games thoughts

["R. Singh" <rrsingh2@home.com>]

Joe Johnson is going to be a very welcome addition to this team.  He has
major skills on both the offensive and defensive side of the ball and I do
believe his laid back personality is going to fit very well with Pierce and
the more volatile Walker.  He is a bit stonger than I expected and with he
and Pierce on the floor at the same time at the 2 and 3, opposing guards and
small forwards are going to struggle defending them on the perimeter and/or
in the post.  A very nice addition and should have a positive impact on this
team this year.  He is very polished for a 20 year old and plays much, much
older than his years.  Of course, this is the summer league, and when the
competition improves, he may show more holes in his game.

Kedrick Brown needs to spend hours honing his ball handling skills.  He is a
fundamentally sound shooter and looks like he will develop a nice mid-range
game however I don't believe he will contribute much this year as its going
to take some time for him to learn the nuances of the NBA game as well as
develop the ability to put the ball on the floor.  Definitely works hard and
has a nose for the ball.

Joe Forte is going to be a steal at 21.  He is extremely fundamentally sound
and is another one that plays the game much older than his years.  He is not
given due credit for the athletic ability he does possess.  It is clear
watching Forte that North Carolina teaches the fundamentals as well as any
program in college.  I think it is going to take him time to figure out what
he can and can't do in the pros but when he does that and adjusts to the
speed of the pro game, look out.

Khalid El-Amin really understands the game like a point guard should.  A
real spark plug in the open court, Boston should find a way to keep him on
the roster.  It would be very exciting to see El-Amin bringing the ball up
the court with Joe Johnson or Joe Forte and Paul Pierce sprinting on the
wings.  While I think it important to keep Stith because of his leadership
qualities and veteran presence, I am not sure it is wise to let El-Amin go.

ESPN kept panning to O'Brien on the sidelines during the game.  Always he
looked deep in thought and seriously contemplating how he was going to keep
El-Amin, I bet.  To that end, probably wondering how the hell he could
convince Randy Brown to take a coaching position with the team to open a
roster spot for Khalid.

Moiso is still several years away.  No question he is extremely athletic and
is playing with more confidence and aggression but...

Blount appears pretty tenacious.  Looks like he won't be getting ridden out
of the paint battling for rebounding position as much as he did last year -
emphasis on "as much" however.

Palacio looked awful at the point tonight.  He is forcing it too much,
probably because he is eager to show his coaches and teamates he is a
capable leader.  Unfortunately, as JB has been stating, he does not have the
natural abilities of a point guard and it was painfully clear tonight.  He
will definitely provide a spark, as he loves to get out and run, but he is
more apt to finish than set up a teamate for an easy layup.  I am hoping he
can grow into the position and with Boston's philosophy of running the
offense through Antoine and - hopefully - eventually, the more capable Joe
Johnson, Palacio will be focusing on defense and spotting up for open
jumpers.