Re: The Boston Celtics Mailing List Digest V9 #388

[Kim Malo <kimmalo@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

At 06:31 PM 11/25/02 -0500, GuyClinch@AOL.com wrote:
> Hill and McGrady...but Walker and Pierce are just tougher players. Also
> Pierce was slumping a bit offensively..( I think the World Championships have
> hurt him some) but he really is passing alot better.
Dunno if you ever listen to the radio game broadcasts but on one of them 
they were talking about his admitting that that took a lot out of him and 
he was a bit tired. That was my concern with his playing, since he was so 
clearly running out of gas by the end of the season, much less the playoffs.


> Now I always liked Battie..I told you folks he could play...
> Battie to me..is a guy who made more of his talents. Someone like McCarty
> should actually be better then him..but just didn't bother. At least when
> Battie is on someone six - one he will post up or dunk on him.
I don't think you can say McCarty didn't bother - no one can ever fairly 
accuse McCarty of lack of effort. But while possibly more athletic, I don't 
think he is more skilled and will never have a very high basketball IQ so a 
lot of it's misdirected effort. What it looks like to me is that O'B gives 
him a lot more structure than Pitino -a clearly defined role- which 
minimizes that problem as much as possible. Under Pitino Walter never 
looked like he knew what he was doing or supposed to be doing (of course 
neither did anyone else, for that matter). Under O'B he may do things badly 
but he seems to understand his role and largely fill it as well as can be 
expected.

OTOH I agree that Battie has stepped up. Starting with last year, but too 
often last year he would come through in spurts but disappear for a lot of 
the game. That rarely happens now. He's 17th in the NBA in offensive 
rebounds and 19th in blocks, which may not sound that impressive until you 
look at the fact that he's still a PF playing C and his role within the 
team. He's also doing a bit more on offense, for which his teammates have 
to take some credit in getting the ball to him. I like the fact that they 
try to set him up for at least one pump him up alley oop per game and wish 
they'd do it more often.

Which is part of why I'm pushing to ballot stuff him for the all-star game 
as a reward. Yeah, I know, he's not a great center. But it's tough to see 
anyone else in the east significantly more deserving and he's unlikely to 
make it unless Boston fans push him in.

Kim