Re: Indiana game/random thoughts

[Alex Wang <awang@mit.edu>]

> - why did The Eraser play only 24 minutes? Was AG tired? Not playing a good
> enough D on Miller? 

Probably a combination of both. Griffin looks like he's in good condition
but playing 40 minutes the night before (and being the Celtics minute
leader for the season at that point) had to have an effect on him. Beyond
that Miller was really burning him. Cheaney was playing much better defense
on Miller than Griffin and was the only one not being lifted regularly
with Miller's upfakes. I think we have great expectations for Griffin 
after he did a good job on Carter, Howard, and Jones, but Miller's constant
motion and ability to use the slightest space created by screens was a bit
too much for him tonight. Let's face it though, when Miller is having a 
hot night, very few in the NBA can stop him, so it's more a credit to
Cheaney than a negative for Griffin. Cheaney's had the benefit of facing
Miller four times a year for six years so he knows his tricks.

> - speaking of Miller, somebody needs to do a Dave Cowens and show him, and 
> the refs, what a real foul looks like. Or better yet, when he pulls one of
> those lift-the-defender-and-step-under-him moves, split his head with an 
> "inadvertent" elbow. That way, he won't have to pretend he just got killed. 
> In case you can't tell, I despise that guy like I despise very few others 
> in the NBA. 

Completely agreed. The annoying thing is that, even with all the BS fouls
that the refs give him already, he complains every time he doesn't get the
foul. What a fraud.
 
> - why did an out-of-control Antoine play 31 minutes, jacking up 23 shots and
> killing the offense?
> He wasn't doing any more rebounding, defending, or passing than Williams, who
> at least was scoring efficiently. Walker needs to gain control of his 
> emotions. When he thinks his manhood is being threatened by a non-call, or 
> by having his shot rejected, he just puts his head down and makes his move. 
> And everybody in the house, including  the defense, knows that he's putting 
> up a shot on that possession no matter what, with predictable consequences. 
> Pitino needs to cool
> him off on the bench when this happens, for his, and the team's, benefit. 

This looks like exactly what happens. But the lack of depth at the big
positions forces us to play Antoine right now. You just can't plug Williams
at the PF position or Dale Davis is in for a 20-20 night. When Fortson 
returns, it'll be possible to bench Antoine if necessary.

I think that Antoine's worst habits come out when the Celtics are doing
poorly too, which is doubly bad. He feels the need to try to take over
the game which is what superstars are supposed to do; but he tries to do
it in a way that doesn't suit his talents.

[cut] 
 
> - If Barros must play, at least put him in at the SG, with Turner manning the
> point. It's a small backcourt, but it's not like Waltuh is doing much with 
> his height anyway. We could have Battie and Pervis at PF and C, and Eric at 
> SF, and that way we'd have everybody more or less playing their natural 
> positions, and a nice balance of offense and defense on the second unit.

I really disagree with this idea though. If Barros is going be play SG for
us, he's basically useless because he (or Turner) is going to be a defensive
deficiency at SG. Even Philly, who has a nice tough frontcourt to compensate
somewhat, has trouble with this, and Barros is no Iverson on offense.
Somehow, I think Turner is getting overrated by everyone here too. He needs
a few years experience before he'll really be ready to run a team.

> -Cheaney will be a nice addition once his head stops spinning. He's a 
> smarter, much more offensively and defensively gifted and versatile version 
> of McCarty, and, in Leo Papile's lingo, a "soldier" (as opposed to Mercer
> who was at least a "colonel"). He makes Walter and Dana expendable.  

Walter seems to be playing power forward on the press unit so Cheaney
can't exactly replace that, and Dana's three point accuracy is still useful
in some situations (though I don't think he'll be retained when his 
contract expires). But Cheaney will be a contributor down the road
because he plays good defense and doesn't demand the ball, yet can hit
the open jumper (unlike Bruce Bowen, say). 

Alex