Questions about the Summer League for Josh

[Ryan W <ubiquitous_am_i@xxxxxxxxx>]

Josh, 

Much thanks for the reports from Reebok...they
definately usurped anything provided by the local
papers (anybody else here disgusted by the utter lack
of coverage....it is a summer league hosted by the
Celtics, with 4 potential contributers (Banks,
Kedrick, Hunter and Perkins), a former phenom (Cooke)
and hordes of over lottery picks and first rounders on
the other teams, but all they care to write about are
Chris Ford and Chris Herran...that is, when they are
not falling all over themselves to hype LeBron).  

I have a couple of questions, though....you were
really quite praiseworthy of Kedrick, even in games
where his stats were less than stellar...in your
conversations with Celtic brass or insiders, what were
their takes on his performance?  Do they envision a
starting slot next year?  Is the starting 3 his spot
to lose?

Also, per your scuttlebut, you mentioned that Vinnie
isn't the biggest drinker on the team.  Who do you
reckon it is?  My first guess was O'Brien (His
Heathcliffian--props to WayRay for such an apt
comparision--mannerisms and mood swings always raised
a red flag in my mind--).  Later it switched to
Antoine (there's gotta be some reason he hasn't
reached his full potential).  But, in the end, I
figured perhaps the scuttlebut wasn't referring to
drinking problem per se (I'm reminded of the bit from
Airplane regarding the pilot with the drinking
problem), but instead to someone who can really put
back the liquor without paying the price....someone
with a high tolerance.  IF that's the case, we'd
probably be looking for a tough guy...and there's no
tougher guy than E. Williams, or Walter....of course
it's stupid to speculate on something this impossible
to speculate on....so I'll quit now ;)

In closing, we all know that the Summer League means
nothing (a point almost every local sportwriter
patently made clear in their meager
columns....probably as some kind of unconscious
justification for providing such meager contributions
in the first place), but yet bad showings can kill a
career.  That said, are Bruno and Bremer gone?  Bruno
played horribly, left for Croatia, and now his agent
has been advised to fish up a trade.  Bremer got hot
the first game, sucked completely thereafter....and we
all know how well Banks played.  Since we don't need
another rookie point (which is basically what Bremer
is....he only played half of last year), nor someone
who really isn't a point, but a small shooting guard
(which Bremer is), wouldn't it be more prudent to cut
or trade Bremer, and bring in a veteran back up point.
 Not only could this veteran mentor Banks (and if I
were Ainge, this potential mentorship with Banks would
be the most important component of the free agent
deliberation, i.e., when talking with free agent
points, I would be abundantly clear that their role
would be to provide guidance for Marcus during his
rookie year), they would also provide better point
play than Bremer ever could.  If they really wanna
improve the team for next year, this is something I
really think they should do...

Finally, this whole Cooke situation needs to be
addressed.  Josh, did you ever discuss with any Celtic
brass the role that Cooke was supposed to fulfill
during the summer league.  Over the years, the
Celtic's have made of a habit of finding these former
phenoms for their summer league teams and then not
playing them when the games start (specifically I'm
thinking Jaron Rush (Kareem's older brother, played at
UCLA), Omar Cook (last year's phenom, apparently
outplayed by Bremer, and benched after 2 games and
subsequently cut) and Lenny).  What is the point of
getting these guys and then not playing them?  It just
doesn't make sense....there are only two kinds of
players that you take on the summer league
squad...those that you want to see play (so they can
be evaluated) and those that are purely practice
players (so you can practice).  Lenny Cooke, and all
the former phenoms, were clearly only there as those
you want to see playing, yet they all were used
solely, for the most part, as practice players.  This
signals some kind of lack of vision....

Ryan

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