Re: how baker will fit in

[Tammo29@xxxxxxx]

>I wonder.
>Generally, solid low-post scoring works best from the inside out -- that is, 
when you >send the ball into the post, and a good scorer has the option of 
shooting or >passing. That means the offense starts with the postman.  Will 
the Celtics regularly >feed Baker on the box?  It seems to me that most of 
the offense has consisted of >one-on-one stuff for Pierce and Walker,and 
beyond that, the two-man game.  Other >guys get shots when Paul and Antoine 
are overdefended.  What with Paul and  >Antoine do when Baker is working down 
low?  They're both players who need to >dominate the ball; do they become 
spot-up three point shooters too? I'm just having >a problem figuring what 
the newoffense will look like.
>Josh

   
  The old "Chicken or the Egg ?".
   Is it the captains dominating the ball because that's the only way they 
know how to play?  Or is it the coach asking the captains to dominate because 
he feels that's their best chance to win?
  Yours seems to be the dominate theory with Celtics fans and one I've argued 
against more than once.

  I can't speak as much for Antoine because I didn't watch him play outside 
the Celtics "system" very often.  I few college games.  A couple all-star 
games.  That's it.
But I can speak to Pierce.
He played in a college system that did indeed center on feeding the ball into 
the post.  The big man has always been the main focus in the 
"Carolina-Kansas" system.  
Those of us that have seen him play since high school knew he could hit from 
anywhere on the floor, yet it seemed like it was a surprise to most Celtics 
fans his rookie year.
Why?  Probably because he wasn't the main offensive focus in college so 
unless you watched him every game it never stood out.  The big man was the 
centerpiece, almost to a fault. 
He touched the ball on just about every possession.  And they had a true 
distributing point guard.  
But Pierce still flourished in that system.  We all knew what kind of a 
talent he was.  

I know that he doesn't need to control the ball to be effective because I've 
seen it.
Not only in College, but in the few games he's played since being with the 
Celtics that Antoine has missed. 
Just look at the World Chapionship game last night.  He not only led the team 
in points with 22, he also led them in assists with 6.  All in about 18 
minutes. Less than half the game. 
And you know that if George Karl had thought for a second he was being the 
least bit selfish he would have been sitting on the bench.  Instead he was 
the last player to be substituted for in the first half and played the second 
half until Karl called off the dogs  for good in the third quarter.
I honestly believe that the offense the Celtics have played the last few 
years starts with O'Brien, not with the players.  Not only because of what 
I've said here, but because of what O'Brien has said himself. Over, and over 
and over again.
Even Steve Bulpett reported that he was present during the regular season 
when the coaches came to Pierce and told him he had to take more 
responsibility for the offense, which meant more shots.  I know for a fact 
that they've had this conversation more than once. Isn't it possible they've 
had the same conversation with Walker?
I'm willing to give him the benifit of the doubt.

Well, maybe now with a healthy, refreshed Baker (hopefully) O'Brien will take 
a new tact.  
It does concern me that O'Brien doesn't seem any more thrilled about the 
Baker acquisition than Pierce or Walker.  He desperately wanted to keep 
Rogers.
If Baker doesn't show an ability to dominate down low from the very first 
practice, will O'Brien even consider making him a featured part of the 
offense?
I don't know.  He's never gone out of his way to make a big man a part of the 
offense before, unless you're talking about the pick and pop, which doesn't 
lend itself to Bakers strengths.  
Is this because of his offensive philosophy, or because of the talent he had?
Once again, the Chicken or the Egg?
If nothing else, this should be interesting.