Re: Vin Baker article from Seattle

["Lance Jacobson" <lancejacob@xxxxxxxxx>]

Jeez, Mark, I thought I had already countered all that sunshine, and tossed
in the dandelions as well.

What do you expect to read from a Seattle writer?  They lost last night to
the Jazz, both Forte and Kenny played.  JF had 2 pts on 1-1 shooting and
Kenny had five of the teams 18 assists, but went 1-5 from the field.

Isn't it true that Vin played better on the road than at home last season,
but that he still had game and could make shots?  The Celts can afford a
full-time counselor for this guy, if need be, but all the factors are in
place for him to reemerge.  It's not like an injury or Delk's shooting woes,
it's emotional.  Everyone knows, especially Vin, that this is his best, last
chance.  Why wouldn't he AT LEAST be decent?
----- Original Message -----
From: "Berry, Mark S" <berrym@BATTELLE.ORG>
To: <celtics@igtc.com>
Sent: Monday, October 07, 2002 8:56 AM
Subject: Vin Baker article from Seattle


> In the interest of providing something other than the sunshine and
bouquets
> being spread around by the Boston beat writers, I'm posting this article
> from Seattle via ESPN.com. Let's hope things go well from the start. Vin
> Baker just doesn't sound like someone I want in my foxhole when things get
> tough.
>
> Mark
>
>
> Sonics no longer ponder $86M question
>
>
> By Frank Hughes
> Special to ESPN.com
>
>
> SEATTLE -- They say it in hushed tones, almost the way you speak about a
> dead man, even if he was a flaming geyser of stomach bile.
>
> After all, no need to kick a man when he no longer affects your life, but
> the previous effect was so absolutely negative that to completely ignore
it
> is too obvious.
>
> And so they dance around the issue of Vin Baker not being in Seattle any
> longer, but the current Seattle SuperSonics, at least the ones who know,
> don't really skirt it altogether.
>
> They don't say his name, but you know who they are talking about when they
> are asked the difference in this year's version of the team without Baker,
> who was traded to Boston in the offseason, with the ones of the past five
> seasons, when Baker lollygagged his way toward $86 million all to the
> not-so-preternatural chagrin of his steaming teammates.
>
> "I just think we have a lot of good guys," Brent Barry said. "I think we
are
> really going to just play team basketball this year. I think we had a
> stretch last year when we won 15 of 19 games, and we were really sharing
the
> ball, moving it around, playing at a good tempo. Guys are able to make
> mistakes and we are able to police each other without somebody taking it
too
> sensitively, or getting too upset. I just think we have a lot of good guys
> who are willing to put it out on the floor. We are going to make teams
beat
> us."
>
> Oh, by the way, that 15-of-19 game stretch to which Barry refers? That was
> when Baker was injured and out with three dislocated toes.
>
> "Things have been very smooth in training camp," Sonics coach Nate
McMillan
> said. "These guys are working hard. Everybody is coming in and getting
right
> to business. It just seems smoother. It just seems easier to put in your
> schemes and your sets."
>
> What that means is that McMillan no longer has to worry about how many
> touches Baker gets on the offensive end before he decides to play defense
or
> rebound. And there is no more worry about what an $86 million contract
means
> out on the court.
>
> "It makes it easier to come to work, let's put it that way," Barry said.
"It
> makes it easier to come to the locker room every day and know that when we
> step out on the practice floor we are going to get guys who are going to
> work. That is as simple as I can put it."
>
> As Forrest Gump said, that's all we have to say about that.