Re: An opposing scout on the Celtics

["Dan Forant" <dforant1@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Don't know about the player rankings but the team ranking is right on. There
shouldn't be an 8 or 7th playoff spot. It's just welfare from the League for
revenue. I don't apologize for the negativity, it's just this team or
management doesn't have a clue yet. I see some good talent but certainly not
enough to dress a good NBA team.

DanF

----- Original Message -----
From: <hironaka@nomade.fr>
To: <celtics@igtc.com>
Sent: Thursday, October 24, 2002 5:39 PM
Subject: Re: An opposing scout on the Celtics


> Interestingly, SI's print NBA preview rates Paul Pierce
> and Antoine Walker as the 5th and 12th most valuable NBA
> players (player value ranking).
>
> Of course, at the same time they rate the Boston Celtics
> just 7th in the East (behind Karl's Bucks and Isiah's
> Pacers) and 16th overall in the NBA (trailing both Utah
> and Seattle, two teams I think we may have swept last
> year).
>
> A lot of it is premised on the apparent glaring weakness
> of our point guards.
>
> Meanwhile, in the defense rankings, some critics may
> rejoice at seeing Paul Pierce rated as ''no defense''
> (along with Eric Williams).
>
> I wonder who SI is giving credit to for Bostons  3rd
> rated defensive FG% last year? Antoine!? I think a little
> locker-room jealousy at Team USA is partly behind this.
>
> And before all the ''I told you so's'' on Pierce, you
> should see who else had SI's lowest defensive rating
> (''no defense'').
>
> They include Vince Carter, Jerry Stackhouse, Mike Bibby,
> Dirk Nowitzki, Reggie Miller, Allan Houston, Rip
> Hamilton, Jamal Mashburn, both Big Dog and his former
> understudy Tim Thomas, Glen Rice, Steve Smith and Jason
> Terry.
>
> Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom also make it too. And of course
> Van Horn and Jason Williams. Also Stoudamire, Brent
> Barry, E Dampier, Troy Murphy, Brad Miller, Larry Hughes,
> Eric Piatkowski and four out of five projected Chicago
> Bulls starters.
>
> Look, Pierce isn't the greatest defender the league has
> seen. We should all admit that. I guess the guys that
> surprise me a lot more for being rated ''no defense'' are
> Stackhouse and Bibby. They can be pretty tough I thought.
>
> Also Mashburn. I always thought he played pretty hard on
> D for Pat Riley.
>
> There are also some surprising names rated as ''tough D''
> (both Steve Nash and the one-year-from-retirement John
> Stockton for instance). Maybe that's for another post or
> game preview. Suffice it to say for now that every Nets
> starter except Kittles gets the highest rating.
>
> As for Eric Williams, it really is a wonder what little
> he contributes on the boxscore at the end of the day. And
> hes never been a good man defender by any stretch. But
> he is a glue player for the team. They started winning
> when he started playing. I agree with Kestas that
> Williams stretches the definition of ''intangible'' as
> far as it can go. He might be the least ''tangible''
> player of value in the entire NBA. Most non-scoring
> starters dont also get to sport a horrible FG%,
> disgraceful rebound-per-minute production, few assists.
> That's what the boxscore says. When you actually see him
> play, you see a pretty interesting and high work rate
> player (kind of like Ringo DeClerq when he was here).
> Eric Williams sometimes reminds me of an Adrian Dantley
> on an off night.
>
> Obie is either smarter than every last one of his critics
> for starting EW, or dumb as a doorknob for playing him at
> the expense of the development of Joe Johnson, Forte and
> Kedrick to date, not to mention Adrian Griffin as well. I
> think it is the former. The won-loss numbers are great,
> given the team he inherited.
>
> When Obie took over the Boston Celtics, they were on pace
> to finish up around 25-games under .500. Pitino saw a
> much harder second half schedule, and jumped ship a few
> months early. In steps EW and the defensive effort (in
> his case more about "game face" than actual production)
> rubbed off on the entire team it seems.
>
> Joe H.
>
>
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