[no subject]

These quotes and comments from and about Antoine are very encouraging. I
don't like the moves the team made in the offseason or the direction the
"braintrust" seems to be taking, but the players can overcome a lot of that
if they continue to play suffocating defense like they did last season. I
was afraid that would get lost in the roster shuffling, Baker acquisition
and point guard debate, but in the first couple of days of camp, it doesn't
sound like Obie or Antoine are allowing that to happen. I knew Obie would
talk about defense, but I was afraid the players wouldn't listen quite as
much. There's a tendency when you accomplish a goal (like making the
playoffs) to relax and treat things as "mission accomplished." Antoine
doesn't seem to be allowing that. That's great news. If the team plays
defense the way it did last season, it still can be good despite the
mistakes of the "braintrust."