Wallah, et al.

[bird <birdwl@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Interesting news lately.  I like the McCarty signing, even after years of 
thinking of him as an energizer bunny on speed more than a basketball 
player.  He's 6'11", can guard many different types of players, can score,
 even if it ain't pretty.  Maybe he will fit in a role not unlike a 
utility player in baseball: plug him in where you need him each night.    
I thought it was interesting that Bulpett noted McCarty's seeming 
ambivalence ("I feel so-so about it."), while Springer spun it much more 
approvingly.  While one might have preferred signing a better all-around 
talent, given the situation, and the contract (one year at veteran's 
minimum, only a portion of which counts on the cap) it's not bad.

Except for Songaila.  Don't think he'll make the roster this year.  He 
looked like he might become a serviceable forward in the NBA one day at 
Shaw's, or a complete bust -- you'll never really know unless he gets some 
experience.  Maybe he would have made it if the team was going to carry 
more than 12 guys on the roster, but it doesn't look like that'll happen.

As for re-signing Strick, that sounds good except for one (really big) 
caveat.  The whole point guard question.  Granted, this may turn out to be 
nothing at all, but it's worrisome at this point, because a point rotation 
of Delk, Strick, SWilliams, and Bremer sounds, on paper, pretty awful.  
Obie might start Delk or Strick, and the team might be outmatched at the 
point position regularly.  On the other hand, if Delk and Strick can 
really produce, and/or SWilliams is the next coming of Eric Snow, and/or 
Bremer really is an NBA-ready point, it could work out pretty well indeed.
  It depends greatly on the schemes used on offense and defense.  Obie's 
been pretty consistent as far as these things go, but with Baker's 
acquisition, the dynamics of the team has changed dramatically.  There's 
the real possibility of an actual NBA low-post presence in the paint.  If 
Obie and Harter and the rest can figure out a way to actually maximize 
these guys' advantages and minimize their disadvantages, than perhaps the 
lack of top-tier talent at point as a whole can be minimized.

The team is poised for something, I'm just not sure what.  If possible, 
this off-season is even more full of questions than usual.  Will Obie 
change the (read: institute an) offensive scheme?  Will he and Harter 
change the defense?  (I'm thinking I don't really want Vin Baker out there 
in Battie's or V's role as designated pick harasser.)  Could this actually 
be the year we see Antoine Walker at the small forward spot?  Will Paul 
Pierce suffer any ill effects from playing in the World Championship?  
Will Obie go big?  And, of course, probably the biggest question: How will 
Vin Baker perform?

If the Celtics actually re-sign Strick, I guess all-in-all I'd be 
genuinely impressed with the chutzpah of the off-season, and reservedly 
hopeful that the team held over enough players for continuity's sake, 
while adding to the actual talent.  Given the owner's restrictions, 
Wallace is playing creatively, if not necessarily wisely.  Let's face it, 
it's a big chance, and if it works out Wallace is a genius; if not, he's 
the goat.

Although I would still prefer a guy like Greg Anthony, or Best, to be 
signed, assuming Strick gets re-signed and that's it, I would make the 
rotation something like:

PG: (Strickland, Delk, SWilliams, Bremer)
SG: Pierce, Brown, Delk, Strickland
SF: Walker, EWilliams, McCarty
PF: Battie, McCarty, Walker
C: Baker, Sundov

The point rotation is really a toss-up, but I put them in the best 
possible order for me.  In the past, you could be dead-sure that Obie was 
going to keep Walker starting at power forward, and generally go small.  
There's a really good chance he'll stay the same, say starting something 
like: (Delk, Strick, Pierce, Walker, Baker), or even (Delk, Pierce, EWill,
 Walker, Baker).  Of course, something like starting Battie instead of 
Baker will probably kill Baker's confidence and Hindenberg the entire 
season.  Then there's the whole question of starting Delk: I could see 
Obie doing this.  Let's face it, the Celtics point guard rotation if 
Strick is re-signed doesn't inspire all that much confidence.  I'd only 
start Strick because, with him, you at least know he will get the ball 
over the half-court line (or commit a charge trying).  He can score and 
play defense.  If C's management is right, and that's all the Celtics need 
from their point guards, than that rotation starts to look pretty 
serviceable.  Maybe.  C's were 5-1 when Strick started last year, both 
papers said.  That's quite the minimal statistic to hang your hat on, 
though.

