Re: Where do we go from here? - RealGM

["Cecil Wright" <cecil@hfx.eastlink.ca>]

While John and others continue to bemoan the fact that Toine shoots
megathrees, in the below post, even going so far as to compare him to Free,
how can it be that Jim O'Brien escapes the wrath?

I am not as able to see into the future as some of you seem to think you
are.  All I know is this is a team who has already won 30 games with Walker
and Pierce bombing away to their heart's content.  Regardless of who the
competition is, despite their records or what conference they represent,
this team is playing .566 ball.

They are doing it, in large part, with the outside shooting of Pierce and
Walker, with splashes of Strickland and Anderson.  They are what they are,
and that is a very weak inside team.  Why Toine gets the lions share of the
blame for this is mysterious to me.  I said a long time ago when Obie got
the job...his strategy is for Walker and Pierce to shoot the 3.  It has been
successful for them thus far but he, Wallace and Dr. Jack know there must be
additions to this team which will provide that missing section of the puzzle
as well as a PG.

Why you continue to harp on this issue is intriguing.  Walker for Wallace?
Think Rasheed would just blend in here with the way our mediots go for the
jugular like a hyena?  No thanks.

Cecil



----- Original Message -----
From: "Orion" <johnlyell@hotmail.com>
To: <CeltsSteve@AOL.com>; <Celtics@igtc.com>
Sent: Sunday, February 17, 2002 2:04 PM
Subject: Re: Where do we go from here? - RealGM


> Unfortunately the time will come when the C's do wise up and move Walker.
> Hopefully it is while he still has value to someone.
>
> Yeah , he will win games for you, but he will  lose more, especially
against
> the better teams, and at playoff time if we make it there.
>
> As mentioned a 4 who think he's World B. Free spells trouble for any team.
I
> would move him for Wallace. Rasheed has a better low post game that we
need
> badly. It would be nice to get Wallace and Bonzi giving up say Walker and
> one of the rookies and some cap fodder.
>
> Lamar Odom could be on his way out also. Baron Davis has been rumored in
> deals with the Clippers. Unfortunately Brand is a better 4 and they have
> Miles at the 3 so Walker would not be in their future.
>
>  I am just not sure how many places would see him as a fit. Most would
find
> it unacceptable for a 4 not to play the position and lead the league in
3's.
> Unfortunately it is one of the Celtics few drawing cards.
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> ----- Original Message -----
> From: <CeltsSteve@AOL.com>
> To: <Celticsstuffgroup@yahoogroups.com>; <Celtics@igtc.com>
> Sent: Sunday, February 17, 2002 10:16 AM
> Subject: Where do we go from here? - RealGM
>
>
> > Where do we go from here?
> >
> > I know the Celtics have a lot of holes. We're a first round loss waiting
> to
> > happen and in Boston that is just not good enough. But even worse, it
> doesn't
> > look like we're going to be "Championship Driven" in the next couple of
> years
> > (barring a minor miracle).
> >
> > Right now I'd say that we're set at one position: small forward with
> Pierce.
> > Not to hate on Antoine, but until we have a Mutumbo style center playing
> next
> > to him, I'm not comfortable with a PF leading the league in 3 point
> attempts
> > (leading the f%*king NBA? that's more threes than Eddie Jones, Ray
Allen,
> > Peja, and our very own Paul Pierce).
> >
> > So instead of pointing out all the problems we have, I'm asking you --
the
> > fans -- a question: Where can the Celtics get better? Not in a dream
> world,
> > add Jason Kidd and Tim Duncan sense, but in a real world, trade for a
> Byron
> > Russell, sign a Michael Olowokandi type of situation.
> >
> > It seems like an easy question to answer: "We need a true point guard,"
> > that's the first thought in my mind (Especially after watching EStrick
and
> > Kenny try to run the show against Seattle's zone. You'd think neither of
> them
> > had seen a zone in their life!). But, there are only two true points in
> the
> > East (JKidd and Andre Miller). So fixing the point situation is out.
> >
> > "Center! If we can't fix our PG problems then at least we can get a
> > workmanlike center." OK, reasonable. Maybe we could get a Brad Miller
type
> or
> > a Dale Davis to bang inside, get 10 boards a game, and allow Antoine to
> roam
> > the perimeter (can you tell that I think Antoine should play inside
> more???).
> > IF, and that's a big if, we get someone like Dale Davis, I'll be happy.
> >
> > "What about a swing man who can shoot the trey? Take some of the
pressure
> off
> > our two big guns?" OK. Who's out there? Jalen Rose? Not gonna happen. A
> three
> > point specialist? Is Dale Ellis still in the league, cause I know he was
> > twice the player Hubert Davis still is. Other than someone off the bench
> to
> > shoot a couple times a game (ex-Celtic Brian Shaw being the role model),
I
> > don't think the C's can swing a trade for a big name guy to play 2 or 3
> > alongside Pierce.
> >
> > "What about trading Antoine for someone like Rasheed Wallace?" I hate
how
> > Antoine plays offense, I hate his ego, but I love his heart and soul. No
> > offense to Pierce, but Antoine is still the glue guy on this team and
it's
> > most talented player (even if he doesn't always show it). No way we can
> trade
> > a building block like Antoine.
> >
> > "So what about our own team? Could we play better on offense? Can one of
> the
> > rooks step up?" This is my main hope for the future. Kedrick looks like
> the
> > real deal, but not this year. As for coaching, I love Obie, but he's
going
> to
> > find out quick that unless you have three guys who can NAIL the trey,
you
> > shouldn't be leading the league in 3PA. Sac-town (with Bibby, Christie,
> > Peja), LA (with Fischer, Kobe, Shaw, Fox, Horry), Milwakee (with Casell,
> > Allen, Robinson, Thomas) would all make more sense to be leading the
> league
> > in attempts than the C's. My two cents? Antoine starts at "power"
forward,
> > he's gotta start playing like one. Because Vitaly and Batite combine for
> one
> > post move between them (Vitaly's up fake), Antoine has gotta get his ass
> on
> > the block on offense. And if Antoine gets doubled, he has to look for an
> open
> > Pierce, then an open Vitaly, and lastly for Walter McCarty (who's
actually
> > been playing decent lately). I truly feel that if Antoine played inside,
> > Kenny could move the ball around, Strickland or Eric Williams would get
a
> ton
> > of space, and Pierce would still score close to 30 a night.
> >
> > Dan Kahn is the webmaster and content supervisor for celtics.realgm.com,
> he
> > can be reached at Daniel.Kahn@tufts.edu
> >
> > <A HREF="http://celtics.realgm.com/articles.php">Back to Articles</A>
> >
> > CeltsSteve