Re: [Celtics' Stuff mchale

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

I understand your point. However, Bird did have the advantage of McHale and
the Chief for options. They knew where and when to be. This team doesn't
have that savvy yet. Bird's passes were great but there were lanes. We're
now starting to move better. Bad habits are hard to break. Pierce and Walker
have had to carry the load, some of that is changing. Witness the last game
where they combined for around 24%. Others picked up the slack. We could
have won.

L8ter
DanF
----- Original Message -----
From: "JB" <JBMetzEA@yahoo.com>
To: <Celticsstuffgroup@yahoogroups.com>; "Celtics@igtc" <celtics@igtc.com>
Sent: Saturday, February 02, 2002 7:10 PM
Subject: Re: [Celtics' Stuff mchale


>    The problem:
>     I'd like to examine a bit, a real difference, in the play and attitude
> of Bird, as opposed to Walker and Pierce.
>     If Larry wasn't scoring and there were nights that his defender was
too
> quick and chest to chest, or just his shot not going down, he would go to
> the paint and rebound like a monk in a hair shirt. In addition, I don't
> think, after Bird's first season or so, that he ever took a shot, if there
> was a team mate out front, all alone, or even in a better position than he
> to score.
>    How many times has Pierce just dribbled up and made a move, forcing a
> shot or turning the ball over, without caring who else was in position to
> score. Last night, he made that great pass to Battie, but that should be
the
> rule. I don't want to hear quotes like today's :   3They understand I am
one
> of the top scorers on this team, so they're going to focus on me,2 Pierce
> said. 3So I've got to fight through it.2
>    As for Walker, he says the right things, but, the great games he has
are
> when his head is up and he is making the creative passes, to open and
> cutting players. I haven't seen that Antoine in weeks. He is also not
> rebounding with much gusto. He gets the ones that land on his head. When
is
> the last time you have seen him really fighting for position, or the ball.
I
> know he's injured and that is a good reason, perhaps, to cut him some
slack
> on his boarding efforts, but it doesn't excuse the head down, lack of
> passing.
>      Now, for the remedy:
>    As I said yesterday, my wish is to see two of the rookies, played
> prominently, 20 minutes each and running the wing, with whoever else will
> run with them. Anderson will push the ball and if he can't create a lay
up,
> or easy shot, then he can pass over to Walker who will pass over to Pierce
> and they can use their one-on one moves and three point shooting, as a
last
> resort, not the first option.
>    Eric Williams needs to go back to the bench. He is very valuable coming
> in, to focus the offense, when we need a good possession. He is a third
> wheel as a starter.
>   Palacio must go. If they don't get another point guard (Khalid is still
> out there guys) they are asking for big trouble, as the season drags on.
> Kenny Anderson could have a heart attack, on the floor, the way they are
> pushing him. They realize that they need a distributor on the floor, so
they
> are playing him, about twice the minutes they planned in preseason. Well,
> it's time to realize that he can't keep that pace and find a back up.
>    Blount must go. Walker needs some rest, every night, 10-15 minutes a
> game. Whether it's his injury, or just fatigue, he has even less lift than
> usual. Michael "The Animal" Smith, looks good in my book.
>    Pierce also needs some down time. He's starting to look like James
Brown,
> at 65 , not Jimmy Brown, in his prime.
>
>
>
>         JB
>
>
>
>                   Unchain My Heart !