Re: Losing

[j.hironaka@unesco.org]

Josh Ozersky wrote:

> It's obvious that we should be used to losing, but as
> Celtics fans we all basically believe that losing is
> something that doesn't happen to us.  But the loser
> mentality has infected this team, and even Paul Pierce
> is becoming part of it, whining about not getting his
> shots and so on. You guys are all way overreacting.
> some observations
>
> 1)  I'm beginning to think that Kenny Anderson is the
> cancer on this team.  He clearly has little interest in
> defense, and he is a ball-hog on offense.  I am through
> with defending him.

I guess I personally feel KA ought to keep taking that 18 foot shot from
the key if the defense keeps daring him to. It's his job IMO to keep the
defense honest, and it's not like he's forcing shots over in-your-face
defenders. Frankly once you're in a half-court set, it's usually the job
of others (not the point guard) to execute an inlet pass to big men
and/or to cutters.

The thing KA clearly fails to do consistently IMHO is create good looks
for his teammates by attacking a second defender with his dribble
penetration. Maybe he's not supposed to. It's a total mystery to me. I
just don't know what the heck to make of our "system".


> 2)  If Pitino trades, Mercer will be the one to go.  He
> will burn us when we play him, but he is the only
> really disposable member of the trio.  It would be
> insanity to trade Pierce, even more than Antoine.  I'm
> glad the deadline is past, because Pitino is in a crazy
> mood now and who can blame him.

In his quotes, Pitino cited Mercer, Battie and Vitaly as the guys
willing to work hard. Then again, this could just be "Pitinochio-speak"
to build trade value. I don't want to sound anti-Mercer, but he is the
guy I somehow most associate with the recent poor defense that allows a
guy to whiz past you for a layup. Of course he's surely not the only one
and it's not an easy assignment to guard the likes of a Reg Miller,
Sprewell etc...

It's fascinating to speculate which culprits last night's game video
will reveal. For example, how does a guy like Ringo get five dunks in a
game against a team that is all too familiar with his game? In general,
I think Walker and/or Pierce are going to prove to be the
culprits/scapegoats. If they pick up their games between now and the end
of the year, everything will likely be forgiven/forgotten.

> 3)  For years, we felt that younger, more athletic
> teams would roll over for us in their selfishness and
> stupidity, and they did.  Now we are doing it for the
> Cavs of the world.  There is a major
> chemistry/mentality problem here.

Yeah, I've also come around to the view (thanks to reading this list)
that this whole "youth" excuse is specious. For example, the 1981
Championship was built around a 24-year-old front line of Bird, Maxwell
and McHale.

> 4) Pitino is not at fault for this.  I know some of you
> want to pretend that he is Jerry Tarkanian, but we all
> know better.  He is as mystified and angry and freaked
> out by this as we are.

I give him credit for taking some of the blame, and I feel bad for him.
As Tom observed, he's in the same boat that "Fried Calipari" (thanks,
Jim M) was in with the Nyets last month. I hope they'll get out of this
rut as mysteriously as they fell into it.


> 5)  I wish Cousy could do a few home games.  It seems
> so display such awful basketball before his cold
> critical eye.
>
> 6) I wondered who pitino was referring to when he said,
> no more "if i can get my points I'll play defense." Was
> it Pierce?

Just wondering, do you (or someone else) have any evidence/recollections
that point the finger at "Meadowlark" Pierce in particular?

BTW, when I read Pitino's quote about getting better defense from CBA
players, I thought to myself: "while you're at it, how about getting a
better offense than a CBA team?"  :-)

Joe

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