Re: Toronto etc.

[opi@unesco.org]

Hi David:
Good points but my differing interpretation is that the game was another
example in a week of Pitino starting and giving 36 emergency minutes to a 4
ppg bench guy (Walter) in order to match up with the established strengths of
opposing teams. McCarty shot 1-5 in his 36 long minutes and gave up 12-17
shooting to Howard. Among other things, that's a lot of ground for the rest of
our starters to make up.

There's no reason Antoine couldn't have guarded Howard and let the projected
pre-season starter Danny Fortson box out the non-scoring Michael Smith or
Jehedi White (the other two Wiz starters). Howard is not even remotely as
mobile or a threat to dribble as Antoine so you can't compare perceptions of
his failings at small forward to what might happen in Walker's transition to
that position. What irks me is that Fortson himself could probably have
guarded Howard no worse than Waltah. Letting McCarty start was a matter of
coaching preference, not something dictated by the matchups on the floor.
Letting McCarty hog 36 forward minutes was another preference, nothing more or
less. I don't know precisely what actually happened in the game in terms of
ultimate matchups, but before the game Pitino clearly told the Herald that Wiz
alum Calbert Cheaney won't start because Pitino needed to start Waltah on a
guy like Howard. In the same paper he said he preferred his team to grow
together instead of being blown up at year's end, mentioning the usual names
plus Battie as core players he'd like to keep (no mention of Fortson).

So now you've got Griffin down anyway, you've got Eric Williams down, you have
a Wizards team that starts three power forwards at once and you have had
Fortson back for his 11th game since being deemed fully recovered from his
fracture and 8 pounds lighter.  I guess the "no-brainer" coaching decision was
to give McCarty 36 minutes....not.

If this game didn't constitute an ideal opportunity to test Fortson and Walker
together for the first time alongside a center (as opposed to writing it off
without even trying), then there probably may NOT be a better chance on paper
for the rest of the season (especially once Griffin comes back) period.

Here's an idea. Put them together alongside a center for the first 5 to 8
minutes of the first quarter,  then sit "Pukemon" and his fat butt down for
the rest of the game for all I care. Just try it! Unless I'm missing
something, our only two choices are 1) try it just once so people will stop
"unfairly" bashing the idiotic, lopsided trade for the NBA's fourth leading
rebounder, or 2) frankly admit your team has temporarily leased a nice 6-7
backup center (with grossly inflated rebounding stats last year). To add
insult to injury,  it's at least plausible that Ron Mercer may even have to
settle for a Eric Williams-size guaranteed contract this summer from Denver (6
million a season for four more long years).

I know Pitino will eventually get around to giving Fortson his first power
forward minutes, at which time I and others will happily shut up. Fair enough?
I think so.


****
David A Wickerham wrote:

> Tommy Heinson made the point that Juwon Howard has been a huge
> disappointment to the Wizards (only averaging 14 points until yesterday's
> breakout performance).  He opined that it was a result of being moved to
> SF where his quickness edge is neutralized.  I think a similar case can be
> made for Antoine.  His natural position is the 4, and his offense and
> defense will suffer at the three.  Fortson is an easy guy to like and a
> tough competitor, but he will generally have to find his minutes backing
> up VP and Antoine until he has proven he can handle more and stay out of
> foul trouble.  the odd man out may be Tony Battie.
>
> ****dave
>
> >
> > I'm very much in favor of letting Walker go get "abused" at small
> > forward. I say make the other team adjust to our mismatches for once.
> > Some of the best Celtics teams from the 80s had very grave defensive
> > matchup problems at small forward, if you wish to dwell on it. When a
> > team is forced to make McHale a perimeter defender because Bird couldn't
> > cut it, that to me is a serious issue. McHale was a great overall
> > defender but please don't reply to this post by overrating his ability
> > to stop wing forwards. In one of our last 60 win type seasons, the most
> > non-descript small forwards (say Johnnie Newman) were literally lighting
> > it up one night after another against us.
>
> -----------------------------------------------------------------
>           Dave Wickerham
>           aw623@freenet.buffalo.edu
>           Saratoga Springs, NY