RE: Vitaly's game WAS: Detroit game

["LadyNada" <ladynada@mediaone.net>]

 -----Original Message-----
From: 	owner-celtics@igtc.com [mailto:owner-celtics@igtc.com]  On Behalf Of
bird
Sent:	Friday, November 03, 2000 5:39 PM
To:	Celtics@igtc.com
Subject:	RE: Detroit game

>From: "LadyNada" <ladynada@mediaone.net>
>
>Name me one thing Vitaly can do well? [...]
>
>My bottom line on Vitaly is this:  he now hurts the team more than he helps
>the team.

* You seem to have gone from V's biggest supporter to one of his worst
* critics (which you, of course, are entitled to do) in short space of
* time.  I don't quite understand.  He looks more or less the same as
* last year -- same sorts of dificiencies, same sort of strengths.
* What's changed?


You answered your own question:  What has changed?  I _expected_ Vitaly to
_improve_ his game.  To me, this meant to be able to put the ball on the
floor for at least 2 to 3 dribbles and incorporate that ability into several
MOVES  in the paint, to score.  ( As you see Battie do).  Vitaly hasn't done
this.  I expected him to be less foul prone, and he isn't.    I expected him
to pass better without creating turnovers.  And I expected him to protect
the ball better, instead of losing it so easily.

Oh, I also PRAYED that he would stop windmilling to jump high, and instead
LEARN to box out, get position and time his jump to get a FEW rebounds.  He
has disappointed me, though I did love him, and still love him, but he broke
my heart, because he has done nothing to improve his basketball skills.
Notice that Battie was quoted in the paper, and has been TIPPING rebounds,
either to teammates or not, but the point is, Battie is getting a hand on
the ball, and giving us an affitional chance to get possession on rebounds
that he could not completely recover.  Vitaly doesn't try to do even that.
And, as you saw, sometimes when he does deflect a rebound to a teammate, in
his zeal to get credit for a rebound, he knocks it out of our hands and
turns it over.  You cant imagine how I feel when I see him do this.  Last
night he JUGGLED and FUMBLED a ball so bad, thank God it went to a teammate
at the end of it all.  It was almost hilarious to see, if it weren't so
somewhat sad at the same time.

He also has always had a confidence problem.  He is afraid to shoot the
ball.  You saw Battie take a crucial shot last nite, at one point when the
shot clock was winding down; it was short range, and the BatMan took the
shot with confidence and made it.  Vitaly would have passed it, one more
time.  BTW, I don't care if guys miss shots, when they have open looks; to
me an open look shot is  a good shot to take.


* Maybe we need his bulk a little less with the center-less Eastern
* teams, but I wouldn't say he hurts the team now, anymore than any
* other player.


But I think that V does hurt the team more.  I don't mind a turnover, a
travel ( like Toine did once), and similar infrequent errors.  The problem
now with Vitaly is the 'high expectation' that he will screw up.  That
expectation will start to make teammates reluctant to pass the ball to him.
You already see that the team does not set up his shots that much, so far
this year.  If your 5th man is not adding to offense, and hurting defense
some with silly fouls and not rebounding, _and_ at the same time he is
hurting offense with turnovers, lack of confidence, etc... then why have him
on the floor at all?

* They all have things they need to work on, and so does
* You detailed a lot of his weaknesses pretty well, but I don't see
* how you can say that he doesn't do one thing well.

* He's got a nice top of the key range jumper.  He sets a good pick.
* He's a hard worker (this might be the key to his improvement).



I haven't seen the team setting him for his shots as much, and when they do,
I see him passing up the shot due to lack of confidence.  Yes, I grant he is
a hard worker.  And I sincerely hope this is a temporary funk.  Maybe tonite
against the Cavs he will break out of it; didn't he used to play for them?
Last year he played very well against the Cavs.


* Battie sure outplayed him in the first game, but we've all seen
* Battie shine for 1-2 game stretches.  If Tony strings together a good
* quarter of a season, _that'll_ be some news.  Meanwhile, V is one of
* our "centers by committee": three guys who have yet to show that they
* deserve the bulk of the minutes at the position.  They all have
* strengths, and they certainly all have weaknesses.    I'm pretty sure
* we'll see a stretch in the upcoming year where V will outplay Battie.
* Will you jump back on the VP bandwagon then?


No, not unless it appears to be a fundamental change.  See, what hurts me
the most, as a genuine Vitaly fan, is that it seems as though he did nothing
at all over the offseason to improve his basketball skills.  I don't care
about beefing up, he was already strong enough, just maintaining that level
was sufficient.  I am a little angry at him, ( you know how it feels to be
angry at someone you love?) for letting me down.  You know?    I wish I had
gone to the Brockton high school practice, because I wonder how V plays in
practice.  I wonder if he dribbles, goes strong to the hoop, and dunks? Does
he rebound?  If so, why doesn't that translate into the game?


* Regards,

* Bill


Thanks for the reply Bill.  I do care about the big V man... I am just hurt
over his situation.  He looks REALLY BAD out there.

LadyNada