Re: observations

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

Gene wrote:

Antoine could help himself and the team so much by distributing the ball
when he is in there during garbage time.  He was on the floor for three
minutes with Kedrick, etc. and took three or four shots, most of them bombs.
Will he ever get it?  Still, he should be an all-star.

---end---

I wonder what the lowest field goal percentage in all-star history is? It's
almost certain to be established this season, by either Antoine or Jason
Kidd. I should qualify that with a "modern" time-frame. In Cousy's time,
shooting percentages were much lower.

Anyway, a couple of things about the five-game winning streak. I tend to
think of it a little more like a couple of mini-streaks. The team played
lousy in Miami and won. Pierce carried them through the Jersey game. But the
other three wins-Orlando, Toronto and Denver-we've really seen some
high-quality basketball. Pierce is on one of his player-of-the-month streaks
(Toronto excepted), and the supporting cast is contributing. They're really
playing well right now, although I think the winning streak is masking some
disturbing problems with Antoine.

He's shooting .380 from the field, and his percentages from 3-point range
and 2-point range are almost identical. His 3-point attempts are up to 10 a
game and his free throw attempts are down to about 4.5 a game. Eric Williams
attempts as many in half as many minutes. His assists are down, near four a
game, and he hasn't had more than five assists in a game since Nov. 14
against the Pacers. His assist totals since: 1, 3, 4, 5, 3, 2, 2, 1, 4. Very
pedestrian. He's attempted at least seven three-pointers in every game but
one this season-that phenomenal game against Washington. His 3-point
attempts since then: 8, 12, 9, 8, 9, 9, 11, 16, 7, 11, 11. He attempted nine
free throws that night. Since then: 2, 5, 4, 5, 6, 5, 4, 1, 6, 4, 5.

Antoine has managed .450 shooting just once this season-that Washington
game. By comparison, he's been under .300 in a game twice already. And yet
he is third in the league in shot attempts. That's the most galling thing
about it. This isn't Kidd, attempting about 10 shots a game. This is a guy
jacking up 23 shots a game and shooting 38 percent.

Of course Antoine is doing some great things. He's rebounding like crazy,
when we had seen a slight dip in that regard the last couple of seasons. And
he's putting out more effort defensively in the half-court (he still doesn't
transition well defensively, or offensively for that matter unless he has
the ball in his hands). Plus, he's unquestionably a leader on this team. And
I hate building an argument on stats, but the stats just support what I'm
seeing in the games.

But the shot selection and selfishness-yes, Paul, selfishness-drives me
nuts. I think it's because it's so easy to control. I'm tired of the
no-talent teammates excuse, because these guys are making open shots. Are
they winning? Sure, but they're winning in spite of Toine's shooting. It's a
real problem in my mind, and one that will become more obvious when
everything else isn't clicking as well as it is now.

I'm sure I'll be called a wet blanket for mentioning it now, but it's going
to become an issue sooner or later. Not for Obie obviously, who considers
Toine the best player in the league, but certainly for the team. 

Mark