Re: In the hunt

[JB <jimmetz@xxxxxxx>]

On Thursday, January 30, 2003, at 12:04  PM, Eggcentric@AOL.com wrote:

> < Under 40% shooting from two players who want 25 shots a game each
> is not going to do it, but the threat of triple doubles, any night, 
> from
> both of our "captains," would raise this team to the elite level. > -JB
>
> True enough, JB.  But I think you also realize why Pierce and Walker 
> shoot
> so much - because they and their insecure coach feel we do not have
> any other players able to do so with any consistency, especially in
> the waning moments of a close game.  Just look at what happened when
> Obie finally designated McCarty as our first option on the last play of
> the Detroit game.
>
> Egg
> *************************
	Here is my post from 12/26; which i think is relevant to my 
contribution to the thread;  "In the hunt," which you have singled out.

		{In the last five games Pierce has totaled 12 assists; Walker 15. Is 
it any wonder that the rebounding and defensive intensity is down? In 
Celtic wins this season, Paul is averaging; 5.2 and Antoine 5.3. In 
losses it's; 3.3 and 3.6, with the numbers falling, in the month of 
December.
		In this 12th month; in the five losses, Paul has had three games of 1 
assist and one game with 2. While it's not necessarily in Paul's job 
description to pass the ball, everyone knows, that unless he passes out 
of the double and triple teams, the C's  can't win.
		As for Walker; in the last four games, he has had 2,4,3 and 3 
assists. He's not shooting well, he's not rebounding; well, if he's not 
passing, what the heck is he doing?
		Paul keeps asking... "where is the energy...the urgency...?"
		Don't you think the rest of your team, the "worker bees" are getting 
tired of carrying yours and Antoine's suitcases?
		The road to the all-star game goes two ways. The team wins and you 
get in. Keep losing and you'll be at home, sitting next to Glen 
Robinson and Abdur Rahim.
		Last night, you got your points-27 and Antoine got his-21, but the 
"POINT?"
		I lauded Jimmy O'Brien, a few weeks ago, because he got the team to 
move the ball and get open looks and "points in the paint," without a 
point guard, but the honeymoon is over.
		After the game he lamented that the team did not pass, in spite of 
players being open all night.

(From Gordon Edes story, on pg. C1 of today's Globe)
''Not only defensively, but on the glass,'' O'Brien said, ''and we did
a very, very poor job of passing the ball when we had wide-open men all
night."
	
		Was I correct, in my original premise, that a team can't win, with 
it's shooters controlling the ball?
		It's been speculated that Walker will not co-operate with a coach, 
unless he gets to be the distributor. Now Paul seems to have caught the 
disease, as both are being referred to, as the teams; "de-facto point 
guards."
		Well, it's not working Jimmy. Hasn't for about three weeks. What are 
you going to do about it?}

***********************
	What Jimmy did about it is put Bremer in the lineup and give Brown 
some minutes. Then Battie and Delk got hurt, Long arrived and the team 
was energized. Not, as you noted playing championship caliber, but, for 
whatever reasons, the new blood played hard and the team raised it self 
from the "slough of despond," to a respectable level.
	Perhaps, I was correct when I wrote  that the team was tired of 
carrying Pierce and Walker's suitcases and Jimmy just found some 
players who were hungry enough for minutes, too give all out.
	Whatever, I'm tired of repeating everything over and over and of 
having to think that "...everything is in black and white."
	

		JB

	Unchain My Heart !