Re: Roster

[Joe Hironaka <j.hironaka@unesco.org>]

Jim Meninno wrote:

>  It just seems like we're going around and around in circles,
> and I always come back to thinking that this is the solution.  I mean,
> Antoine as a roving defender, looking to get in the passing lanes (he's
> actually pretty good at that) would make sense from the 3 position.  His
> offense could stay primarily in the post, with some slashing moves and ball
> handling (as long as he stays in dishing mode) without any more jump
> shooting.  I just don't see why it can't happen, but it doesn't look like it
> will.

Hi Jim:

    It could work if you pair Antoine with Moiso as startahs, just as when
Antoine was paired with Waltah upfront in 1997. Seems like one or the other
could do the job defensively on "threes" depending on matchups, just as Kevin
and Larry did from 84-91. This is not a golden era for scoring small forwards
anyway.

    That pair (average height 6-10+) will pose enough matchup problems on the
opposite end of the court to balance out any mismatches. Now you got your
purported shotblocker in the lineup to rove while Vitaly holds the paint and
blocks out. Griffin, who would be the odd man out, could still be pretty good
settling down the second rubber chicken unit (although they should be much more
steady than last year with Brown and/or Packman in the mix).

    On paper Antoine/Moiso sounds no worse to me athletically on defense then
the Bird and McHale tandem. But, of course, when you get 50-55 points and 19+
boards consistently from your forwards (and have an All Star center), defensive
liabilities are more than offset.

    It's worth a try though. I wouldn't expect any more from Moiso as a rookie
than we got from Waltah as a starter in the first half of the 97-98 season. That
is to say, 9 or 10 ppg and 5 or 6 rebounds in limited minutes (hey, those were
McHale's numbers as a rookie too). I do hope his FG% is better than McCarty's
though. It ought to be.

    An alternative floated by Poultrino--namely a starting frontcourt of Battie,
Walker and Griffin/Pierce--sounds full of holes to me.

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