Re: Venting

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

C'mon Mark, you must know the Pistons have a better team than the Celts.
Your just expecting too much from a team that has to over produce to beat
Detroit and Philly (with Iverson). On occasion it will happen. OBs playing
the safe game. Yesterday's game was proof Delk and Roger have to contribute
20-25 pts., in these games. KA, Williams, Pots, nor Battie contributed to
the game.

DanF



----- Original Message -----
From: "Berry, Mark S" <berrym@BATTELLE.ORG>
To: "Celtic igtc list (E-mail)" <celtics@igtc.com>; "Celtic yahoo list
(E-mail)" <celticsstuffgroup@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Monday, March 25, 2002 11:45 AM
Subject: Venting


> I'm really disgusted with this team right now. Apparently making the
> playoffs is good enough for them. I fully expect them to tread water the
> rest of the way and be a first-round out. Anyway, here are some thoughts:
>
> 1. The reason this team is better this season is Dick Harter. It's that
> simple. They win because of their defense. Their offense is terrible, and
> that seems to be Obie's area of "expertise." They don't rebound. Thanks to
> the draft disaster, there was no personnel upgrade to start the season,
and
> Rogers and Delk are being so misused, their acquisition is almost wasted.
> What has Obie really done, other than hire Harter and "not be Pitino?"
> Encourage haphazard offense... relegate everyone but Pierce and Walker to
> the roles of paid observers... consistently field the smallest team in the
> league... fix it when it ain't broken (Battie in, Vitaly out)... Pretty
much
> sums it up, doesn't it?
> 2. So Harter is the team MVP... but now the team seems to be forgetting
> that. Friday was an absolute embarrassment. That Sixers team without
Iverson
> shouldn't be able to score 90 points in an empty gym. And the Pistons...
> actually, the Pistons should be an example to the Celtics. Is their talent
> "better" than the Celtics? Would you trade Pierce or Walker for
Stackhouse?
> For Ben Wallace? Kenny for Chucky Atkins? Rogers for Cliff Robinson? Delk
> for Jon Barry? That Pistons team isn't San Antonio or Sacramento in terms
of
> talent. They're not even Milwaukee, Philly, Indiana or even Boston in
terms
> of talent. Rick Carlisle got Stackhouse to sacrifice and adapt for the
> betterment of the team. That's what coaches do. Other coaches, anyway.
> 3. I knew, with this being a national TV game, it would turn into the
> Pierce-Walker show. Almost 60 shots between them. Sure, they got their
> points, but the defense was a joke and once again there was no ball
> movement. Seven assists between them? These two still care about crap like
> playing on national TV, putting on a "show."
> 4. Earlier in the season you could count on strong effort and hard work
> against top teams. Not anymore. Like I said, I think they're satisfied.
They
> wanted to make the playoffs, they've made them. Now they're ready to take
a
> little break. The good news for them is the playoff stay figures to be
> short, so they'll get plenty of rest in a couple of months.
> 5. The worst part of it? The playoffs are going to be held up as some
> kind of grand achievement this year. Never mind that the conference is a
> disaster... That the single most important draft in maybe two decades was
> botched, scuttling any hopes of building around the current roster... That
> the offense-never mind the 3-pointers-involves absolutely no motion or
> passing and consistently produces only low-percentage shots... And nothing
> is going to change for a long time. Obie will coach. Antoine and Pierce
will
> do their things. The Celtics will be undersized and get killed on the
> boards. The roster won't change because of the luxury tax. Harter will
> either retire again or the players will revert to old habits now that
> they're a "veteran playoff team." The conference will steady itself. This
> opportunity will have been lost.
>
> Don't mean to be negative. I've been as excited as anyone about the
playoff
> possibilities of this team, but I'm starting to think I had more
enthusiasm
> than even the players. They've accomplished their goal. Why kill
themselves
> to be the best when everyone around them seems to think they're good
enough
> already? Can't blame Chris Wallace. He went out and got the pieces. Obie
is
> revealing himself. But my real frustration is with the players. Make the
> playoffs, be an easy out and start vacation. They'll be sorry they took
this
> opportunity for granted when they're back to scrapping for the final
playoff
> spot next season. Or maybe they won't be. I don't know anymore.
>
> Mark