First Preseason Game

[Michael Gooen <callmebogie@xxxxxxxxx>]

Not sure I have much to add to what others have contributed, but since I
did watch the game:

Pierce:  I'll start with the bad news.  Everything seemed forced.  Perhaps
he was tired from his summer exploits, distracted by the trial, or overly
lackadaisical because he was playing against CBA players.  But Paul looked
flat-out awful at both ends of the floor -- way too many bad decisions
with the ball, and for once I agreed with the refs on a few of the charge
calls.  Let's hope he gets this garbage out of his system during the
preseason.

Walker:  Not exactly vintage Antoine, but he looked fit and comfortable
out there.  I noticed a couple of bad 3s and one abysmal attempt at
cooking up some "Fwench pastwy" (dribbling out of control on a break and
getting stripped by a CBA player), but also some good passing and
rebounding (though obviously not as good on the latter point as McDyess).

Baker:  Great stuff.  I remember Vin being touted out of Hartford as a
great ball handler and passer for a big man, and he doesn't seem to have
forgotten how to do either of those things.  It's extremely refreshing to
see the ball go into the low post without having an overwhelming sense of
dread.

Kedrick:  I thought he did well - grabbed a few rebounds in traffic (on
both ends), finished spectacularly off the break, hit a 3, played solid D.
 Why does anyone expect or even want him to do more, at least as long as
Pierce is on this team?  The Cs don't need another superstar; they need a
quicker, more explosive Eric Williams who doesn't need the ball to help
the team.  I look for Kedrick to get 20-25 mpg this year, and based on
last night's performance he's on his way to earning those minutes. 

Shammond Williams:  Not bad on offense -- some nice shooting and passing. 
It looks as though both he and Delk will thrive on open Js courtesy of
Walker, Baker and (should he choose to pass) Pierce.  But Joe's right. 
Shammond is TINY (and I don't mean the second coming of Nate Archibald). 
As soon as he entered the game Howard Eisley backed Shammond down and
easily scored over him.  
 
Sundov:  I like the offensive moves from 15 feet and in -- decent touch,
decent ball-handling skills.  But the idea of leaving him at the 3 point
line is insane.  Let him kill a lion or two before they try to turn him
into Manute Bol.  On defense--ugly.  Made Travis Knight look like an NBA
center.

Bremer:  The MSG announcers mentioned the Celtic coaches' comment that
Bremer has an outside shot at the starting job.  I don't see how -- at
least not yet.  JR showed a little too much Palacioish deference out there
(there was one sequence in which he passed up the chance to take a 3 in
rhythm to give Antoine an off-balance 3).  But I also don't think he's on
the bubble.  Let's give him a year to practice, watch and learn.

On balance, I'm pleased with what I saw -- but it was the Knicks without
Houston or Sprewell.  I'm withholding judgment until the Cs play the Nets
next week.

Michael Gooen
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