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Re: Celtic's Preparation
Joe, you say and analize everything so well! Hats off to you, friend. I
can't put it to words so well but thanks to you, some of my thoughts and
feelings were in this great post.
Jaims
----- Original Message -----
From: <opi@unesco.org>
To: Dan Forant <dforant1@nycap.rr.com>; <Celtics@igtc.com>
Sent: Monday, January 10, 2000 6:30 PM
Subject: Re: Celtic's Preparation
> Larry will surely take a year off at least, but one day he will realize
he is
> still a young man and that he misses the competition. I wouldn't mind a
Larry
> Bird "homecoming" in 2001.
>
> One reason the Celtics seem to lose whenever they don't have "sufficient
> preparation" is not because the players are less rested or conditioned,
but
> because they can't fall back on the most basic fundamentals that help
team's
> play consistent basketball even if you don't know anything about your
opponent
> that night.
>
> Pitino ought to realize that basketball is a simple enough game compared
to
> what he and his 70 member coaching staff forcefeed his players. It's a
bit
> like having your kid take a cram class in theoretical physics or ancient
latin
> in order to prepare for the SATs. The Celts haved treaded water in their
> development and have not shown they can consistently repeat and master the
> "simple" plays like the less athletic Pacers, Jazz do or any Red Auerbach
> coached team did.
>
> Those are the kinds of teams that look at our Celtics and don't know
whether to
> laugh out loud or feel disgusted with us for achieving below our talent
(like
> Heinsohn). In some ways, ML Carr got as much of a consistent all-around
game
> out of Antoine Walker as the "great motivator" Pitino has so far
accomplished.
> I believe Toine had more triple-doubles as a rookie than any other year.
Eric
> Williams was certainly a more effective player as well.
>
> Danny Fortson will get a lot of good advice to walk at the end of this
year if
> he remains stuck at backup center in Boston and still averaging 12.4
minutes
> with Pitino still the head coach. Thus far he's shooting .750 from the
field
> and the equivalent of 12 ppg and 10rpg per 27 minutes. I think Pitino
will/must
> play him against people more his size (forwards) and keep him out there
with
> three or four fouls instead of yanking him. Not that Pitino should have
rushed
> Fortson back, but he should be aware that the kids pride and next contract
are
> at stake and that he probably feels he has the talent to contribute more
than
> 12 minutes per game on a different team next season. Pitino needs to find
> forward minutes for Fortson. Maybe the Griffin injury is one of those
> "blessings in disguise", provided all the extra minutes don't go to Eric
> Williams instead like they did in our rancid performance against the
Bulls.
>
> The 2-13 record includes losses to many of the worst home teams in the
NBA. The
> road schedule actually gets much harder from here (and longer). This is
killing
> any remotely realistic hope of the playoffs. At this pace, the Celtics
need to
> sweep their remaining games at the Fleet for a 36-5 record just to finish
at
> .500. If they win fully half of their remaining road games, they still
have the
> minus-11 game deficit to make up.
>
> The win in Denver didn't turn out to be a turning point all the players
and
> Celts fans were hoping for, since they've lost two straight road games
since
> then. No doubt the coaching staff is blaming the players.
>
>
> -----
>
>
> Dan Forant wrote:
>
> > If this team sours much more, it will take Larry, I didn't believe it at
> > first but he does have a gift for coaching. Is he really fed up with
> > basketball though?
> >
> > >It strikes me as a weakness of Pitino's (and other coaches)
> > >micro-management style, where the players have loads of tiny bits of
> > >information poured into them before each games, which in theory should
> > >make them better prepared but doesn't always work out that way. If a
> > >player spends too much time on the court thinking about which side of
the
> > >floor Ron Harper shoots better from rather than playing solid
positional
> > >defense his game suffers.
> > >
> > >I prefer the Celtics "old school" style of having a minimal set of
plays,
> > >each with a few options, but being able to run them to perfection. Not
> > >only is it less information for the players to remember, not only do
they
> > >run the plays smoother, but with a general set of rules to guide them,
it
> > >prepares them for almost any basketball situation they find themselves
in,
> > >which makes preparation for the second game of a back-to-back situation
> > >much easier. A few general guidelines for "playing tough defense"
would
> > >come in more handy than "force Jason Williams right where he shoots
5.2%
> > >less than on the left side of the court", which is useless against
> > >everyone except Jason Williams.
> > >
> > >I think that's one of the reason's Bird has had so much success in
> > >Indiana. Speaking of Bird, wouldn't it be awfully fun to have him
> > >coaching this team now?
> > >
> > >Dan
> > >
> > >
>
>