the third game

[Kestas <Kestutis.Kveraga@dartmouth.edu>]

We should avoid jumping to conclusions about the relative strength of these
teams after a night like this. This was a confluence of unfavorable
circumstances for the Celtics: they were having an off night against a team
who was having great shooting night, a team they match up poorly against in
general. Furthermore, it was the second night of a back-to-back on the
road, after flight trouble, presumably a less than restful night, and a
tough win against a good team. 

That said, I saw things in last night that bothered me. The Celtics'
rookies and scrubs allowed the score to be run up on them after JOB
conceded the game some time late in the 3rd.  I know the game was
meaningless and all that, but to allow the other team's scrubs to outscore
you by 25 points in a quarter  shows a certain lack of self-respect. They
played no defense whatsoever and generally were spectators. 
The Celtics shot 26.6%, allowed the Spurs to shoot 55%, had 7 (!!!) assists
for the game, and were outrebounded by 21. Walker managed to shoot WORSE
than his 33% in the previous 2 games, going 4-16. Pot and Pierce didn't
help matters either, albeit Pierce was triple-teamed most of the time.
Anderson's renaissance apparently ended in the first quarter of the first
exhibition game, because he's been the old, dogsh*t Kenny ever since.   

What's worse is that I realized in this game that Mark Berry was absolutely
right by harping all summer on the Celtics' refusal to look for any PF/C
rebounder types to help out our center troika. We basically have one
NBA-level big guy on the team, and even he is kinda flaky. Pot can't
overcome his physical handicap no matter how hard he tries, and Blount is
the most clueless basketball player I've seen since Moiso played for the
Celtics. And Moiso at least had grace and fluidity. 

Blount has none of that. He was unspeakably horrid. What's sad about him is
that he's a fine physical specimen for basketball - 7 feet, good physique,
reasonably athletic. I had hopes that the "Shaq of the Shaw's League" had
overcome his mental limitations to become a servicable backup. But his
brain is apparently incapable of the processing demands placed on it by the
NBA game. He can't figure out that you shouldn't wind up for a dunk if
David Robinson is guarding the basket, or rebound the basketball to save
his life. 

Eric Williams is a better rebounder than Blount, and that's saying
something. If Battie goes down, we'll be screwed, and the blame for that
rests with Wallace and/or his superiors. I mean, all we need is a
McCaskill-type of player - a 6-10 or so live body, who goes after it. There
are players like that available cheaply. But they won't do that, because
they have their "first round pick in Blount" and Vitaly is such a fine
rebounder as well. It makes me puke. They instead signed Herren, who was so
 necessary that he's played 8 min in 3 games so far. 

The other thing that bothered me was that my own comment about the
center-initiated offense came true in spades last night, but they just kept
doing it. Battie, Blount and Pot threw the ball away multiple times, and
were lucky to dump it to someone, anyone on the team countless other times,
because they don't know what to do with it there (Blount doesn't what to do
with it anywhere on the court, but that's a separate issue). The only time
you'd want to use an offense like that is if your center is Arvydas Sabonis
(or someone like him). You'd think that an army of coaches including Jack
Ramsay would figure out a better offense, one that doesn't involve the
least able players handling the ball in the most inapropriate situation for
them. 
Josh, I wish you asked Wallace what the rationale for that offense is. I'm
dying to know. 
Kestas