RE: Blame Jordan!

["Wright, Cecil" <Cecil.Wright@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

-----Original Message-----
From: Lance Jacobson  

I see.  Well, Cecil, my posts to the other board over the last 2 years are
basically
this:  Kenny came to the Celts mid-season when Billups was shipped out as a
PG bust
under Pitino.  Kenny lit it up for those 20+ games with terrific ball
movement,
passable defense and good penetration.

* Kenny only played a total of 16 games for us in 97-98.

The next fall, Mercer, Pierce and Walker all took turns firing 3pt shots.
Period.
Mercer decided his status was threatened, so he stayed back at the arc and
fired
threes right there with Pierce.  If you think this past year's team was
static, that
1999 team was the worst!  Kenny got so fed up looking for guys to cut to the
hoop to
feed, that he just gave up, and started firing from outside as well.  After
all,
anytime he drove, there were three sagging defenders twice his size to run
into.  He
followed RP's directions, but got into some tiffs over the players not
moving.

* Kenny only played a total of 34 games for us in 98-99.

Finally, Mercer didn't get re-upped, and the Walker and Kenny were given
co-captain
status.  Next year, Pierce built his Condo-on-the Arc and sat there most of
the season
drinking cappuccino until somebody handed him the ball for him to shoot the
three, or
contort looking to get a foul.  Ugly hoop.

* Kenny only played a total of 33 games for us in 00-01.

Last season PP figured out how to drive and draw fouls, as well as draw
fouls on his
jumpers instead of picking himself off the floor and scowling--one of the
NBA's
ugliest scowls, BTW.

Meanwhile, ever notice that no PG ever gives Paul the ball?  Kenny wouldn't,
Strick
wouldn't, and Delk couldn't figure out how to dribble, much less pass.  Milt
would
give the ball to Pierce, sometimes, depending on whether Pierce made him
wash his car
that week.

* No wonder their assists were so lousy.  If they don't give an open man the
ball...oh well.  Maybe that's one reason why they are gone, cept Delk.

Bottom line, this offense went to hell because the guys wouldn't move, and
Kenny got
disgusted.  Watch the tapes, the year Pierce joined the team, nobody moved
without the
ball, and it hasn't gotten better.   Kenny wasn't reviled, but he didn't
give a hoot
about defense.  This year Obie told him he'd get to play and shoot, but had
to play D.
Meanwhile, Battie and Vitaly got all his passes, except Vitaly rarely
played.  The
other guys were always BEHIND Kenny on his drives, so there was no place for
the ball
to go.

That's the saga of KA- for 5 years of Celtic pride, and I'm sticking to it.

* Seems like you omitted quite a bit of lost time due to Kenny being out of
shape and/or injured.

Cecil