Re: we hustle, we still stink

["pmaurice" <damekmo@teleport.com>]

Gene wrote:

> I'm so encouraged by the defensive intensity and so discouraged by the
mindless ball hogging of our >two captains.  Ninety percent of our ink
attacks Walker, but Pierce shot us out of a win last night.  >Look at his
face.  He's come to assume that he must shoot it for us to win and he's
petulant when he >can't create the magic.

Gene, you see petulance, some might see frustration and disapointment. OB
said thirty shots each and by God, thirty shots each. No exaggeration for
effect. He was serious.

>What great basketball talent and what misguided attitudes.  Do we have a
coach who can force the >issue our will he let it work itself out--say in
two years when the rookies quit passing the ball?

Force what issue, Gene? He said thirty shots and he got what he wanted.
Seems like he's already forcing the issue that he wants forced, and that's a
lot of forced shots by two guys. When you expect a player to take a lot of
shots, some of them are going to be forced. Some of them are going to be
ugly. But, thirty shots is thirty shots. Right now the team is shooting
better from behind the arc. Am I angry at how they lost night? I was
surprised they were even in it at the end. Conventional wisdom should tell
you that when two guys take sixty shots and make about thirty percent they
should get buried. But what we have is a team with mediocre talent that, on
most nights, is going to depend on an extraordinary defensive effort and
ugly offensive play to win. Come hell or high water, or until Joe Johnson
shows that he can do what he did every night, O'Brien is going to play the
game that got this team a .500 record last year. Shira Springer said it
before the season and it's true: this is a mediocre team that at best will
struggle to be around .500 by the end of the year. And I would emphasize "at
best."  They are what they are, .500 after Ricky last year, .500 during the
preseason, .500 now. Milwaukee simply has more talent, make that "much" more
talent. The Celtics played ugly and made a game of it last night. Can you
seriously expect more from them? Unless you think that Battie, Blount, VP,
Palacio, Kenny are suddenly going to turn into players they've never been
before I don't think you can. Do I like the fact that this is a mediocre
basketball team? No. Do I think the way they play is ugly? Sure. But it
seems to give them the best chance of winning. Ricky certainly couldn't
figure out a better way to do it. Do you want this team to roll into
Milwaukee and confidently think they can actually win? Try getting a new
point guard, center and someone on the bench who can come in and light it up
sometimes. If by the end of this month this is a .500 team or at least close
to it they're right on target.