Re: KA & KA Jr.

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

In other words, maybe you want Kenny Anderson to play like he did in his first
two games as a Boston Celtic, or as the player who averaged 8.6 assists per game
over a 358 game, 5-year stretch prior to coming to Boston.

My point is that Kenny didn't force shots last year, certainly compared to
you-know-who and you-know-who. In fact it was rare to see him attempt a jumpshot
off the dribble, which to me would be as good a definition as any of "looking
for his own shot first".

Maybe you are right that he was actively disobeying the Pitino game plan.
There's no way to know really.

-------
OzerskyJA wrote:

> I disagree.  Kenny has been on four or five different teams in his
> career and has never looked to pass first.  It's not about game plan
> it's about mentality.  "Assist oppotunities!"  Please.  A point guard is
> supposed to create assist opportunities!  That's what he's there for.
> There aren't assists there to be had, because
> Kenny isn't the kind of floor leader that makes guys think they are
> going to get the ball.  So they don't cut, roll, etc.  And Kenny doesn't
> deliberately slow down a fast break opportunity; it's just a byproduct
> of his ball-control, measured, slow-down style.  He would rather hold
> up at the top of the key than (god forbid) make a turnover.  I've been
> watching NBA basketball for twenty years, I was Kenny's biggest booster
> when he arrived, but the truth will out.  Kenny is a half-court point guard;
> and even as a halfcourt point guard, he looks for his own shot first.  No
> way is that "the plan."
>
> Josh Ozersky
> Marketing Communications Specialist
> Corning Museum of Glass
>
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Hironaka [SMTP:j.hironaka@unesco.org]
> > Sent: Wednesday, October 18, 2000 11:25 AM
> > To:   OzerskyJA; celtics@igtc.com
> > Subject:      Re: KA & KA Jr.
> >
> > 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
> > > > >>
> > > > >
> > > > >