Re: See, it's OK to be critical...

[Shailendra Mishra <shailendra_mishra@yahoo.com>]

 Coaches get too much credit in the league..the bottom line is for Celtics to move to the next level we will need players. You can get Phil Jackson and it won't make a difference except one has to put up with his daily crap. Put a player like Kevin Garnett on this team and we will win a championship..the question is how does one attract a talent of that magnitude. - Mishra
  JB <jbmetzea@yahoo.com> wrote: on 12/21/01 12:05 PM, allitchy@cland.net at allitchy@cland.net wrote:

I don't post often, but read almost every message that comes down the pipe.
And here is my take on the Obie/Antoine coaching situation.

I see Obie as a mid-term solution as coach. Sure he has them winning now,
and has helped them become a playoff team (and I think Dick Harter should
get as much credit as Obie for this), but before they can get to the Next
Level they will need a dominant coach. And by dominant coach I don't mean a
yell at you, "my will" will be imposed type. But someone who commands
respect, and is a coaching force. The reason why Kobe and Iverson can be
criticized by there coachs is because their coaches are Power Coaches. They
are among the coaching elite and can say these things without fear of
reprecusions, and knowledge that most of what they say will be taken to
heart by the players. These are the guys who go somewhere and make a team
better. That is what you will need in a few years. For now we can just
hope that the Celtics can not form to many bad habits under Obie (3's 3's
3's) and continue to mature as players.

aDAM

**************
Adam; I've met Mr. O'Brien twice and I have to say, he seems a very
strong willed person, who backs down to no one. One thing about him though,
is his willingness to listen to others and adapt. Perhaps his failure at
Dayton and subservient role with Pitino, has humbled him in this regard.
I'd also like to look at Walker's performance, as it relates to this
thread, of O'Brien letting Walker (or Pierce) dictate the way the game is
played.
Remember when Antoine missed 11 threes the other night and the quotes in
the press were so supportive of that activity? Well, did you miss Pierce's
quote the next day that Walker helps the team so much, when he's down low,
rebounding and passing out? Did you also notice in Shira Springer's column
that Antoine was the first to arrive for shooting practice on the day of the
next game?
These details make me think that O'Brien has the situation well in hand.
Unlike his mentor (or your so-called elite coaches: Larry Brown and Phil
Jackson) Pitino, he did not call Walker out in the press. What he did do,
I'm pretty sure, was talk quietly to Walker and also to Pierce about how to
get the team back on the winning track. Both of these players have in recent
games been much more team oriented. Both are passing, rebounding and doing
more on defense. 
I'm sorry, but I'm not going to pidgoen hole Mr. O'Brien, just yet.
If I want to find fault, it will be in player evaluations. Over valuing
Palacio and Blount/missing the point guards and centers in the draft. Is
this O'Brien or Wallace?
Jimmy is certainly earning his salary, regardless of the "Gumpish" quotes
in the paper. If you are looking for this team to get to the next level
(although, at this point, we might have to petition the league to join the
Western conference), it's time for Mr. Wallace to do the same and work with
the owner, to free up some cash and get us another point guard and an inside
player.


JB




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