RE: Defense starts at the point

["Sampath, Venkatesh" <Venkatesh.Sampath@microcell.ca>]

I don't see that attitude prevailing (we must trade player X) right now
in the Celtics' camp. The attitude I do see prevailing is that the coach
wants the players to perform to their potential. How he sets about doing
it is obviously open to comments, but Pitino has his method and he is
sticking to it. I take some comfort from the fact that other teams are
not performing to their potential as well (the Nets), while others have
far exceeded expectations (the Magic and the Blazers). 
The problem, and perhaps I am oversimplifying the case, seems to be a
loss of confidence on the part of Walker and Pierce and a coach who is
impatient in trying to deal with this loss of confidence. Players do get
into a blue funk for no apparent reason; they'll get out of it given
time. But while they are down, encourage them to get up, don't yell. 

venkat

>----------
>From: 	Thomas Murphy[SMTP:tfmiii@worldnet.att.net]
>Sent: 	Thursday, March 25, 1999 10:59 AM
>To: 	Josh Ozersky; Celtic list
>Subject: 	Re: Defense starts at the point
>
>Josh,
>
>Yeah, that was pretty off-the-wall, huh? But then Kenny for Ward is pretty
>much a stinker too. 
>
>I guess its more a commentary on how NOT to try and conduct trades - just
>trying to trade someone simply for the sake of trading them. That's how we
>lost Eric Williams in exchange for a pair of socks and an ice-cream cone.
>And that's how Dallas melted down after they hired their resident genius,
>Don Nelson. 
>
>I just don't see us getting equal value if the Cs set out over the summer
>with an agenda of "we must trade player X" whether that player is Kenny or
>Antoine or whomever - particularly if the coaching staff is just going to
>tank this season. Unfortunately, I fear that that is precisely the attitude
>that is taking shape at the Fleetcenter. We have to be patient, and more
>importantly, we have to get things to work with the people we DO have right
>now.
>
>You've been a voice of sanity in the past regarding the value of holding
>onto one's proven assets - or at least getting equal value. Let's hope that
>kind of thinking doesn't vanish in the hysteria currently surrounding the
>Cs.
>
>Best wishes -TomM
>
>
>PS. Dallas sent their 1st round pick UNPROTECTED to Phoenix this year in
>the Steve Nash trade (BTW it's not just us, apparently Nash was booed at
>home last night). Whatever might be cooking with Dallas on the trade front
>cannot involve their #1 for this year.
>----------
>> From: Josh Ozersky <josh_ozersky@yahoo.com>
>> To: Thomas Murphy <tfmiii@worldnet.att.net>; Celtic list
><celtics@igtc.com>
>> Subject: Re: Defense starts at the point
>> Date: Thursday, March 25, 1999 9:37 AM
>> 
>> This is insane.  Things must be dire indeed when Tom
>> Murphy starts proposing we trade Antoine Walker for
>> Toni Kukoc and Randy Brown.  I do agree about needing
>> defense at the point, though.  Still, you can't go by
>> this season.  Kenny is still a premier passer on a
>> running team.  I'm not giving up.
>> 
>> 
>> --- Thomas Murphy  wrote:
>> > Defense starts at the point
>> > 
>> > After last night's debacle in Cleveland, there seems
>> > to be a growing
>> > consensus that many if not most of the team's
>> > problems start at the top.
>> > Unfortunately there's not much that can be done
>> about
>> > that. Remember how
>> > long it took to get rid of M. L.? I expect that
>> > Pitino will be calling the
>> > shots for a long time to come. 
>> > 
>> > We can, however, speculate on what "El Presidente"
>> > may be planning for the
>> > summer, for he assuredly will not be looking to make
>> > the play-offs with the
>> > same crew next year. If what Michael Holley is
>> > reported to have said Monday
>> > is an accurate representation of Pitino's state of
>> > mind (which has been
>> > known to change in mercurial fashion) then Boston
>> > will be shopping for a
>> > point guard over the summer. I presume he will be
>> > looking for a "defense
>> > first" type of point guard. Say what you will about
>> > Chauncey Billups, he
>> > seemed to be a pretty tough defender. 
>> > 
>> > There is not much to be had out in the market. I'm
>> > sure that L.A. would be
>> > pleased to send us Derek Fisher and who knows who
>> > else to secure Kenny
>> > Anderson, but I find it hard to get excited about
>> > Fisher or about helping
