Re: Melon Boy

["Berry, Mark S" <berrym@BATTELLE.ORG>]

Hi Joe,

It's not just about field goal percentage with Antoine so far this season.
This goes beyond a shooting slump or even bad shot selection. Certainly,
both of those things are factors. He's not going to shoot 30 percent. But
it's becoming pretty clear he's never going to improve on 41 percent either
(or consistently get to the line, or post up to draw double teams, etc....
all the things we want him to do). But whenever someone brings up his
rebounding and assists, it comes across as a suggestion that, other than his
shooting/shot selection, Toine is a "heady" player who does what it takes to
win. The truth is exactly the opposite. He is playing really, really dumb
basketball. There's just no other way to put it. You really have to watch it
to understand. Even some of his made shots, I'm screaming "No, no!!" It's
awful.

OK, so why zero in on Toine? Pierce is almost as guilty in the early-going.
He's playing bad basketball. The difference, really, at this point is that
Pierce made a lot of tough shots in the fourth quarter against the Nets.
They weren't good shots. But he made them. That's the only difference. So
why aren't we as hard on Pierce? I can't speak for everyone, but for me,
it's placing this year's play into the context of what we've seen in the
past. With Antoine, it's a feeling of "enough is enough." He's never going
to get it. He says he wants to win and I believe that, but is he willing to
play in a way he doesn't necessarily like in order to win? I don't think he
is. Paul M. says it's Obie's plan, but Walker was quoted saying O'Brien
"let's me play the way I want to play." Anyway, with Toine, it's just the
last straw. Pierce, on the other hand, has at least some history of being a
smart, efficient player. So we give him a break because we expect him to get
better. If he doesn't, I'll be the first to criticize him.

There are those still waiting for Toine to "get it." I know, I know... "If
he limits his shots... If he concentrates on rebounding and passing... If...
If... If... " If "ifs and buts were candy and nuts..." 

The time really has come for a change. It isn't going to happen anytime
soon. Our "braintrust" is going to ride Toine right into the ground, just
like Pitino did. But it's time for someone to look past the stats, the "only
player to be in the top 20 in scoring, rebounds, assists and steals" crap
and admit that Antoine just doesn't get it. I don't know what the trade is.
I'm sure when it's made we'll have people complaining because the stats
don't measure up. I'm tired of watching box scores. I want to watch
basketball. It's the difference between Stephon Marbury and Jason Kidd.
Marbury scores more, shoots a higher percentage and notches nearly as many
assists. Look at the stats and the box scores, and you'd say Marbury is the
better player. But you watch the two of them and there's no question who the
better point guard is. That's Toine. He puts up numbers, but other players,
whose stats may not shine, contribute more to winning basketball. And that's
what it's about, isn't it?

Mark

P.S. Did anyone else watching the Bucks' game on DirecTV hear their
announcers just killing Walker? They were hammering him on his shot
selection and gunner mentality. When guys who watch that team on a regular
basis consider you a selfish gunner, it's time to seek help. It's like
Robert Downey Jr.'s counselor saying you have a serious drug problem. He
knows whereof he speaks. The Bucks can gun it with the best of them. I
almost fell out of my chair when Ray Allen launched that 3-pointer from six
feet behind the 3-point line. I'm wondering if it's the shot clock, or the
end of the quarter, but no... guess he was just "feeling it." 





Joe H. wrote:

I wish one of Walker's close advisors (Michael Jordan?) could tell him that 
limiting himself to around 16-18 FG attempts per game would win him support 
from Boston fans and likely All Star nominations. This is not a reach at 
all, when you factor in that he's averaging 11.3 rebounds and 5.5 assists 
so far, and is second in the league in double doubles. Take away the ugly 
FG% and 25 shots a game and this guy is a perennial All Star. Its totally 
in his control if you ask me. I've never seen a player with such a glaring, 
yet addressable, shortcoming.

Sounds easy, but having said all that none of us can deny the fact that 
Toine's just going through a bonafide, old fashioned slump. A lot of people 
prescribe that he camps down low and takes higher percentage shots. The 
murkier reality is that Antoine is shooting a miserable 23% from 2-point 
range (14/60). Guys, this is nothing even close to the same old 
"Melonhead"......its incomparably worse than the same old Walker who shot 
an out-of-control 45% from inside the arc over the past 350+ NBA games or
so.

Besides the high number of rebounds and assists, Walker's 3-point 
marksmanship thus far is unimpeachable (40%) despite being very heavily 
skewed by one horrible 2-11 game against the Nets. And he leads all 
starters with 78%FT shooting as well. If he were slumping to the tune of a 
mere 40% on his 2-point shots (27.5 ppg), we'd be talking about a guy 
putting up Iverson type MVP numbers to start out the season. And if he were 
at his par 45% rate inside the arc, he'd be one of the most talked about 
all-around players in the NBA right now. How does 30+ ppg, 11+ boards and 
5.5 assists sound coming from one of your two franchise players?

But for the sake of decency, and as the best rout to getting his FG% back 
up, he really needs to cut down his attempts over the coming home stand, 
and focus instead for a couple of triple doubles. I don't think he 
recognizes how easy it can be to win back the good graces of fans, if he 
just cut back on his one glaring flaw. If he played within himself, he'd be 
a natural 18ppg scorer and an All Star every year for the rest of his 
career. But with Antoine, you never know.

He's yet to break 40% shooting in any game, and you're damn right our 
Celtics should be 3-1 and in first place after all the effort and energy he 
and his teammates have shown so far. They have a wonderful schedule coming 
up to build confidence and put themselves near the top of the pack in the 
East. Antoine's got to show exactly the right kind of leadership during 
this run, starting with defense and passing.