RE: Thoughts...

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

Joe, I have the same concerns about Bremer, but I never expected him to be
much more than a Strickland type. He wasn't a point guard in college and I
didn't expect him to be one now. He still is the most complete option at PG
when you consider the only option now is Delk. But if they turn him strictly
into a spot-up 3-point shooter, then that changes. Like you, I'm seeing some
disturbing tendencies developing along those lines.

I guess it's about expectations. I don't expect Bremer to be a starting
point guard. I don't expect Delk to be one either. The Celtics don't have
their starting point guard yet. But Bremer is the best option at this
point-and that certainly is subject to change.

By the way-on the subject of the mid-range game. Delk is a perfect example
of its importance. It's easy to say "just take a couple of steps back" but
those are huge steps for someone like Delk. He never has been a 3-point
shooter. I'll bet his percentage on open 18-20 footers would be something
like 70 percent. His percentage on open 3-pointers is much less. Some guys
just don't have that range, and Delk is one of those guys. Bremer is, too.
Sure, they both can hit the shot, but I think it's a step or two out of
their natural range. There have been some classic examples of that over the
years-Jeff Malone, Dennis Johnson, Bill Laimbeer, Vinny Johnson, Michael
Jordan, Ron Mercer. Again, it's about putting guys in position to succeed.
Obie doesn't do that very well, in my opinion.

Mark

 -----Original Message-----
From: 	hironaka@nomade.fr [mailto:hironaka@nomade.fr] 
Sent:	Friday, February 21, 2003 1:19 PM
To:	berrym@BATTELLE.ORG
Cc:	celtics@igtc.com
Subject:	RE: Thoughts...

> ---------- Initial message -----------
> 
> From    : owner-celtics@igtc.com
> To      : "'hironaka@nomade.fr'" 
<hironaka@nomade.fr>,   "Berry, Mark  S"  
<berrym@BATTELLE.ORG>
> Cc      : celtics@igtc.com
> Date    : Fri, 21 Feb 2003 12:03:44 -0500
> Subject : RE: Thoughts...
> 
> But I can't
> believe you'd even debate Mark Blount's skills. He was 
with the Celtics for two seasons. 
> 
> Mark
> 

To be honest, I haven't seen Blount play very much at 
all. His production, I agree, is pretty terrible.

Obie likes him. We were 12 games under .500 when he 
joined the starting lineup, with the toughest part of the 
schedule stacked on the back end that year. His numbers 
as a starter were bad, but obviously the team chemistry 
changed. Denver overachieved as well.

All I'm hoping is his defense is more focused than 
Sundov's, and his offense only a bit less anemic than 
Vin's. Already that would be great in a backup.

The Celtics play honest-to-god smothering defense when 
there is a shotblocker like a healthy Battie on the 
floor. I'm glass half full as always on this trade. I 
just don't trust myself to know better than 
the "braintrust". Its such a suicidal career move for 
Wallace, he must have at least had a good reason to try 
it anyway. 

My concerns are still with Bremer in the post-three-
headed PG world. I'm probably irrational. 

Maybe at worst he'll be a Strickland type spark plug off 
the bench during the playoffs. 

But I personally think he has played himself out of the 
starting lineup over the past week, despite the one game 
where his 3-point shot was falling. 

Over the past month, I'd guess roughly that he's averaged 
less than three actual passes per game that lead to a 
shot attempt, hit or make. 

He's a non-playmaker right now - apart from finding his 
own shot.

And he's well below the team average in 3-point shooting. 
He's seventh on the team in accuracy. Nothing great.

I don't think you can't stick with a starting point guard 
averaging 2.2 assists, unless he shoots lights out. Maybe 
its just one of those Obie things that work out for the 
best, like with Eric and Blount.

When the Herald gave out All Star break player grades 
last week, Bulpett (I think) gave Bremer an "A" saying 
that his "playmaking" would lead to easier shots for 
Antoine and Pierce. 

I've rarely read anything so disconnected from reality. 

He glances at the stat sheets, sees the 3:1 
assist/turnover ratio, and thinks "voila, that's a point 
guard if ever I saw one". Nice homework.

This number seems more akin to when BJ Armstrong had a 
much ballyhooed 4:1 a-to rate for the championship Bulls. 

By contrast, Jason Kidd has a 2.2 to 1 rate this year and 
so forth down the line among top playmakers. None of them 
are admirably "efficient" as Boston's starting PG.

But look, I'll lay off. 

I've said nice things about Bremer too in the past and 
meant them. He was somewhere on the outside cusp of 
making this year's All Star Rookie Challenge, and that's 
quite an achievement for an undrafted player and bodes 
well for his future in the NBA. 

I saw him outplay, outaggress and outheads-up Jay 
Williams (first American drafted and a USA member) in a 
game, and that's good enough for me. 

But as I've said, I've had doubts watching this kid play 
lately. It sounds like its only me that's noticing or 
worrying. I could be wrong and I hope I'm wrong. I root 
for this guy to make plays just as much as any other fan 
would.








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