>> > secure L.A. a world championship. Hasn't Charlotte
>> > already done enough?
>> > Lloyd Daniels would certainly be available, but
>> isn't
>> > he the chump we
>> > passed on in taking Billups? Utah might be convinced
>> > to part with Jacque
>> > Vaughn, a player who coming out of Kansas certainly
>> > had the reputation of
>> > an old-school pass-first, shoot-second playmaker.
>> > However, other than
>> > practicing against John Stockton (not to be
>> > underrated) or Howard Eisley,
>> > his pro experience could fit inside a thimble. The
>> > Nuggets' Corey
>> > Alexander? He showed us that he can certainly shoot
>> > the three a few weeks
>> > ago, but is he the defensive stopper Pitino wants?
>> > And what would Denver do
>> > with Kenny Anderson AND Nick Van Exel? The Magic's
>> > Darrell Armstrong would
>> > be a wonderful fit, but not only has he been the
>> > sixth man, he's also been
>> > the Magic's MVP this year and I don't think that
>> > they'd be inclined to part
>> > with him.
>> > 
>> > That leaves a couple of options I haven't discussed
>> > yet. The Knicks have
>> > been looking to shore up their point for a long time
>> > now and I'm sure
>> > they'd love to get their hands on hometown boy Kenny
>> > Anderson. Not only
>> > would it be a P.R. coup after the Marbury trade, but
>> > many of Kenny's
>> > defensive deficiencies would be covered up by the
>> > shot-blocking of Ewing
>> > and Camby. The Knicks run a pretty traditional pro
>> > offense so that should
>> > prove to be no problem for Kenny. Of the Knicks
>> > current two point guards
>> > Charlie Ward is far more attractive than Chris
>> > Childs: Ward is younger (27
>> > versus 30 years), more consistent, more rugged (a
>> > former Heisman don't
>> > forget), and defensively the more aggressive. His
>> new
>> > contract calls for
>> > $28 million over 5 years, so salary-wise he and
>> Kenny
>> > are very close. How
>> > would a straight swap grab ya? Ward is a bit taller
>> > than Kenny (6'2") and
>> > not nearly as creative, but Kenny's creativity seems
>> > wasted in Pitino's
>> > "offense" (I use the term loosely). I'm sure the
>> > Knicks could be convinced
>> > to toss in a draft pick or two, seeing as Ewing only
>> > has a few years left.
>> > Realistically, this may prove Boston's best bet for
>> > upgrading the point
>> > defense.
>> > 
>> > Another option would involve the Chicago Bulls.
>> Randy
>> > Brown has been their
>> > starter all year. Although he probably should not be
>> > a starter on a good
>> > team (he's never had more than 8 assists in a game
>> > his entire career) he'd
>> > be fabulous coming of the bench with the bomb squad.
>> > Brown is a bit older
>> > (30 by next season) and a bit taller than Kenny at
>> > 6'2" and has one more
>> > year on a contract that pays roughly $1.5 million.
>> > Prying him from the
>> > Bulls might be a problem, but I'm sure Krause would
>> > listen to a package
>> > deal in which the key components would be Walker for
>> > Brown and Kukoc. Now,
>> > I know that Walker-knockers would be happy just to
>> > move Walker, thinking it
>> > would be addition by subtraction. For those of you
>> > who feel otherwise feel
>> > free to insert either Pierce or Mercer for Walker
>> > above. The Cs would
>> > obtain Kukoc with the intention of packaging him off
>> > to a third team that
>> > could use a veteran SF who can pass with the best
>> and
>> > fill it up. My own
>> > preference would be to send Kukoc ($4.6 mil) and
>> > either Barros ($3.5 mil)
>> > or Minor ($2.5 mil) for Brian Grant ($6 mil) and
>> > Carlos Rodgers ($2 mil and
>> > currently stashed on the IR) - but then I'm cuckoo
>> > for Grant, who I see as
>> > the next decade's Charles Oakley. I'm just dreaming
>> > now, but let me finish:
>> > the Cs starting five - C  Vitaly Potapenko, PF Brian
>> > Grant, SF Paul Pierce,
>> > SG Ron Mercer, PG Charlie Ward; the Bomb Squad - C/F
>> > Tony Battie, C/F
>> > Carlos Rodgers (Two fab shot-blockers), SF Walter
>> > McCarty, SG Bruce Bowen,
>> > PG Randy Brown. 
>> > 
>> > All of this is of course highly doubtful. 
>> > 
>> > It would seem that the best option for obtaining
>> > hard-nosed defender short
>> > of a "CBA discovery" (isn't that why Chris Wallace
>> is
>> > around?) would seem
>> > to be Anderson for Ward.
>> > 
>> > -Tom Murphy
>> > 
>> > 
>> 
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