Re: Insider re: Chicago camp

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

On your two quotes below:

1. I don't like Gaines because he's another combo guard. He's a shooting
guard they played at point guard because he was the best option there. He
thinks shoot first, not pass first. He's no more a point guard than Delk,
Bremer or Shammond Williams. He isn't a guy who will make his teammates
better. He isn't great at pushing the ball in transition. I've seen enough
of those guys.

Having said that, if you're looking for a combo guard off the bench, fine.
But is that what we're looking for? Don't we have combo guards who can come
off the bench (or SHOULD come off the bench, anyway)? What does Reece Gaines
add to this team? 

As for needing size to allow Delk to play his off-guard spot. Pierce is the
starting shooting guard, so you're only talking about playing Delk there for
backup minutes in place of Pierce or alongside him when Pierce shifts to
small forward. Delk has handled bigger players. He's used to it. If he was
going to be out there 35 minutes per night, I'd worry about it-then you'd
have to have an Eric Snow type to cover for him, like Snow does for Iverson.
But that's not the case.

Anyway, I just don't think Gaines is the right fit for the Celts. Some other
team, maybe. But not the Celts.

2. Marcus Moore is the big point guard from Washington State. His size is
attractive, but did you realize he was a 35 percent shooter in college? That
tells me he's either a truly terrible shooter or takes some truly terrible
shots. That's what intrigued me about Banks once I started looking. I had
him pegged as another wild-shooting, always-looking-to-score "point guard."
But he's actually a very discriminate shooter, judging by his percentages.
That's rare. And he still put up 20 points per game, so it's not just that
he WON'T shoot. Still, I haven't seen either guy play, and that's the key
with a point guard. Maybe Moore would wow me with his passing if I saw him
and I'd be less concerned about his lousy shooting percentages. Maybe Banks
is just an efficient scorer with no point guard instincts. I don't know.
That's why I keep hoping a list lurker will chime in with some insight about
these guys.

Mark

--- --- ---

Peter wrote:

[Note to Mark Berry: why don't you like Gaines? I
haven't seen him play, and I know the big question is
whether he can really play the point in the NBA, but
even if he can only play it well enough to back up at
the position, he doesn't seem like a bad choice. 6'6,
shoots well, defends well, fairly athletic ... We're
going to need some size at the point if we're going to
let Delk play his natural off-guard position.]

and... 

[Note: I like what I read about Banks, but I can't
imagine a guy with his outside shooting weakness is
going to be Boston's pick. See Cook, Omar. I'd almost
rather see the C's take a flyer on the kid from
Washington State, who also can't shoot but at least is
bigger than Banks. Still, I don't think Banks would be
a terrible choice.]