Re: KA & KA Jr.

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

To me the offense last year doesn't seem that much different from the offense as
described by listmembers during the last Atlanta game that Kenny missed. You
have a big man-- almost always Antoine- starting the halfcourt offense from the
top of the key. One difference may be that Antoine is bringing the ball up
himself after made baskets, but that seems like a detail.

To the degree that Kenny's role last year was to take open jump shots off the
pass (career high FG% as a result), avoid turnovers, and try to play the best
defense he could and stay healthy (he played 82 games), I think he did his
"job". He filled roughly the same role as Brown filled in against Atlanta (minus
the 13 deflections), which is very different from the systems that allowed a
very talented dribbler to average as high as 9.6 assists and 16+ shot attempts
per game in the NBA.

But if you've watched games last season and honestly saw Kenny regularly passing
up easy assist opportunities to jack up a jumpshot, or deliberately slowing down
a fast break opportunity, then as much as I'd like to believe that is true I'd
have to say you were watching from a different twilight zone. The Kenny I saw
had very few genuine assist opportunities and also very few turnovers. Like I
said, he was doing what it sounds like Brown was doing the other night, and what
Pitino demanded of him.

Right now people seem to be stereotyping Kenny (a cancer, selfish etc.) rather
than somewhat more accurately as a guy who followed the Celts game plan for once
in good faith. The point is that what Kenny provided last season for Pitino was
still probably inadequate (because of defensive shortcomings), not that the
Celtics failed because of his selfishness or unwillingness to push the ball.

Guess what, if Kenny could have his way I'd bet he'd LOVE to push the ball and
dribble the ball twice as long on every single possession like Jason Williams
gets to.

The critical difference between Brown and Kenny is defensive AND offensive
ability. Unless you are a close family member of the Browns, you have to agree
that we have a clear tradeoff. And we have a problem too if Kenny gets benched
by Pitino. The Lorenzon Wright deal will be hard for Spintino to sell to Gaston
and the public, since he'll be the third 6-11 backup we've added this offseason
after Blount and Moiso, not to mention that the veteran Brown was the starting
point guard on one of the worst teams in professional basketball last year. But
this is a deal that has to make sense if nothing else is out there (c'mon who
else wants Kenny other than a team anxious to unload a horrible contract like
Wrights) and if the odds of Kenny being a distraction/cancer on the bench rises
any higher. Of course Wright could also become an 8-million-a-year (or whatever
it is) benchwarming, hard-to-trade cancers as well, unless we can ship out one
of the other guys clogging the center-forward rotation. If Wright comes to
Boston, he will be the second highest paid player on the team and another
archetypal underachiever/perennial loser we'll have to worry about on the road
back to team chemistry and Celtics Pride.

------

OzerskyJA wrote:

> I agree completely.  Especially since he played like this all of last
> year.  I remember all the crap about his divorce...Kenny is a selfish
> player.  It has nothing to do with concentration.  He should be in shape,
> he should have been working out all summer.  He stinks on hot ice.
>
> Josh Ozersky
> Marketing Communications Specialist
> Corning Museum of Glass
>
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Dan Forant [SMTP:dforant1@nycap.rr.com]
> > Sent: Wednesday, October 18, 2000 9:30 AM
> > To:   celtics@igloo.igtc.com
> > Subject:      Re: KA & KA Jr.
> >
> > It has been insinuated that KA has had a rough camp because of personal
> > problems. Purely, Crocodile tears. I don't care about his private life. He
> > is not earning his check for the Celts.
> >
> > Dan
> >
> > At 10:14 AM 10/18/00 -0700, you wrote:
> > >Dan...I know that logic and critical thinking do not apply to most of
> > your
> > >posts, but have you ever had a female in your life endure a difficult
> > >pregnancy?  It is next to impossible to focus on anything but, at least
> > if
> > >you are a reasonably responsible partner.  To make the allegation that KA
> > is
> > >using that as an excuse, unless you know that for a fact, which I rather
> > >doubt highly, is very dubious.
> > >
> > >I don't think he played defense was well as he thought he did last year,
> > but
> > >I applaud him for being concerned about the health and welfare of his
> > >fiancee and child.
> > >
> > >Cecil
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >----- Original Message -----
> > >From: "Dan Forant" <dforant1@nycap.rr.com>
> > >To: <celtics@igloo.igtc.com>
> > >Sent: Wednesday, October 18, 2000 5:54 AM
> > >Subject: KA & KA Jr.
> > >
> > >
> > >> Just another example of KA's offensive play and no defense. Evidently
> > he
> > >> practices it in private life also. They should be highlighted on the
> > front
> > >> cover of the Celtics of the program so all the young Celtic
> > compassionate
> > >> fans will see KA, KA Jr, and his *fiancee*. Funny he can't concentrate
> > >> playing basketball lately. The Celts only pay him millions, his present
> > >> fiancee gives him,..........well...............a Monica?
> > >>
> > >> Dan
> > >>
> > >
> > >