Re: A Win?

["Cecil Wright" <cecil@hfx.eastlink.ca>]

Hi Mark,

While I do not want to undervalue the presence of Kidd to the Nets, there is
more to their early resurgence than that.

1. Kenyon Martin is healthy when he was not last year.
2. Van Horn is healthy when he was not last year.
3. Kittles is healthy when he was not last year.
4. They have a young center, though not great, is consistent, as well as
being Canadian :-)

I am not disputing that Kidd is a great player who can make his teammates
better.  Just that there are other factors which have played a role in their
prominence thus far.

Cecil





----- Original Message -----
From: "Berry, Mark S" <berrym@BATTELLE.ORG>
To: <Kestutis.Kveraga@dartmouth.edu>; <celtics@igtc.com>;
<celticsstuffgroup@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Thursday, November 29, 2001 5:58 AM
Subject: Re: A Win?


> Exactly Kestas! This is it exactly. It's called trusting your teammates. I
> hate to keep using the same example, but it's funny how all those lousy
> players in New Jersey suddenly pulled their games together at the same
time
> Jason Kidd arrived.
>
> It's amazing what happens when a team is passing. Guys start running and
> cutting and doing all the things the Celtics aren't. Why should they?
> They're not going to get the ball. I'd even take the extreme... Jason
> Williams. Remember the effect he had on Sacramento when he arrived? He was
> wild and uncontrolled, and his passes sometimes ended up in the second
deck,
> but he made passing fun and cool. Suddenly Webber and Divac were whipping
> behind-the-back and no-look passes. The team was running because they knew
> Williams would get them the ball or knock out a kid in the front row while
> trying.
>
> I'm tired of the argument that selfish, one-on-one basketball from Pierce
> and Walker is the only way for this team to win. If that's true, it would
be
> the first time in the history of basketball that good, unselfish, team
play
> didn't improve the performance of a collection of players. The Celtics
were
> what they were because of a history of playing unselfish, team basketball.
> They had great players, but they also had players who played the game the
> right way, and that made them better. These Celtics don't. Is it the
system,
> the coach, the players? I don't know, but we're on our second coach now
and
> I think we can see which way things are going. And don't tell me it's
> today's NBA or anything like that. I don't buy it. If these players won't
> play team-first basketball, get rid of them and find some who will.
They're
> out there, in places like Philly, San Antonio, Utah, Sacramento, Minnesota
> and Indiana. If they're in Boston, it's time for them to show themselves.
>
> Mark
>
> P.S. I know the Celtics' supporting cast isn't great, but right now we're
> putting them in the absolute worst position they can be in. We're not
giving
> them a chance to succeed. If the ball was moving, players were running and
> cutting and finding the open man, we'd all be amazed at how their
> performance would change. Is Tony Battie a good post-up player? No, but
he's
> fast and has pretty good hands. Shouldn't the Celts try to get him
involved
> running the floor and cutting to the basket off of penetration? Don't
> Kedrick Brown and JJ seem like players who would make good finishers on
the
> break or on slashes to the basket? Why ask them to spot up outside the
> 3-point line and wait for a pass only when Pierce or Walker are shut down?
> Try to put them in the best possible position for success. If the "stars"
> won't play along, find different stars. Believe me, these guys aren't
> irreplaceable. When we get someone who is, we'll know it.
>
> --- --- ---
>
> It works both ways, you know. If you don't give people the ball, they
> become tentative, make more mistakes on offense, and shoot a lower
> percentage. They can't be thinking that if they miss their first shot,
they
> won't see the ball again. I still think they should at least TRY to get
> other people involved by getting them shots in their favorite spots early.
> You can't tell me Pot isn't gonna make a 12-15 jumper reliably, given the
> opportunity. Or that Battie isn't going to score a few baskets if given
the
> ball around the hoop.
> Now, if you post them above the 3-point line and expect them to create
> their own shot, the results won't be pretty. Walker and Pierce have to
> realize that getting others involved improves their own scoring
> opportunities, not to mention team performance and chemistry.