Re: [Celtics' Stuff "...Good things aren't happening in the defensive end.'' -Herald

[JB <jimmetz@xxxxxxx>]

On Saturday, October 19, 2002, at 04:53  AM, Lance Jacobson wrote:

> I hate this offense, and the real Vin Baker had better show up wanting
> the ball in the post pretty soon.  Delk and SWill can't get the ball
> in the hands of anybody who can do something with it, and Vin hasn't
> been an option.  JB. . .Kenny's hardly playing--send him a ticket back
> to Beantown.
> 	Lance

****************************
	I wish I knew what to say. After last season, one should be giving
O'Brien the benefit of the doubt; but remember, he was bailed out by
the recovery of Battie and Anderson, whose injuries may have proved
more of a factor in the teams poor showing in 2000-01, than most would
have subscribed.
	In O'Brien's mind, defense and shooting are the key elements in a
point guards repertoire. We've seen player after player dragged in and
shipped out, because he couldn't hit the open three, while passing and
ball handling, the usual talents one would associate with a point
guard, have hardly been valued.
	We not only passed on a very effective; Khalid El-Amin (I mean, he
made Palacio look like Spam, at Shaw's), we signed Bremer over Jaques
Vaughn, for the same dollars.
		Watching the offense at this point, I have to say that without Kenny
Anderson, we were not a playoff team last year. The team looked
horrible with Milt Palacio on the floor and Tony Delk did not get the
job done at all. Erick Strickland was  somewhat effective, but only
when his erratic three point shot was falling and for short spurts when
teams were caught off guard by his bullish runs to the hoop. In no way
did he compliment the rest of the players on the floor, make them
better, or get them easy baskets. Only Anderson was able to pick up the
knack of leading a fast break with Walker and Pierce trailing the play,
find a few open men under the basket and negotiate a balance between
his options and Walker's penchant for running the offense; stationary,
from behind the arc, shooting the three, driving into traffic or
finding Pierce, on the wing, to shoot the three, or drive into traffic.
	How anyone expects Vin Baker to utilize his post talents  without a
point guard to get him the ball, or to get the defense leaning the
wrong way, is beyond me. The same goes for instituting a fast break
with no one to  head man it.
	I've been harping on the signing of assistant coach Joe Gallagher,
since the day of the signing.  Was this just a "good old buddy" from
the "Main Line," or did O'Brien really think that post play would be an
integral part of our offense this season?


		JB

	Unchain My Heart !