Re: [Celtics' Stuff FW: Ye olde dark cloud.

[JB <JBMetzEA@AOL.com>]

>    Antoinabee played hard, he really wants to win, but he needs to be down
> on the block. We need his rebounding and we need his inside, post up game.
> When he initiates the offense, several bad things (besides me getting
> nauseous) happen.
                 
I'm not buying that "Antoine takes himself out of the offense" as you
state later.  I think it would be worse to force Antoine to play a
traditional power forward role -- when he clearly is not and has no desire
to be -- than to allow him to play on the perimeter at times and down low
at times -- which is what he's doing.  It's clearly not a panacea to say
"Antoine should be down on the block" because it's just as true to say
that he gets blocked or throws up wild shots when he in playing close to
the basket as to say that he misses the three or throws up that
weird-looking jumper/set shot that he has.  Walker can out-quick many
defenders down low, but he's also as likely to get swallowed up, too.  It'
s true that he needs to look for the rebound (as does the whole team, if
there's any chance of winning), but it's also true that a major part of
his game is facing the basket on the wing and driving and (hopefully)
slower defenders, and (like it or not) taking the long jumper (even --
gosh -- beyond the arc).  He's going to miss a lot of the latter, but he's
also get a key one (or two, or three) down the stretch, too.
The Celtic "Tird"
********************
   I'm not questioning Antoine's limitations or talents, as may be the case
of these same stated qualities, from the two eyes of any beholder, but only
the idea that he has to initiate the offense. Let him play facing the
basket, draw in and out as the defense allows, by all means, just get him
the hell away from the initial thrust of the offense.
   There has to be a limit, to the face up activity, of course,  if we are
going to get some rebounds from him and he should work on his post moves
also, but the three is part of his repertoire, no begrudging that, although
I'd like to see him cut down on the long drives to the basket, as the
defense sees it coming and there is where he gets swallowed whole.
                  JB
        **********************
> During the fourth quarter 13-2 run, Kenny Anderson was controlling the
> ball
> and Antoine was playing down low. Kenny was whizzing passes and Walker was
> pulling down boards. Anderson actually was hustling and smiling. We need
> a
> back up for him. It may not be too late to get El-Amin back.

First, let's try to get off the El-Amin thing already.  He's not going to
be playing for us, and frankly, if we're all that concerned about the
third-string point guard then we've got real problems.  Everyone keeps
saying he's got great point guard instincts and skills, but completely
dismissing his 5'10" frame -- and the fact that good NBA point guards will
probably eat him alive.  I knew a guy once who had great point guard
skills and instincts: he was about 5'8" and must have topped 250 or so.
Great distributor on offense.  Was basically a matador on D.  I could be
wrong about El-Amin's eventual success in the league but all this
hand-wringing about the team missing out on him is giving me the weeps.

Secondly, this was the second Charlotte game?  The one played on 16
October?  I didn't see Kenny "whizzing passes" at all or controlling the
ball (except in his usual way of dribbling more than necessary), though I
did see Walker have a good second half before Obie conceeded the game by
taking him out with three minutes and change left.  Anderson did hustle
throughout the game, that much I did see, but I saw no great passing, just
the usual good dribbling exhibition, missing jumpers, and driving into
traffic with mixed results.  Kenny did play, at times, some good defense,
though (what this means for Kenny is that he actually tried to D up his
man every now and then), and was often in the right place at the right
time as far as getting steals.  I'll take Mega Milt over KA right now, and
probably over the rest of the season, too.  What I wouldn't give for Milt
to have Kenny's handle and _ability_ to pass, though.  Boy, when Kenny
comes off the books, I'm throwing a big ol' Bar-B-Que and getting a keg of
good beer to celebrate.
The Celtic "Tird"
            ********************
   I'm not thrilled with Anderson and not in love with El-Amin by any means,
but I'm sick of Walker the de-facto point guard and my observation is, that
the team plays better when Anderson runs the break and creates the offense.
Let Walker get his off the flow of the game and I believe the team will be
much more effective. Kenny may not be great, but he's all we've got.
   El-Amin, showed at Shaw's that he was a pure point guard who could
initiate offense. When he started taking minutes from Palacio and running
the offense, the team started to play well. Again, I'm not in love with
Khalid. Jaques Vaughn would have done as nicely, thank you, or any other
distributing point guard, but I'm not backing down on the real need of this
team.
   You can have Milt, but I'd love to be invited to that "Bar-B-Que."
                                       JB
**********************
>    Why is Chris Herren not getting any minutes? If he can't play, replace
> him with someone who can. It's almost like they are afraid he will play
> well
> and be stuck signing him.

Um, because Herren is the fourth-string pg, the 12th man, and a likely
candidate for being stashed on the IR during the regular season?  I like
what Herren brings to the table, too, but the C's clearly see him as
insurance, not so much as a viable backup.  I really don't think Chris
Wallace is sitting back somewhere hoping a player of his doesn't play well
because then he'd have to pay him money.
The Celtic "Tird"
***************
   Perhaps not, but I'll throw another paranoid delusion at you: Do you
think it's to take attention away from the fact that we drafted three wing
players, when we needed help at point and center? With Forte playing point,
it looks like we have a position for each of the rookies. If Herren (or any
acquired point guard) played well, there would be very few minutes for
either Brown or Forte.
   Anyway, so you tell me why Herren isn't playing, but there are minutes
for "Buggs" McCarty and Blount?
                  JB

********************
> If Palacio and Forte have to log big minutes at the
> point, Antoine will be coming out to meet them at the three point line
> and I
> will start watching the Bruins.

Show me a patch of time where Antoine _doesn't_ meet the guy bringing up
the ball at the arc and get the pass.  OK, when the team in running (a lot
less in the last two games), or when they drop it off to the guy who's
playing the pivot (if you want to call making the entry pass to the post
or the wing "playing the pivot").    Kenny sure does it on almost every
play.  How is that different from Milt or Forte?
The Celtic "Tird"
        *****************
   Early in the fourth period last night. He went back to the top of the
circle after Palacio subbed for Anderson and our little run came down like a
Broadway show that lost it's backers.
           JB 




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