Re: Defying Joe's dictum and still pulling one out of the trash bin.

["Cecil Wright" <cecil@hfx.eastlink.ca>]

While we still have improvements to make, I will take issue with the "too
many turnovers and forced shots to be  a playoff team".  Got news for ya JB,
warts and all, we are a playoff team this year.

It is extremely difficult to bring it to the table every night.  Or else the
Griz would not have defeated the Knicks or those noted weak sisters, the
Lakers, in their previous two games.  Gotta wonder how they beat the
defending champs with no Center.

Why is there a need to find fault with every single game?  I just cannot
understand it.  We hold them to 80 points and that fact hardly merits a
mention.

Anyway, the great Antoine Walker debate rages on...and on...and on.....
anyone remember when Bill Cowher took a tremendous load of flack because he
continued to believe in Kordell Stewart?  It has taken him a few years to
"get it".  How's he doing this year?  Another one who has been victimized
because with all that ability, he doesn't average 400 total yards per game.

Recently, Walker had a 9 rebound game.  One of the posts said of his
performance, "he didn't rebound much".
Heck, the guy shot 7/15 for 19 points, 9 rebounds and 7 assists, and he
still gets knocked for his performance even when we beat Utah.

Toine doesn't average a triple double a game but can someone tell me how
many times he has just missed one?  And is it his fault if he doesn't?  Is
he trying merely to pad his stats or is it necessary for him to utilize his
arsenal to propel the team?

With his 24 point, 11 rebound effort tonight, he has led this team in boards
in 22 of 25 games including one impressive stretch of 8, 10, 10, 17, 10, 9,
18, 11, 14, 12 and 11 to start the season.  For someone who is asked to
shoot from afar as much as he is, this is remarkable.

Cecil



----- Original Message -----
From: "JB" <jbmetzea@yahoo.com>
To: "Celtic's Stuff" <Celticsstuffgroup@yahoogroups.com>; "Celtics @
igtc.com" <celtics@igtc.com>
Sent: Sunday, December 23, 2001 5:52 PM
Subject: Defying Joe's dictum and still pulling one out of the trash bin.


>    It's a good thing that both of Memphis' centers are hurt. If they had
> even one, they might have given us a clawing tonight. They have absolutely
> no rebounding. Vitaly and Battie controlled inside. Grant Long and Tony
> Massenberg worked at it, but neither of them ever were centers and they
are
> both damaged goods, on the downside of their careers.
>    Too many turnovers and forced shots, to call ourselves a playoff team.
We
> played two great stretches. As usual, to start the game and to start the
> second half. When our team is fresh, we play intense defense and we run.
At
> that pace, we can usually blow out most teams. Once the leads were
> established, we stood around and watched Antoine or Paul force shots.
>    Kenny tonight was too comfortable passing off, to Walker, instead of
> pushing the pace, except, as stated, for those two stretches. I'll give
him
> the benefit of possible fatigue, of having to guard Jason Williams and
> Brevin Knight, for big minutes, while each of them had plenty of rest,
which
> he did pretty well. That was my biggest concern going into the game.
>    Eric Williams played some great stretches defensively and in the first
> half went right to the hoop, but in the second half, even he settled for
> jumpers.
>    Pierce got into early foul trouble and was no real factor. There was a
> long, scoreless stretch in the 4th quarter, when he was doubled and
tripled,
> but Walker (and Anderson, once) insisted on forcing it into Paul,
resulting
> in several turnovers.
>    Walker had some moments, when he got to the hoop and got the whistle.
His
> shots in the paint were routinely blocked. It's a good thing the ref's
gave
> him a few, at the end. Both he and Pierce seemed to be deserving of a few
> more than they got
>    Gasol is getting the publicity, but Shane Battier is the best rookie
I've
> seen, by far.  He can do it all. Very poised. Pau really was weak. He has
> athletic moves and can shoot, but is a string bean and avoids contact.
> Battier almost won the game by himself, with outside shots and drives into
> traffic. I don't know what the knock on him was, tonight he played like an
> all-star.
>
>                JB
>
>
>
>
>                            Unchain My Heart!