Great Celtics analysis from BSG

["Berry, Mark S" <berrym@BATTELLE.ORG>]

Don't agree with everything he says (I like Blount more than him and Battie
less), but most of it is right-on, especially the Bryant Stith evaluation
(and his reasoning for not bringing Stith back next season) and Antoine's
evaluation (both good and bad). Please, please check it out. I've also
pasted the Stith and Walker parts below.

http://home.digitalcity.com/boston/sportsguy/main.dci?page=10celts01


BRYANT STITH -- B
The fact that he missed one game all season has to be the "Stunning NBA Fact
of the Year" ... the over/under was 40 ... the proverbial "Great Guy To Have
in the Clubhouse" - a quality veteran, quality interview and quality person
(and no, I didn't just slip on my Gammons wig) ... don't underestimate how
much he affected Pierce and Walker with his intensity from Day One ... even
made a few Big Shots this season. 

And yet with all of that said...

I'm not sure why they would bring him back. For one thing, you'll never get
a better season out of Stith then you did this season... and he barely
cracked 40% from the field (40.1% to be exact; nobody in the league took
more open jumpers this year). He's an average defensive player (the effort's
there, but Stith couldn't handle anyone of consequence at the 2-spot). Given
his age (31 next season) and his price tag (he'll probably want something
equivalent to the veteran exemption - the $4.5 million range), it doesn't
make sense to bring him back unless he's willing to accept cheap money and a
shorter deal. And let's face it... you need more than 40% shooting and
average defense from the 2-guard spot to seriously contend in this league. 

(The other question: When will somebody decide if Antoine Walker is a small
forward or a power forward? Given his affection for threes and his struggles
against the top 4-spot guys in the league, wouldn't it make sense to move
Twan to the 3-spot and find a veteran rebounder with that $4.5 million
exemption? Would you be better off with Stith or someone like Mo Taylor,
Chris Gatling, Christian Laettner or Joe Smith? Hmmmm...)

ANTOINE WALKER -- B
God ... where do we start?

Positives: Submitted the best statistical season of his career ... his
numbers compare favorably to every star forward from the past 10 years (for
the complete list, check out Question #2 in my 2/20 Chronicles
</boston/sportsguy/main.dci?page=7celts01>) ... always plays with passion, a
rarity in the NBA ... unstoppable against any team that lacks a shotblocker
... logged almost 42 minutes a game and only missed one (for a funeral),
which warrants mentioning (he's exceptionally durable, only missing nine
games in five years) ... basically ran the Celts offense for the final half
of the season ... no player in the league carried a larger all-around burden
(rebounding, running the offense, guarding low post players and shooting
20-25 times a game) ... one of the more unique players in the league, and I
mean that in a good way.

Negatives: Averaged 9.1 three-point attempts per game since February, a
number so absurd that I can't even rationally discuss it without banging my
head against the desk ... attempted 138 threes and 54 free throws in March,
which says everything ... a below-average defender who was exploited by
intelligent teams (Indiana, Miami, San Antonio, etc.) ... the most
widely-reviled player in the league - he pissed off just about every referee
and opposing star this season (somebody will break Twan's jaw before the end
of his career) ... the first player in NBA history to complete an entire
season without committing a foul (in his eyes, anyway) ... consistently
missed crucial shots at the end of games (not to be mean, but he was the
anti-Pierce this season down the stretch) ... I'm not sure how you can play
him at power forward unless you have a rebounding center.

And the biggest negative: Antoine never seemed to accept the fact that he's
playing the Pippen role here to Pierce's MJ. Was it just a coincidence that
Walker struggled in March (22.3 PPG, 39.6% shooting), the very same month
that Pierce made The Leap and captured "Player of the Month" honors? 

There was something sad about Twan down the stretch; wearing the "Second
Banana" costume seemed like it was a bittersweet experience for him.
Whenever he nailed a three, you could always count on him to launch another
one on the next possession, as if he were thinking to himself, "Here we
go... I'm about to seize the Go-to-Guy Conch!" Even during yesterday's Miami
game, Pierce attempted two straight jumpers with about three minutes
remaining, missing them both, and Antoine -- who had been open both times --
glanced angrily at the Celtics bench, as if to say, "When am I getting
mine?" I was sitting right there at midcourt, watching the whole thing
unfold, incredulous. Ruined the game for me. 

Anyway, that's the real reason the Celtics missed the playoffs, because the
"Alpha Dog" conflict was never properly resolved between the two best
players on the team. Walker likes winning... but he likes it more when he's
the one lighting it up and he's the one making clutch plays down the
stretch. Unfortunately, he isn't as accomplished as Pierce in that role;
Antoine is much better off affecting games with his rebounding, passing and
low-post play (with an occasional three sprinkled in for good measure). 

And yet he won't accept it. He just won't. And until he does, Antoine Walker
will never make another All-Star Team, the fans will never fully embrace him
and an extended Celtics playoff run will never be anything more than a pipe
dream.