Re: Kenny Anderson Healthy For A Change

[opi@unesco.org]

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Josh Ozersky wrote:

> The one thing that bothers me about this article is
> that Kenny seems to think that it was injuries, and
> not his own ball-hogging, that caused the problems
> last year.  Also, as we all know, the team played
> BETTER when he and twon went down.

    Well I take it Kenny's excuse is that he felt compelled last season
to stop in his tracks and wait for Ron Mercer to come off the double
screen for the pass (something we all saw mucho times last season).
Arguably this threw Kenny's game off, not to mention the entire flow of
the Celtics offense. Kenny definitely was a far better playmaker the
season before, when he wasn't dribbling motionless out at the top of the
key. He has never been a half-court set offense style guard, nor is this
a rewarding style of play for a Celtics team that forces so many
turnovers.

    I don't know what to think about KA. Even last year he said all the
right "rah rah team" type words, but he hasn't shown anyone he is a
playoff team point guard starter (one who makes his teammates better).
It sounds like he wants to score more this year now that Mercer is gone,
and this does NOT necessarily portend bad things as long as he actively
runs the Celtics break instead of "fiddling and diddling" 30 feet from
the basket. I honestly never appreciated Kenny as a player before he
joined the Celtics, but I do think the comparisons to Tiny Archibald
(his idol) are very, very appropriate. Both were career losers with an
All Star resumé. Both had this sense of entitlement that they should be
elite 17-20ppg scoring and playmaking pointguards. Neither ever played
solid defense, as far as I remember.

    On a fast break team with improved low post scorers as well, Kenny
is eminently capable of producing 13ppg and 10 apg like Tiny did late in
his career (when he finally adapted to winning, team ball). If he does,
he will see a lot of minutes and the Celts will have a high scoring and
consistent offense.

****