Re: The Boston Celtics Mailing List Digest V8 #410

[GuyClinch@AOL.com]

Hi there,


> 
> 
> I'm just pointing out that Tinsley and Parker aren't the only mistakes the
> Celts made in the draft. Haywood would have solved a lot of problems right
> away, and probably turned into a legitimate, upper-echelon starting center
> in a year or two. How many of those guys are there?
> 
> 

I sure don't know about that..
The rap on Haywood is that he is lazy..at least that is what I heard. He was 
at this big time division I program and didn't do a whole lot despite being 
reasonably tall and athletic.

Furthermore...
The Celts know what they are doing drafting swingmen types. You need a 
versatile 
athletic player in the age of zone defenses. Without Kobe, Shaq would be 
sunk...
The defenses can collapse and shut down big men better then ever nowadays.
Shaq and Duncan are both exceptionally athletic for their size. Thats why 
they do well. Its not just because they are big.

Its more important then ever to simply have the best talent on the floor...
Guys like Jake what's his name on the Suns, or Todd Mc(sp?) on the nets are 
really being hurt by zones, why guys like Pierce, Walker, (Penny)Hardaway, 
McGrady and so on will benefit.

These kinda super stud players vary from small Payton...to big...
like KG. Pierce and Walker fall right in the middle. Wallace did the right 
thing
looking for another stud player. I don't know if he succeeded though.

Also most folks on this list really do sell Tony Battie short. The guy can 
play.
He shoots a high percentage, runs the court well and can rebound decently. He 
is 
just as good as most of the centers out there. Do you really think Nazr 
Mohammed
would put up big numbers on the Celts? I doubt it.

You can't just extrapolate numbers and think that those guys will do as well 
here.
They won't. The Celts are a winning team with established stars.

There are only so many shots to go around, and our duo is going to be 
shooting them. Another big BUT athletic player would help us, but these guys 
tend to be in
short supply. The Celts need athleticism more then size. This is a different 
NBA with the zone.

Thats why OB likes E.Williams. He is actually pretty big...and a decent 
athlete so he also benefits from the zone. He certainly looks like a "big" 
6-7 - 6-8 type. Give OB some credit the Celts are 11-7. 

Pete