Fw: March Madness, or Where did Paul Pierce go?

["Thomas Murphy" <tfmiii@worldnet.att.net>]

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> From: Thomas Murphy <tfmiii@worldnet.att.net>
> To: j.hironaka@unesco.org
> Subject: Re: March Madness, or Where did Paul Pierce go?
> Date: Wednesday, March 24, 1999 10:38 AM
> 
> Dear Joe,
> 
> Thanks for the kind words in your earlier letter. It is always nice to be
> appreciated, particularly when the appreciation comes from such an
> intelligent source.
> 
> Allow me address your earlier comments first. I agree with you that it
> would be a smart move to put Mercer and Pierce on different units, simply
> to insure that they both get into the flow of the game. Mercer would be a
> great addition to the second unit seeing as this is his fourth year with
> Coach P and he is so good in the open court. The only problem is that the
> second unit already has Minor and Bowen, but since it is a trapping unit
> perhaps that really doesn't matter. I think Battie would be a great
> addition to the starting five, because they currently lack a true PF,
> Battie's quickness would complement Potapenko's size, and because the kid
> is playing so damned well!!
> 
> I agree with you too that Coach P needs to install some basic offense.
> Where are the cutters to the hoop? the pick-and-rolls? the give-and-go's?
> Why is the offense typically four players watching one shoot? Those
coaches
> you name would have been having a field day - just the same way
Fratello's
> "young bloods" are getting it done. You don't hear Fratello griping about
> age, or lack of listening, or the need for veterans. Granted, he does
have
> Kemp, but he also had three rookie candidates for the all-rookie team
last
> year in addition to two 2nd year players manning the pivot. The current
> problems with the Cs are not going to be fixed by another quick trade.
You
> are right, the talent is there but it is not being properly utilized. The
> "system" has taken priority over winning, and that is a shame.
> 
> As to the numbers, I'd love to take credit for them but I'm too lazy
> (sane?) to crunch them myself. They are all available at
> http://www.cnnsi.com/basketball/nba/players/index.html for FREE! CNN/SI
has
> the most extensive numbers for players that I have found on the web. They
> will break them down by month, day and so forth. I was "lucky" that the
> current skid/Mercer's return began with the home loss to New Jersey on
> March 1st since it made the research all the easier. Now, if only getting
> the Cs competitive again were as easy. . . Unfortunately, the team is
> looking like the Nets did a few weeks back and that situation was also
not
> a question of talent or heart, but the coach's ego. Let's hope Pitino's
> intelligence saves us all from his ego, particularly where the "system"
is
> concerned.
> 
> Thanks for the comments! -TomM
> ----------
> > From: j.hironaka@unesco.org
> > To: Thomas Murphy <tfmiii@worldnet.att.net>
> > Subject: Re: March Madness, or Where did Paul Pierce go?
> > Date: Wednesday, March 24, 1999 5:18 AM
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > Thomas Murphy wrote:
> > 
> > > Mercer shot attempts: February - 93; March - 208
> > > Pierce shot attempts: February - 171; March - 85
> > >
> > > Note in addition that Mercer missed five full games in February while
> > > Pierce has only missed two in March and I think that one can better
> > > appreciate exactly where a good chunk of Pierce's production has
> gone....
> > 
> > Hi,
> > 
> > Do you crunch these numbers yourself? Where do you get them, if I may
> ask?  I'm
> > impressed with the way you instinctively turn to statistics to support
> your
> > conjectures, quite unlike "moi". Techie Alex Wang and KK from Dartmouth
> are
> > also like that. The rest of us just kind of rant and rave. :-)
> > 
> > Joe
> > 
> > ***