Re: Bulpett C-notes

["j.hironaka" <j.hironaka@unesco.org>]

At 08:03 10/07/01 -0400, Berry, Mark  S wrote:
>One more thing on the subject of rebounding... I found this item from the
>"Red Auerbach formula for winning" (posted by CeltsSteve) especially
>interesting, and hope Red mentions it in passing to Wallace and O'Brien....
>"The starting power forward and center positions combined for between 23 and
>33 rebounds per game (In 27 of 30 years)."  Walker and whoever starts among
>Vitaly/Battie/Blount, average, what? 14, 15 rebounds a game? Pathetic. The
>Celts really upgraded their overall talent level, but until they get bigger
>and better up front, winning still is going to be a struggle.

Although I agree with this point wholeheartedly, thinking back I'm and not 
really sure if a PF/C combination on any of the 1980s Celtics teams ever 
combined for 23 boards per game (and that's counting Bird as the PF).

There may have been years when Parish was pushing 12 boards and Bird was 
over 10. That's close but no cigar.

Well actually it added up to three cigars to be precise (of the "victory" 
variety). ;-)

The NBA has changed a lot in terms of rebounding and FG% since the 1970s. 
I'm not sure any team in the past year has had 23 boards from their 
starting PF/C

Still the general point of the "Red Auerbach formula" article is important. 
Last year, Blount was hands down one of the least productive rebounders 
I'll ever want to see, and that's got to add pressure on all four other 
guys to contribute on the boards rather than get out on the break.Yet 
despite focusing on it, Boston would still routinely go 10 games in a row 
getting outrebounded by wide margins. There's no way you can stay above 
.500 facing that kind of nightly handicap.

I realize Nazr could turn out to be this year's overpaid bust, but that is 
one reason why he is an enticing prospect for Obie/Harter system. He's a 
more productive rebounder than what we have, plus he showed a lot more 
consistency with starter minutes than you'll likely ever get from Batgirl 
(who is probably our best rebounder after Walker going into next year). If 
his natural playing weight is in the 270 range like when he left college 
(after dieting), then he might eventually be a solid space eater and 
rebounding specialist.

Joe

p.s. I imagine some of the Celtics players are going to have a field day 
goofing on "Dick Harter", having his name paged over the Logan Airport 
intercom and that sort of thing.

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