stretch run

["hironaka@nomade.fr"<hironaka@nomade.fr>]

Its notable that half of the Celtics six top scorers are 
shooting under 40% from the field (Strickland, Williams 
and Walker), yet the team has been quite strong all year. 
We have a fourth regular, Kedrick, also stuck below the 
40% mark.

This was addressed. I guess one can call Tony Delk 
a "microwave" bench threat but Rodney Rogers is also 
averaging over a point every two minutes and shooting 
over 50% from 2-point range. If he can maintain that 
production, and not hurt the team defensively, I suppose 
the Celts have a shot at delivering a real hurting on 
teams like Milwaukee and even Philly. 

Of course, Obie will need to kid glove Rogers more than 
Delk, since Rogers isn't under contract very much (and 
Delk for a 10th pick etc. is not going to go over too 
well).

One thing about the Phoenix comments on the trade that 
struck me is that Rogers plans to keep his residence in 
Phoenix, despite the trade. 

The key is that Boston gets to the second round with this 
team and that Rogers gets his 25 minutes somehow or 
other. That almost certainly means Walker will need to 
play around 36-38 minutes per game, versus 42+ currently. 
And Kedrick (and/or EWilliams) may have to sit.

You'd think Delk might make the faster impact, since he 
knows Walker and Obie's game and Strickland was injured 
in the LA game. I have a tape of his MVP game in the 1996 
NCAA Final Four. Obviously that kid can light it up when 
he's on. 

Chris Wallace used the baseball pennant race analogy. I 
really hope we didn't give up a Jeff Bagwell, but I like 
how this postions Boston for the stretch run.

A 19-9 run could get us a first place seed (and 50 wins). 
Its not inconceivable given the remaining schedule, but 
every game counts more than ever. 19 wins will be tough.

All along, the Joe-Kedrick 2001 draft somehow seemed like 
a two-shots-at-one-keeper type of thing. I assumed one 
would emerge on top and the other would be traded. One 
seemed like a poor man's McGrady and the other like a 
poor man's Vince Carter.

But, obviously, by any standards the Johnson-Kedrick 
competition ended hastily. Moreover, I hope Wallace and 
Papile really researched this trade offer rather than 
reacting on the spur of the moment, based on remembrances 
of Delk and Rogers from one or two games years ago. 

Now its up to Obie and Harter to integrate these two into 
what I think can be the best team in the East. 

As for "Omah", I say sign him if we have the roster 
space. Can't hurt. No doubt he'd be a star in the Big 
East had he stayed in school this year.

Go Celts




 


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