Re: One more thing...

["Jim Meninno" <Jim_Meninno@hotmail.com>]

----- Original Message ----- From: Berry, Mark S <berrym@BATTELLE.ORG>

> I know you love Toine, Paul, but do you really believe a team can win with
> its power forward taking 14 3-pointers? If they don't win when he makes
> seven of them, how can they expect to win on the nights he only makes two?
> If he's playing small forward, and the Celts have a couple of bangers in
the
> post, then maybe it's different. But not now. And I haven't seen any
> indication they're remotely willing to try him at small forward, so...

Right now, the Celtics need Antoine and Paul to score as much as they
possibly can.  If that means a lot of three pointers, well that will just
have to be.  I don't like it any more than you do, but they feel  like it
gives them the best chance to win games right now.  I don't think anyone
believes it is a long term solution that will take a team deep into the
playoffs.

As far as any indications that Antoine will play Small Forward, I'm a little
more hopeful than you.  Jim O'Brien has yet to coach a game with Tony Battie
active.  Let's see what happens when OB has more than two big men to choose
from to fill the 4 and 5 spots.

Long term, I think this team needs an inside player much more than it needs
a point guard.  Basically, Antoine's been playing power forward for 5 years
because their big men have sucked more than their swing men.  One player at
either the 4 or 5 who can rebound, defend AND score in the low post would
totally transform this team.  Don't ask me where they get such a player.

It's too early to talk about what they might get from the draft until we see
where the picks land, and who declares, however it's safe to say that anyone
who's contract is up is fair game to be replaced by a rookie.  Stith, Carr
and Griffin are all very replaceable commodities.  Any decent point could
put Herren and Palacio out of work.  McCarty could go now and never be
missed, and Moiso has a long way to go to prove he's as good as McCarty.
Battie was looking like a completely different player before he got hurt.
He was bringing it just about every night, was rebounding and became a
presence in the middle on defense.  He's not enough to fill the gaping hole
in the middle, but if he produces the same effort he did when he was healthy
this year, he'll make a difference.

Jim