Re: Obie isn't my friend

[Kestas <Kestutis.Kveraga@dartmouth.edu>]

At 23:21 2/23/2002 EST, you wrote:
>VP has be totally stinking up the joint this past month if anyone has 
>noticed. I really liked the way Blount looked in the Laker game. Obie 
>actually noticed it too and suprisingly let him play half of the 3 and all
of 
>the 4th quarter. Now, Obie hasagain totally forgot about him again. I'm
not a 
>great Blount fan but I think a fire hydrant could play better than VP right 
>now.

Yup, it's been so bad I've been wishing for Blount to play, too. 

>Rodney Rogers is huge. 

>Kedrick was a DNP just like I predicted. You don't think he might have been 
>able to play some defense on Mobley? I think Obie's dream team includes a 
>smallish guy at the shooting guard with him putting Delk as the starting 2 
>and the consistant playing of Strickland there also. I am starting to wonder 
>if the Celtics (Walker and Pierce) aren't just so talented that they are 
>getting by inspite of poor coaching decisions by Obie. 

I like this trade, but like Wallace said, he only provides the ingredients,
Obie does the cooking and that's the problem. He apparently can motivate
the troops, but rivals Isiah Thomas as a basketball strategist. Mobley was
killing us the whole game, shooting over Delk and Strickland at will. The
Rockets were slaughtering us on the boards. Kedrick only had his best
rebounding game as a Celtic against Dallas, and could've really bothered
Mobley with his height and athleticism.  But  Obie grounded him as a reward
for his performance against Dallas AND didn't play Rogers in the second
half, apparently in fear that Rodney would destroy that beautiful offensive
flow the Celtics had going in the last 3 quarters. So the Rockets are
roaring past us, and Obie just stands there like a village idiot with that
dumbfounded, squinting expression on his face.

> I think Pitino's 
>defensive pressing gimmick held them back and now I wonder about some of 
>Obie's decisions. It is going to be funny on how we trade Kedrick away this 
>summer and say that we were able to trade him and still not affect the 
>playing rotation.....

I expect Kedrick, not to mention Forte, to go the JJ route because of Obie.
I was happy to see him in the starting lineup against Dallas, but that
apparently was to last only until Delk got into town. If you draw a DNP-CD
after a strong performance and when the team could really use your defense
and rebounding, you're not in the coach's plans. What the hell do we need
Kedrick for if we have Eric Williams? 

Another big reason for this loss was the disappearance of Pierce
(continuing for the second straight game now). If you didn't see the game,
you look at his stat line and see 10 for 20 for 30 points - nice game. In
reality, he scored the most inconsequential, anonymous 30 points in the
history of basketball, and was a complete non-factor when the game was
decided (some time early in the second half). He's been in a full
Pitino-era 'underwater' mode lately.

Walker was fairly efficient offensively  and was trying to carry the team,
but like everyone else on the Celtics, didn't  rebound much. When the
leading rebounder on the team has 5 boards, they're in trouble. 

Lastly, those who say that, at 3-4, we still had a good trip, are missing
the point. If the Celtics could only win 1 game on this trip, and only won
1, I'd be content. However, they could've won 5 games on this trip, but
gave away two of them, mostly because of bad coaching.  
Kestas