A change in mentality

[Celtic4Hire@xxxxxxx]

As a previous Obie basher, I guess it is my time to check in since Steve is 
calling us out. I would have commented earlier but I didn't want to jinx the 
Cs and I have been also  recovering from heart surgery.

If form continues to hold, I will have to check in my O'Bonehead credentials 
for life. I will be sold on Obie. Call me a sucker for believing last year's 
playoff play a fluke and that the regular season was a true indicator of the 
style of ball the Cs were going to play in the playoffs this year. 

Now mind you that I was rooting for the Cs get into a Pacer and Detroit 
bracket, teams I thought we were superior to regardless of regular season 
play. I have always believed that  it was better to have better stars (2 of 
the top 15 players) versus a deeper team of more quality because I believe 
you still only play 5 players at a time and these guys can survive on minimal 
rest in the playoffs. I have also never bought into this "Isiah is the 
reason".  The Pacers are just doing what they have done all year. They just 
don't have the stars in their prime to carry them over the top. The fact that 
they have a lot of talent sitting on the bench doesn't make any difference 
when two of our players are better than any of theirs.

But the one main reason the Cs are winning, IMO,  is because Obie has changed 
the plan, as admitted in postgame. The Cs have now gone uptempo for early 
offense, what many of us have been asking for for years. Obie said he didn't 
do this during the regular season because he didn't believe they had the 
stamina to do it with back-to-backs but the rest between games in the 
playoffs made things different. I don't know if I buy into that reasoning but 
I won't dispute the final verdict. Now you got Walker getting a rebound and 
hightailing it up the court the way Worthy or Magic used to do, putting 
tremendous pressure on the defense. That pull-up jumper by Battie on the 3 on 
2 from the feed from Walker in the middle was beautiful. This early offense 
frees some of the shackles on PP and Walker, who get double and triple teamed 
in the half-court offense. This also makes the game easier for the role 
players, getting higher percentage shots to increase their confidence. This 
uptempo offense then, in turn, inspires their defense, making them more 
accustomed to moving around rather than the stagnation mentality of 
isolation, half court offense.

A second reason for the improved play is the disciplined ball reversal and 
shot selection. I don't know how many threes Twan has turned down but we are 
talking 10 - 15 a game that he would be considering launching in the regular 
season. Team play, ball reversal, making the extra pass, Twan playing to his 
strengths, whuddathunk? 

The Celtic home fans definitely have to be considered a factor, along with 
the improved play Walter and Delk.

The final reason, of course, is PP going off again. 

Since most of these things also happened last year in the playoffs, I can 
connect the dots and determine a trend. So Obie plays things differently in 
the playoffs than in the regular season and/or he can get to team to perform 
differently. Why didn't you let us know?....

So Obie's job is now secure. Wallace's job already was since the information 
has come out that the Cs are making personnel decisions by the team method 
and someone else (whom the owners haven't yet decided) will be making the 
final decisions....

With this new, disciplined way we are now playing, I for one would be 
interested to see how Vin could fit in. It also would behoove us to have Vin 
on the bench whenever we go up against a team with a real center, like Shaq, 
and when Battie or Blount have to sit out a game because of the Flagrants 
that they have picked up. I also said that Vin's contributions would be made 
in the playoffs but they wheels fell off prior. Maybe next year....

I fully expect the bad Cs to show up on Tuesday and for the Pacers to come 
out very physical. The Cs will be feeling loose and will attempt to win the 
game by launching threes etc and won't do the little things required. 
However, because they have already done the heavy lifting, they can afford to 
do that and maybe steal a cheap win. The Bad Boy Pacers will return since 
they have nothing to lose and I just hope that no one, especially PP, gets 
hurt.....

I need to say that Bill Simmons needs to get out of the 80s, get rid of the 
mullet haircut and realize that the Bird era is over. Why write about 
previous legends when we got a legends in the making right now? That third 
quarter, with trash talking climax, was another chapter in the PP legend 
worthy of any of the Bird memorys. Why reminisce when you can live the real 
thing?....

DJessen33