Re: [Celtics' Stuff HOOPSWORLD @ BskBALL.com | The NBA Information website

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

I don't know why we should expect journalists, who only occasionally see the
guy at work, give him due recognition, when a large percentage of this list
hasn't given him too much either.

As long as the team is making strides in the right direction, I think Obie
is happy with that.  Material things such as awards are all well and good,
but I hardly think that is his motivation.

Hopefully, they will continue to grow and mature as a team, grab a few more
missing pieces, and make a serious run for the title within the next year or
so.

Cecil






----- Original Message -----
From: "Dan Forant" <dforant1@nycap.rr.com>
To: "Celtics@igtc" <celtics@igtc.com>
Sent: Saturday, April 13, 2002 6:23 PM
Subject: Re: [Celtics' Stuff HOOPSWORLD @ BskBALL.com | The NBA Information
website


> Well said, OB's been the man. No doubt he let the team grow without
forced,
> unnecessary coaching, yelling from the sidelines. Obviously the man should
> get recognition. As for columnists, put them in the same category as
> politicians.
>
> DanF
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Jim Metz" <james.metz@verizon.net>
> To: "Celtics@igtc" <celtics@igtc.com>
> Sent: Saturday, April 13, 2002 8:50 PM
> Subject: FW: [Celtics' Stuff HOOPSWORLD @ BskBALL.com | The NBA
Information
> website
>
>
> > ----------
> > From: davidp4660@aol.com
> > Reply-To: Celticsstuffgroup@yahoogroups.com
> > Date: Sat, 13 Apr 2002 20:36:08 EDT
> > To: Celticsstuffgroup@yahoogroups.com
> > Subject: Re: [Celtics' Stuff HOOPSWORLD @ BskBALL.com | The NBA
> Information
> > website
> >
> >
> > In a message dated 04/13/2002 7:08:39 PM Eastern Daylight Time,
> > james.metz@verizon.net writes:
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >   Now, this just riles me no end. Why in the world is Jimmy O'Brien not
> > mentioned in this , the zillionth guy writing a column, from the N.Y.T.
to
> > the internet hot sheets, about coach of the year? Everyone is deferring
to
> > Scott or Carlisle. I mean give me a break! What? Are we 1/2 game behind
> > Detroit? Could you go to the above article and put O'Brien's name in
where
> > you read Carlisle, except the last sentence, which contains the
"heresay"
> > about who Larry Legend wanted to coach the Pacers?
> >   Do these guys read the internet hypola that the Celtics players run
the
> > show and O'Brien calls the plays around his players wishes?
> >   If so, I believe they are either lazy and accepting someone else's
buzz,
> > or they will soon join the ranks of those who have underestimated ,
Jimmy
> > for months, only to wonder how he could have bungled and been bullied,
his
> > way, here.
> > JB
> > ********************
> >
> > I can understand that not every coach has the luxury of having 2 players
> > like Paul Pierce and Antoine Walker on the same team, but O'Brien has by
> and
> > large used most of Pitnino's groceries, and turned some garbage into a
> > pretty decent meal.  Let's be real, O'Brien and the Celtics almost won
50
> > games this season.  I don't by the crap that the C's are where they are
> > because the rest of the conference is just plain weak, nor that they
took
> > advantage of injuries on other teams.  What were we supposed to do, lose
> > those games?  Isn't that the mark of a good team? And isn't being
healthy
> a
> > sign that you are, to some extent, conditioned well enough to avoid
them?
> > Lets face it, you can count on one hand the number of games that this
team
> > lost because of poor coaching.  The C's, this season, beat many of the
> best
> > in the league on their own turf.  The C's were good both on the road and
> at
> > home, and against the East as well as well as the West.  O'Brien is damn
> > well responsible for the C's success.
> > I realize that he isn't putting the ball in the hole, but between he and
> > Dick Harter, this team is putting out a very fine product, albeit with
an
> > unconventional style not appealing to many.  I read on another board
what
> a
> > "moron coach" O'Brien was for either this move, or that play.  That is
> pure
> > bull.  The C's, by and large, are a non-prototypical team, made up of
> > two-thirds wing players, and one-third of players playing out of
position.
> > So, either this was done by design, or the "brain trust" has developed
an
> > ingenious plan on how to win with what you have.  Something has to give,
> > because this team almost finished 2nd in the Eastern Conference, so
which
> is
> > it, design or plan?
> > O'Brien certainly belongs among the top 2 or 3 for the award.  Hell, O'B
> > didn't get the luxury of acquiring the likes of a Jason Kidd in the
> > off-season.  He has turned a losing team into a winning team-one that
> hasn't
> > been in Boston in over a decade.
> > That's OK, though, the hell with the award.  Let O'B do the talking in
the
> > playoffs.
> > I have a good feeling about this team.  Part of it is because we have
two
> > players Pierce and Walker who can mentioned in the same sentence as
Larry
> > Bird and Kevin McHale.  And, at 25 and 24 yrs of age, we have them
locked
> up
> > long term to boot.  The other part is that for the first time in a long
> > time, I'm enjoying  watching team defense.  This team is actually
winning
> > because of good defense.  That's what helped win championships in the
> past.
> > And, they are resilient.  This team has bounced back from every slump,
and
> > went on winning streaks by beating good teams on their own courts.  Yes,
a
> > lot of it has to do with having two studs in Walker and Pierce, but O'B
> has
> > had as much if not more to do with it.  He has a confident team, and
each
> he
> > has each and every player busting their butts for him.  And this is the
> same
> > team that many of the so-called basketball geniuses had predicted
wasn't
> > going anywhere.  So much for the "three Stooges" theory.
> > DavidP