against shot blockers w/o faking).  Has
this been Antoine's worst nightmare of a road trip, or what?  He lost
the Detroit game, he's blowing layups, free throws, getting rejected,
dribbling the ball away.  I think this is the year he learns he can't
depend on his talent.  He has to work like everybody else -- and by
that I mean drills and practice and weight training, not just
playground ball.




---Joe Hironaka  wrote:
>
> Hi Mishra:
> 
> Yes, I also hoped for a timeout from Pitino in the last 30 seconds
of the
> Indiana game, not only to set a play but to calm everyone down. I
had a sure
> feeling that even a veteran team would have rushed the shot and
blown it (in
> this case Antoine getting stuffed by Davis).
> 
> Additionally, Antoine could have had an uncontested dunk or layup
off that pass
> if only he applied his court sense. In a similar situation, both
Bird and McHale
> would have thrown the head fake and sent Davis flying out of the
picture. I
> actually think both guys would have instinctively used that fake
even back when
> they were rookies. I don't know if this is a question of innate
"court sense" or
> simply a matter of teaching young Walker to employ an occasional
head fake. It
> makes me wonder, though! Of course, maybe Antoine simply avoids the
head fake
> out of a (rational) fear that road refs won't EVER call that sort of
foul in his
> favor, even if the defender comes crashing down on him on his way up.
> 
> BTW, I was also upset about Pitino's delay in sending a well-rested
Vitaly back
> in to defend the Dutchboy in the Paint halfway through the fourth.
By the time
> Vitaly re-entered the game, Smits was already in a zone from
pummeling Eric
> Riley throughout that period. Remember that from midway through the
first
> quarter onwards, Dutchboy was virtually invisible thanks to the
Train's
> excellent defensive effort entirely without the aid of a double
team. Indiana's
> shooters IMO really exploited our pathetic double teams in the
fourth, caused by
> our weak interior defense.
> 
> Additionally, I think the Ukraine Train did a good job of boxing out
in both the
> Detroit and Indiana games. Thus even if the guy never approaches his
10rpg cash
> incentives (no reason to think he will), he will still help overall
team
> rebounding just by consistently sealing off one-third of the paint.
Judging by
> his hustling attitude so far and his fluid/quick offensive movement
(not
> necessarily polished), Vitaly may be just as productive (for at
least 6 years to
> come) at about half the cost of Philly's starting center. In the
end, if it's
> really a center that we're after then IMO we are better off with
Vitaly than a
> 1999 lottery pick (even assuming the draft is strong at OTHER
positions).
> Besides, we're going to the playoffs this year.
> 
> The one silver lining of the Indiana game is that Bird's boys gave
me a clear
> impression they can clobber the immature LA Flakers if they meet in
the finals.
> What a methodical yet devastating fourth quarter comeback! They made
it look so
> easy and inevitable.
> 
> Also, when they zoomed in on AW walking dejectedly off the court,
you could see
> he looked like he was near tears (am I exaggerating?). That image
surprised me
> because up to that moment I was kind of satisfied to see that the
Celts had at
> least made a game of it. That showed me (once again) that this team
is NEVER
> going to get used to losing. Next year we won't lose games like this
one. I'm
> sure of it.
> 
> ****
> skmishra wrote:
> 
> > I think you are right, and it appears that the team was trying too
hard in
> > the fourth quarter. They missed some very easy shots. I was
wondering with
> > 36 seconds left and Indiana up by 2, why didn't Pitino call a
time-out to
> > put in a set play..were we out of time-outs ? Great game though. -
Mishra
> 
> 

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