Re: A Win?

[bird <birdwl@earthlink.net>]

>  From: "Jim Meninno" <jam@london.com>
>
> I'm really surprised by the List's reaction to this game.  I felt like 
> both
> teams played pretty well and Miami certainly didn't play like a 2-10 team.
> Despite any objections one might have to strategy (trapping defense,
> isolation offense), I thought the team _executed_ (there's that word 
> again)
> far better than they have in the last couple of weeks.

Yes, they did execute much better than they have been.  I'm not as sure as 
to the quality of play (for both teams) as you, though, Jim.  Zo anchored 
Miami to a better performance than they had been used to, and Eddie Jones 
got his scoring on, as usual, but to me, the Heat didn't play all that 
well.  And, while Pierce and Walker had excellent scoring games, their 
floor games weren't up to snuff.  However, for all the worrisome trapping 
on defense, the team did play good halfcourt D.  And, as you mentioned, 
they team looked to run, which was gratifying.

I might be just a bit too on edge after the losing skid.  I just saw 
things that, if continued over the course of the season, might not work 
out all that well.  Like I said, I'm not so sure why we need to bother the 
guy with the ball on the pick and roll such that we leave people open, but,
  if the players on the court rotate well, this mitigates any damage that 
may result.  Maybe they just need to get better at it.

As for the offense, I do think that Pierce and Walker need to take a lot 
of shots.  They are the only guys on the team with the capability to 
create their own shots right now.  However, the team needs two things 
(other than to quit trying to make Tony Battie, Vitaly Potatpenko, and the 
ersatz Mark Blount into UCLA high post passers) that I can see: guys under 
the boards when the shot is taken to grab the offensive rebound, or at 
least delay the other team's fast break, and a better all-around 
distribution of shots, eventually.  I mean, they just may not be able to 
get away with that just yet, but they ought to work on that in the long 
run.  Of course, when the other players are as cold as ice (like last 
night), well, then, you've got to play to your strengths (P & W).  Oh, and 
maybe they need to work on taking advantage of match-ups and getting 
better looking shots (as Obie mentioned in a recent Herald article, 
letting that flying defender go past you when you're spotted up beyond tha 
arc is an excellent start).

> When Pierce did operate in isolation, he was absolutely deadly at it.

Paul Pierce really is the Truth.  And as soon as he figures out the best 
way for him to deal with the soft "zone" and double- or triple-teaming the 
other teams in the league are throwing at him, he will be even deadlier.  
He can get to just about any spot on the court he wants to shoot from, and 
that's key.  Then, he usually has the athleticism to get his shot off in 
traffic.  He should work on the ball handling, though, as he likes to 
tease the defenders with it.  At any rate, other teams are generally 
giving him the respect that top-notch scorers in the league get.  And, to 
be sure, what can you say about the final layup?  No hesitation in the 
drive, then layed it up over Zo high off the glass.  It really was 
beautiful.  You're right, that was probably the best look at the end of 
the game that the team has had for years.  I thought we'd settle for the 
jumper again, too, but thankfully Pierce saw the opening and went for it.  
All-Star?  I'll say.  If the team in even near .500 he's got to make the 
team.  And frankly, I don't see Walker lagging all that far behind in the 
voting, either.  We really do have two extraordinarily talented (if also 
flawed) players on the team.  What we need is consistent contributions 
from players 3-8 (or 9).  This is definitely foreseeable.

> The other play of Paul's that got my attention was when he was fouled on 
> a
> drive and seemed to abort his finish, with the ball down by his waist.  
> The
> next thing I knew he had brought the ball back up and was jamming it in 
> over
> Mourning with the hand furthest from the hoop.

That play was just sick.

> It's really nice to
> see him continually adding dimensions to his game offensively.

It's also good to see him displaying emotion on the court.  Not for it's 
own sake, really, because that doesn't matter, but the knock on Pierce out 
of college was that he "drifted" and the like.  He really seems to be 
working hard on offensive aspects of the game.  This would be welcome 
defensively, as well.  For all the talk of "egos" on the list, I also like 
the fact the Pierce and Walker really seem to get along.  I really don't 
think any problems the team has are a result on the egos involved.

> I know a
> lot of people are shouting to see more of all of these rookies, but I 
> think
> it's best for their development if they are brought along as slowly as
> possible.  I don't think you do a young player any favors by making him a
> starter before he's really ready for it.

Yeah, well, starter I don't know about, but once the team is on a more 
even keel, I'd like to see a couple of minutes a game for the rooks.  Hell,
  if Walter McCarty could pick up a few here and there, they sure could.  
While Kedrick Brown *did* look uncomfortable offensively last night, I 
thought the Way of Obie centered around the defense a player could play?  
Then again, the Way of Obie also stresses veterans over rookies, too, so 
that probably explains it.  Of course, if that's the case, then why have 
Joe Johnson inbound the ball during crunch time?  I notice that Eric (and 
it *is* "Eric", not "Erik") Williams did the honors last night.  And 
speaking of EWill, the aforementioned jolt he gave to the team early was 
good.  Perhaps he's best suited for coming off the bench, though?  Right 
now, I might start Strickland, have JJ back him up, and give Williams 
Pierce's backup minutes.  Clearly, though, I'm less infatuated with 
Williams than the coach is.  If I were Sharon O'Brien, I'd be a little 
jealous, myself.

> If I had one criticism of the coaching last night, it would be that OB 
> left
> Kenny in on defense with Miami looking for one shot to win.  I was 
> thinking
> it as I saw him come out of the huddle.  I mean, that's simply exactly the
> spot you don't want to use Kenny, isn't it?

Yup.  Not that the coach needs to be consistent, but this doesn't jibe 
with the whole defense thing, either.  Kenny, for all his better defense 
and 10th-in-the-league-in-steals credentials, wasn't the guy we wanted out 
there at that time.  I don't fault him for the foul, though, as he was 
going hard for the bound.  Unfortunate, but it all worked out.  (Sorry, W,
  can't see it being sound tactically -- even if you *did* want to give the 
other team a high-percentage shot at taking the lead in the closing minute,
  wouldn't you want to foul with more time on the clock so you can set up a 
better last-second shot for yourself?)

> Looking forward to
> Thursday and hoping that Cousy's there for that game, too.  I think he
> really adds something to the games and, with all three guys there, Tommy
> doesn't have to do the play-by-play like he used to when he teamed up with
> Cous.

I just hope us NBA League Pass'ers get the hometown team on the broadcast 
Thursday.  I hate having to listen to the other guys, though it is 
sometimes interesting to get other sides of the story.  For instance, 
other team's broadcasters are usually much more complimentary to our stars 
than say, this list normally is.  A lot of times, though, they just parrot 
back what they've read in the papers or even online.  I like listening to 
Gorman and Heinsohn (and the Cous when he's around).  At least they're 
rooting for the right team.  Hearing Tommy Gun reminds me of the glory 
days of the 80's, when you could virtually count on seeing the Celtics on 
national TV every week, and Tommy was unapologetic in his Celtic bias when 
doing the games.  This annoyed others no end (as it did me when it was the 
Bulls and Costas, Rashad, ad nauseum), but who cares?  Ours is the Way and 
the Light; if other fans can't see that, then screw 'em.

Bird,
(The Celtic "Tird")