Who's league is it anyway?

[JB <JBMetzEA@yahoo.com>]

   In today's newspaper article, in the Herald, Paul Pierce (as quoted by
Steve Bulpett) trumpets the news that it is a talent league and now we have
acquired some, which makes us competitive, at least, in the east.

   `You've got to have the talent,'' Paul Pierce said. ``Over the last few
years, we've had a lack of talent. You can look at it any way you want, but
that was what it was.

``Chemistry's still important, but even the most talented teams with a lack
of chemistry still make it into the playoffs. You have to have the talent.
It's not like college where you can get by without some talent by playing
hard. In this league, you've got to have people who can play.

``You don't see no Kent States in the NBA playoffs.''

``We're definitely more talented after the trade, so I guess our
expectations of ourselves are going to go up,'' Pierce said. ``Originally I
think we would have been happy at the beginning of the year just to make the
playoffs. Now we're at the point where we want to win the Eastern
Conference.

``I think teams have to look at us and say that. They have to know we're a
threat, a team to be reckoned with. From 1-10, we're as strong as anybody in
the East.''

   From my vantage point; yes, it's a talent league, but only from the
marketing department's standpoint. It seems like the Celtics win or lose,
forgetting about talent levels; playing hard on defense and unselfishly,
moving the ball, at the offensive end.
   Could contributions from Vitaly, Erick Strickland, Eric Williams and
Walter McCarty, in terms of hard work and defensive efforts, count for more
than Paul has reckoned? Our "talent" is shooting around 42%.
   The real owners of this league, to me, are the coaches.
   Phil Jackson, took an L.A. team in disarray and helped the talent become
champions. Rick Adelman insists on teamwork and effective passing. Don
Nelson is a master of the matchup and will tinker with his rotation all
night, until he has gained the upper hand. Maurice Cheeks' team in Portland
is playing the way "Mo" played, for the great Sixer teams of the late 70's
early 80's, who never were a real threat until they traded the talented
George McGinnis, for the team guy; Bobby Jones.
   George Karl is trying to do the same in Milwaukee. George may regret,
this AM, his attempted gamesmanship, after Orlando handed his team it's
head. Orlando, with out a deep roster and limited talent, is holding it's
own in the playoff hunt. Sure they have McGrady, but little else. Didn't
George learn last season, that Doc Rivers was a high level coach? Orlando,
is now only one game behind Boston.
   Detroit, with out a loaded roster, has passed the overly abundant talent
of Milwaukee, in the playoff picture in the  Central Division. Rick Carlisle
has them playing hard every night. Last night they beat a desperate Utah
team, fighting for it's playoff life, on the road.
   A championship team needs talent, surely, but  coaching; including the
ability to motivate the "talent" into team goals, will be the deciding
factor in whether Boston advances past the "we're lucky to be in the
playoffs" mode. 
   I am very grateful for what Jimmy O'Brien has done for this team. He's
given them a taste of winning. He has instilled a work ethic and had some
impact on making them a cohesive unit. It remains to be seen, whether he can
keep them climbing the next few hills, until the team really does become a
contender for a title. Many young coaches, get a team to a certain level and
then a more experienced coach is needed for the fine tuning. I'd like to see
him a bit more flexible, with playing time, but then again, it's his call,
as he says.
       
   ``I have to decide what I think is our best team on any given night, and
when I make that decision either prior to the game or as the game progresses
. . . then I can't necessarily give out minutes in equal portions,'' O'Brien
said after the Celts worked out in preparation for tonight's game against
Cleveland. ``I can't do that. I have to make a decision and it's my
decision...." (Again as quoted by Steve Bulpett)
    
   In those same news articles, Jimmy says that the team lost to Portland,
for lack of effort. It isn't just Mark Berry or Lance that noticed. What can
Jimmy do about it? We'll find out some more of the Jimmy O'Brien story
tonight, as Cleveland comes in, high as kites over a win against first place
( also without great talent), New Jersey.
  
``If we would have played the defense that has gotten us nine games above
.500, if we would have played the type of defense that we were playing up
until about three weeks ago, we would have beaten them,'' he said. ``But we
did not, so we lost.''

Asked if it was a matter of too many games and a lack of practice time,
O'Brien shot back: ``Lack of getting the damn job done. Flat out.

``That's what it's a matter of.''
      
         JB

Link to current standings:
http://archive.sportserver.com/newsroom/sports/bkb/1995/nba/nba/stat/2000-01
confstands_lo.html



                Unchain My Heart !