Re: flu/ doc/ baker

["Berry, Mark S" <berrym@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Doc Rivers' act is wearing really thin. He tries to make everything
personal, and this takes the cake. It's funny how he was a "genius" when he
won with guys like Ben Wallace and Chucky Atkins... and then he traded them
away. Now Detroit is winning with guys like that.

But saying winning in Orlando is "impossible" without Antoine and Battie is
stretching it. Orlando didn't have Grant Hill. They're still soft as melted
marshmallow. The sad thing is, the Celtics are, too. It's not just energy.
It's toughness. The Celts aren't playing with any. You want a reason why
Baker didn't play in the second half? That's it, right there. Toughness.
Obie is trying to find it again, and Baker doesn't have an ounce of it. You
can try to put Band-Aids on the problem, but it still comes down to this
team not playing as tough as it did a year ago. That's the problem. They're
not mentally or physically tough right now. And it started before any flu
bug hit.

I also don't buy into the you have to play Baker and Kedrick if you want
them to get better theory. They have to earn it. Baker has been terrible.
Cousy summed up one of the symptoms nicely the other night when he said it
takes Baker too long to wind up and go up for the shot. He's getting blocked
all the time for that reason. He's just shot. I know it's painful to admit,
because of the implications, but it's true. He's finished. We may see
flashes here and there, like the first half against Orlando, but they'll
just be flashes. As for Kedrick, what has he shown that would warrant
playing time? When he's in there, he's invisible, except for when he's
bricking stand-still 3-pointers. Maybe he'll get it someday, but I don't
think it will be in Boston. Make it 0-for-3 in the 2001 draft.

One last thing... Although the key to the current swoon is toughness,
especially on the defensive end, I think the flaws in this offensive system
are starting to show. It really is sort of a free-for-all on offense. The
shot selection is terrible. If everyone isn't passing the ball, the Celts
become awfully easy to defend. The assist numbers and shooting percentages
are terrible. Not to beat a dead horse, but it's these kinds of things that
a good point guard can prevent or cure. It's not as easy as saying a "true"
point guard. You could throw Jacque Vaughn out there right now, who some
people consider a true point guard, and he's not going to help. You need a
good one, and those don't grow on trees (and they don't come disguised as
Dana Barros-if that happens, I'll... I'll... do something to show I'm really
angry). 

That's not to say acquiring a good point guard is the only answer to the
offensive problems. When everything is clicking, this offense can work. But
when it's not, they lack a floor general to right the ship. It deteriorates
quickly, and the Celts take some hellacious shots at crucial times. But,
again, none of that is especially new. That happened last season. But last
season, the team was tough enough defensively to stay in the game until
things settled out offensively. Lately, they haven't been. That's the
difference.

Mark

P.S. Josh, I know you're planning to summarize your latest conversation with
Wallace for your next column, but how about a preview for your longtime list
buddies? Although I know what to expect, and I know it will frustrate me,
I'd still like to hear what he had to say.

--- --- ---

Josh wrote:

I was glad to hear about the flu..maybe that explains our recent play,
which was characterized as much by lack of energy as anything else.
Low energy would explain why we fell apart after the good first quarter
against miami...impossible to win against Orlando at home without
Twon and Battie at full strength.  Still, how bush league is that Doc Rivers
crap about "tommy said mean things about us?"  Can you imagine Jim
O'Brien saying, "we were going to rub this win in Snapper Jones'  face!
Or "Red Kerr criticized Antoine!  You don't say that in this league!"  How
lame is that?  Anyway,  flu covers a multitude of sins in my book.

They should have pounded the ball into Baker in the second half.  O'Brien
needs to do this soon, no?  He's not going to get any better if they don't
give him an opportunity to be better, and Kedrick likewise....