Re: Reverse psychology.

["Dan Forant" <dforant1@nycap.rr.com>]

Trade our Captain. Are you serious??  JJ has to learn to fit the team, not
the team fit him. He certainly is in a slump and we can't afford to give him
the time doing *what he may do best* by sacrificing scoring of others. He
needs to do just what he's doing, sitting and learning, I hope.

DanF
----- Original Message -----
From: "JB" <JBMetzEA@yahoo.com>
To: "Celtics Stuff" <Celticsstuffgroup@Yahoogroups.com>; "Celtics@igtc"
<celtics@igtc.com>
Sent: Thursday, January 31, 2002 7:38 AM
Subject: Reverse psychology.


>    Why is it such a puzzle to figure out what happened to Joe Johnson's
game
> and why Joe Forte can't get on the floor? I was scratching my head over
this
> and traced back to Shaw's, when JJ was pretty much the best player on the
> floor and getting rave reviews, while earning the starting spot that he
> opened the season with.
>    What do I remember most from Shaw's? I remember a moribund team, led by
> Milt Palacio, having trouble scoring 60 points per game and all the
players
> standing on the perimeter, waiting for Milt to get the ball over mid-court
> and find one of them for their designated heave. Next, I remember the C's
> bringing in Khalid El-Amin and the offense starting to fire on all
cylinders
> and scoring in bunches and winning three of the last four games after
having
> lost the first two. Joe Johnson was running the wings, forwarding the ball
> to the open man and having a ball in the open court. Forte was likewise,
> moving without the ball and filling spaces, to either take the mid-range
> jumper, or find a man closer to the basket. Even when Khalid was on the
> bench, Joe Johnson ran the offense. Palacio became a spot up shooter, on
the
> wing and actually was pretty good there.
>    The team was rejuvenated with a push it up, distributing point guard,
who
> allowed them to use their talents.
>    Joe Johnson is not best utilized as a shooter from the corner. Get him
on
> the floor, out at the top of the key and running in transition and you
will
> see all of his marvelous talents on display again. Put him in the corner,
> waiting for a bailout pass and you might as well put a dunce cap on him.
>    Why won't they utilize a style of offense that showcases Forte's and
> Johnson's skills (let alone Kedrick Brown)? I believe his name is Walker.
> Antoine wants that spot on the outside of the offense. With Anderson and
> Pierce already working from the middle of the floor there is just no room.
> When you have your power forward taking up this space and firing threes,
not
> only don't you have the rebounding you need, but no post game and no wings
> slashing to the hoop.
>    There are so many things to like about Walker, don't get me wrong.  I
> have no venom, when I say this: If you want to see the athleticism and
open
> court saavy of our rookies, it's time to trade our captain.  I'm not sure
if
> this will make us a better team or not, but I want to see a team that runs
> in transition and passes the ball as a first option, not as a last resort.
> Walker can do this, but he  won't do it consistently and again, he wants
> that spot outside that should be reserved for a speedy slashing type
player,
> that Walker will never be, no matter how much he pines for it.
>    Now may be the best time ever to do this. Walker is an All-Star, the
C's
> are in third place 9 games over .500. Grant from Miami. Wallace from
> Portland. Brand from the Clippers.
>    Do any of you really think we will win tonight, or finish the season,
> even a few games over .500? I hope I eat my words tonight, but I see a
> sinking ship. Don't blame the messenger, please. I'm no fair weather fan.
If
> The ship goes down, I'll be on it, but I've finally seen enough of Walker.
> He's in shape, he has the game going his way and all he can do is hit
> threes.
>
>
>
>         JB
>
>
>
>                   Unchain My Heart !