Thoughts...

["Berry, Mark S" <berrym@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Lots of things bouncing around...

... I hate this team's tendency to mail in games this season. You could tell
from the beginning last night that they were just going through the motions.
Three 40-plus point blowouts are evidence of this. It's that little piece of
mental toughness that separates this team from last season's. I'm not sure,
when it gets really, really tough in the playoffs, that this team has the
same will power that last year's did.

... Remember when they drafted Kedrick and said they were looking for a
Kobe-T-Mac-Vince type player? Now the guy can't get off the bench because he
can't hit a spot-up three-pointer. I don't think Kedrick "has it" but he
isn't getting any help from his coach. What happened to putting players in
position to succeed? 

... Van Gundy's point about Obie stressing only 3-pointers or shots from
within seven feet of the basket... That's a college philosophy. Watch the
college game. That's they way they play. It's a little more understandable
there because the 3-point shot is so close. There isn't a lot of room
between that line and that 7-foot area. But in the NBA, there's a world of
room. And this system wastes it.

... Stick a fork in Vin Baker. Can you believe we have three more seasons
with this guy? He just got passed on the depth chart by Mark Blount (and
Mark Bryant).

... Speaking of Blount, he was actively playing himself out of the rotation
even for that terrible Denver team. He averaged about 18 minutes per game in
November, but that steadily decreased to about 10 per game this month. Don't
ever forget how truly horrible he was in Boston. What a joke.

... The East, on paper, got tougher yesterday. Milwaukee is better with
Payton and Mason. Mason is the real surprise in this deal. That guy can
play. Now Milwaukee can mix and match with Payton, Cassell, Mason, Redd and
Tim Thomas around the perimeter. That's a pretty good group. And, assuming
they re-sign Payton in the offseason, they suddenly have some pretty
impressive pieces to deal for frontcourt help. They get Atlanta's
first-round pick, too, unless that pick is in the top-three. If they make
the right decisions, they could really be trouble in the next few years.

... Celts could have had Elden Campbell, a huge upgrade at center, and his
expiring contract right now. Or Brian Grant. Or Eddie Jones. Instead, they
have Vin Baker and his monstrous contract. Seriously, that was the dumbest
trade in sports history.

... Celts aren't worried about point guard depth because (all together now)
"Antoine can play point guard!" Riiiight.

Mark