Re: last seconds

[CeltsSteve@xxxxxxx]

In a message dated 12/27/03 5:34:16 AM Pacific Standard Time, 
bosox18@xxxxxxxxxxx writes:

> Man, just when I was going to give O'Brien credit for not calling a timeout 
> and letting the Celtics rush the ball upcourt for Ricky Davis' winning shot, 
> I read that O'Brien was trying to call a timeout, but the team didn't see it 
> in time.
> 
> Anyway, nice win.


Well, you can still give him credit for a couple of other in-game strategic 
changes since he gets roundly criticized in this forum by many for a supposed 
inability to make in-game adjustments.

In the 3rd, with the team down 17, he inserts Banks and Mihm. Banks turns on 
his jets and the team is injected with an instant blast of energy. Mihm grabs 
key rebounds. In fact, Mihm grabs more rebounds off the bench in 10 minutes 
than Baker does as a starter in 13. Phoenix announcers Al McCoy and Tom Chambers 
pick up on the fact that Baker is sitting on the bench during the comeback; 
no strike that -- "sitting on the end of Jim O'Brien's bench" -- and the camera 
zooms in for a shot of Baker's face. Baker had zero FT attempts and zero 
points with two lousy rebounds in 13 minutes. No energy + No passion + No 
productivity = No playing time. It's also called tough love.

O'Brien milks as much as he can from Banks and Mihm and reinserts Blount who 
was steady as a rock offensively all night (did I really just say that?). Let 
me stop right there and add something about Blount. Early on, Chambers and 
McCoy were gushing about Scott Williams and his perimeter game when Williams made 
three straight shots. Chambers made a comment something to the effect of "Why 
is Mark Blount getting so many minutes?"  

Well, TC, maybe the fragile ego of Baker is experiencing some form of holiday 
blues because the last few games he has been in a complete funk. O'Brien has 
to have sensed that and that is why Baker found himself on the end of the pine 
and Blount scoring 16 points and knocking down 8 of 9 from the FT line 
including a HUGE 3 point play when things got tight late in the 4th. 

He also reinserted James with about 3 minutes to go. People might ask "Why??" 
since Banks was playing so well. 

The answer is because O'Brien knows that James is more steady under pressure 
and he's also a better shooter. And lo and behold who else but Mike James 
knocks down the big 3 point shot with 20 seconds left in a tie game. And thank 
goodness Ricky D. stepped inside the 3 point line for the winning shot with 2.8 
seconds left. He's not really a 3 point shooter and doesn't appear to be 
comfortable out there, either. And maybe that's a good thing.              

O'Brien pushed a lot of the right buttons last night and deserves some 
credit.

CeltsSteve 

``Time, practice, patience, attitude, unselfishness'' - Jim O'Brien