Re: [Celtics' Stuff ``We didn't really execute the plays that coach drew up late in the game, ..."

[J B <JBMetzEA@yahoo.com>]

Late frost a killer
by Steve Bulpett 


Saturday, November 24, 2001

................``We didn't really execute the plays that coach drew up late
in the game,
and it cost us,'' said Pierce. ``I guess it's just a lack of focus, a lack
of concentration. I guess guys, we think we can do it all by ourselves, but
it's a team effort.
``I never thought so,'' he said when asked if he could have imagined more
than six pointless minutes, ``but we didn't really stick to our game plan.
This is something we said after the game. There's six minutes to go and
we're walking the ball downcourt trying to get a good shot, when our game is
running.
``We can't become a halfcourt team late in the game off of every miss. We've
got to take advantage of our strengths.''
The Raptors? They were whistling past the graveyard after this one (a 91-89
win). Keon Clark had outscored Carter, 19-18, and the Raptors were laughing.
``I don't mind,'' said Carter, who had his second lowest scoring game of the
season.
The Celtics did......................
           ***************
   This season's start is not much different than all of them, since
Pitino's first. Team plays well, unselfishly and with effort, wins a few,
gets some acclaim and collapses.
   The above quote  by Pierce, that the team did not execute the game plan
is revealing. The debate between Pitino fans and detractors often hinged on
the concept that the team quit on him, refused to play his style. My
question is this? Doesn't the coach watch the game? If Pierce, Walker,
Anderson aren't running your plays, why are they on the floor? If it's
correct that Pitino let his players run him out of town, shouldn't O'Brien
have learned from this? It's not too late, the season can be salvaged, but
the coach should coach and that means insisting the players play the way you
expect them to. If it were my job and I was going to get fired for losing,
I'd be damn sure I had players who would play my style.
   With the focus on the "star" system, we have players like Carter and
Iverson, taking 25-30 shots and missing 2/3 of them and their team's still
win. Imho, this means that a selfless team, even with less talent, could
burn them. It's time for Walker and Pierce to stop dominating the shots.
With double teams and bad shot selection, both of them are starting to drag
us down. If the team has stopped running, it's because of these two, taking
too many shots.
   Another thing: Wallace's job is on the line here also. It's time for him
to march into Gaston's office and tell him what he needs, to get us into the
playoffs. It wont cost much, but it's time to cut the deadwood.
   This would be my speech if I were the GM.
   1. Blount and Palacio are 11th and 12th men. No arguments, it's so. Let
me fill out the bench with a few more players that can help the coach.
   2. We need to cut Brown, McCarty, McLeod. they can't help us and we need
the roster spots.
   3. The 1st open roster spot should go to a rebounder with NBA experience.
Michael "The Animal" Smith would do just fine.
   3. We need to use the other two roster spots to audition players at point
guard and center. I don't care where they come from (Europe, the CBA, the
waiver wire, the playground on 6th Avenue and  West 4th street, just get
them in for a look) and they only need to be practice bodies until you find
one who can give us more playmaking than Palacio and more everything than
Blount. Maybe we can't find anyone, maybe we can, but at least let's look. I
know Khalid El-Amin is an upgrade over Palacio, because I saw it for my self
in the summer league.
   As a final thought, as we move on, lets see what some extended minutes
will do for Forte and Kedrick Brown. At least hey will run your plays.
JB