[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]

Re: Is this it?



I felt the same on Baker. He looked good. Nothing spectacular, but he doesn't need to be here. He said after the game that it is probably the first time in his career where he is not expected to be the first option. If he is not just talking, then it is a good sign. Good hands down low. Some great passes; the likes of which we have not seen from a center in these parts in some time. It was strange to see the team actually running set plays to get the ball down low. Again, just not used to that. But it worked well.

Last year I was in the camp that thought Paul was better than Antoine. I am coming around to the other side. Maybe it's the 3 (2?) extra years in the league that Antoine has over Paul. Maybe we shoudl wait and see how Paul looks in his 6th year. But to me, rigt now Antoine looks like twice the player Paul is. I know it's early, I know it's only 1 pre-season game, but it's just the way it is right now. Antoine's decision making, his attitude with the refs, his maturity level, his ability to make teammates better... all of that is light years ahead of Paul. I think Paul will get there eventually, because he has the skills, but it is obvious what a huge difference a guys 4th, 5th, 6th years in the league does.
(I don't want to hear a reply, Lance. I don't feel the same as you about Paul. I am thrilled that he is on this team. Unlike you, all I feel he needs is a little maturity and a few more years playing experience.)

I am not as down on Kedrick as some. I keep thinking back to Mcgrady's first, and even second years in the league. Remember when Toronto realized they couldn't afford Carter and McGrady and were trying to decide which to keep and which to trade? You think they'd still keep 'Vincanity'? No way. But at the time, they appeared to be equals. A few more years has showed otherwise. I think it will be the same with Kedrick. Like Tracy, he played so little before entering the league that he doesn't really know how to play the game. He is still learning that. I don't think it is like with 'Poodle Boy', where there was just a complete lack of basketball sense. Kedrick has good sense about him. He just needs to learn the game a little bit more.

Bremmer. Looked average. I can see why he was not picked in the draft. Probably good enough to be a 2nd or 3rd PG on a lot of teams.

Shammond Wiliiams. Very quick. Good dribbling skills. I didn't see a whole lot of PG skills. He made a couple nice moves off the dribble to lose his guy, but that's not helping him in the PG department. Has an awkward shooting motion, even though he is obviously a good shooter. Almost looks like he is pushing the ball rather that shooting it.

EWill I think gave what is expected out of him. He'll give the same contributions as last year. Nothing more, nothing less.

Delk can be valuable to this team, bt only if he stays in the 18-20 foot range. Some guys just can't shoot the 3. When Delk shoots a 20 footer, it looks smooth and you have confidence that it will go in. You lose all confidence when he shoots the 3. It looks ugly, and usually is. I think he played so poorly here last year because Obie tryed to get him to shoot 3's. He couldn't, but Obie had him keep trying. It ended up affecting his mid-range shot as well. Keep Delk away from the 3-point line, and we'll all end up liking him.

Battie is the same player. I think the other 2 are Blount and Vitaly, just in different bodies.



From: "Berry, Mark S" <berrym@BATTELLE.ORG>
To: "'celtics@igtc.com'" <celtics@igtc.com>
Subject: Is this it?
Date: Wed, 09 Oct 2002 10:59:00 -0400

Come on, there have to be more listers out there who saw the game last
night. Get your noses off the grindstone and give us some details!

Based on what has been posted so far...

Encouraging first outing for Baker. If even Ray is saying good things about
him, he must have looked good. If he plays well and FITS IN (that's a huge
key), then maybe Wallace lucked into a winning lottery ticket (not the draft
lottery kind-he'd just screw that up).

Don't know what to think of Delk and Shammond. Mixed reports. Sounds about
like what we expected.

Discouraging on Kedrick. Sounding more and more like a big Oh-fer in that
draft.

Sundov and Travis Knight mentioned in the same sentence... not what I
expected from a top-seven pick...

Looking forward to hearing from more of you.

Mark



_________________________________________________________________
Send and receive Hotmail on your mobile device: http://mobile.msn.com