In the past, I've been convinced by success that Obie's small ball isn't 
so bad.  Like Wallace with Gaston's restrictions, he has to work with the 
players Wallace makes available to him, and he has done pretty well.  It 
seems also wise to focus on the defense most importantly, and first, 
perhaps even to the exclusion of the offense if necessary.  However, the 
team needs to come up with an offensive strategy and, furthermore, the 
tactics (some plays!) that complement them.  Actually, it''s not fair to 
say there weren't *any* plays being run last year, but if Vin Baker is 
going to be a big part of the offense -- and he needs to be -- there needs 
to be more, and a few that involve him shooting the ball.

As someone who tends to think in terms of a traditional power forward, I 
have come to appreciate Antoine Walker as an very non-traditional power 
forward.  And there's got to be a significant chance that Obie goes with 
the usual pattern of a center (Baker), surrounded by four men on the 
perimeter, such that Walker stays ensconced at the 4, and Battie backs up 
Baker (or worse, vice versa), with Sundov getting the poor man's minutes.  
I just think that now, with this line-up, now is the time to go big.  
Something like the above, which is like a lot of suggestions over the 
years from many different listers.  This puts a lot of pressure on Battie,
 Sundov and the points, not to mention Baker.  (Seriously, let's not 
mention that.)  Battie's going to need to be consistent and play many more 
minutes than usual, and I'm not sure he can do that.  But at least he's 
shown way more than Sundov.  If Sundov can't spell Baker for a reasonable 
time each game decently, this rotation will never work.  This guy sounds 
hungry, sounds tall, and sounds like the best 12th-man big man prospect we'
ve had in quite some time.  And on a roster that includes Bremer, he's 
shouldn't even be, technically, the 12th-man.  But he may not even be 
ready for primetime.  Questions upon questions.  It''s time to find out, 
though because, if the C's are going to go with only 12 guys, it may be 
that guys at key positions will be thrust into significant backup minutes.
  There's already little room for injury already, so what's the real 
gamble?  And this from a guy who doesn't even wager much.  I'm the 
play-it-safe type.  I say now's the time.  And I can say that confidently 
because I haven't even seen Sundov or Shammond Williams play.  It's all 
wide open at this point.   There will be surprises.

Do I think that the Celtics will "never compete" or "never win a 
championship" because they didn't follow this suggestion?  No.  This just 
seems like an auspicious time to pile a gamble on another, larger, gamble.
  Wallace raised the stakes when he acquired Baker.  It's time for Obie to 
call, and put his hand on the table, know when to walk away, and uh, know 
when to run.  I mean, it''s time to put the most talent on the floor you 
possible can.  I won't begrudge him giving minutes to EWill and McCarty -- 
at this point in the NBA, with teams going to 12-man rosters, guys will 
play -- though I'd like to see Brown get some playing time against the 
opposing backups, and Walker and Pierce (especially after the world 
competition) get lesser minutes for the sake of the long haul.

In the end, though, I think Obie will incorporate Baker into some small 
variation of small ball instead of doing something closer to this.  And 
who knows, it could work.  The above scheme relies heavily on Battie and 
Sundov.  Obie could just as easily choose to rely on Shammond Williams and 
Bremer.

Bird

P.S. How ironic is it that the NBA instituted a more honest policy on the 
"Injury" list issue just when teams are paring down to 12-man rosters?  
Good stuff.  I tell you, all those who want Chris Wallace or Leo Papille 
to get up and actually say what they think and not spin players or 
situation in the best light possible maybe aren't seeing that it's not in 
their best interest to.  What does honesty get them?  Nothing.