Re: 2-32

["Dan Forant" <dforant1@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

The Nets are somewhat soft. However, they can beat us anywhere, anytime, any
day they want. As far as Celtic ticket prices going up. They're cheap
considering the comedy act they provide.

DanF

----- Original Message -----
From: "Berry, Mark S" <berrym@BATTELLE.ORG>
To: <celtics@igtc.com>
Sent: Wednesday, March 19, 2003 10:27 AM
Subject: Re: 2-32


> I get ticked off every time the Celts play the Nets. Even without Van
Horn,
> that team still has some notoriously soft players and a soft style.
> Once-just once-I'd like to see someone knock Kerry Kittles on his can and
> see how Kittles responds.
>
> The one tough guy on the Nets, Kenyon Martin, owns Antoine and seems to
> intimidate the entire team. Can't someone in green stand up to this guy?
> Can't someone knock one of the Nets down hard instead of watching another
> layup? I don't care who does it. Remember Kevin McHale hammering Rambis in
> the 84 finals? That's what I beg for every time I watch these teams play.
I
> want Antoine to absolutely body block Kerry Kittles or Kenyon Martin. I
want
> Pierce to knock Jefferson on his ass, stand over top of him, then refuse
to
> help him up. Bad sportsmanship? Maybe. I think it's sending a message. No
> more freebies. If whoever does it gets ejected, so be it. The message will
> be sent, and hopefully not just to the Nets. I'd like to think that, like
> McHale's foul in 84, it would inspire the rest of the team-NO MORE LAYUPS.
> NO MORE DUNKS.
>
> But I don't think the Celtics players have accepted what they are. I think
> they see themselves as a running, gunning,
> Jersey/Milwaukee/Dallas/Sacramento type of team. They see their
> free-wheeling, 3-point crazy offensive style as their niche. It's not.
Their
> niche is defense and toughness. The offense, or lack of one, is their
> biggest drawback. But the players don't seem willing to fully accept that
> identity. Until they do, the Nets will continue to run roughshod over
them.
>
> As for Obie and the 3-pointers, I'm guessing the reporters just know what
> the answer will be. "I'd encourage them to take those shots every time."
> That's Obie. He's a one-trick pony, and that trick was getting the
players,
> especially the captains, to play hard. Asking him to suddenly turn into a
> great offensive coach, or a great game coach, or a great player
development
> coach, is asking the impossible. Unfortunately, he's here as long as the
> players play hard. He needs to go on the same boat that takes Wallace and
> Papile, but it won't happen. How many coaches have been fired after their
> teams made the playoffs?
>
> Anyway, looking at the big picture, this is a critical summer. Two
> first-rounders, a decision to be made on Kedrick, and, most importantly,
> Antoine heading into the final season of his contract. If they're going to
> trade him for anything approaching equal value, it has to be this summer.
If
> it's one of those things that drags into the season, you'd be selling low
at
> the trade deadline. And if you let it go until the end of the season, you
> could lose him for nothing. The worst thing they can do is re-sign him to
> another max deal. He'd be virtually untradeable at that point. Of course,
> that's what they'll do.
>
> Mark
>
>
> Josh wrote:
>
> the worst 3-point shooting night in NBA history.  Did
> any of you happen to catch it?  I thought the coverage
> in the boston media might have a "the three bill finally
> comes due" note to them, but instead they just treated
> this humiliating loss like it was a fact of nature.  Didn't
> anyone think to ask Jim O'Brien why the Celtics play
> right into the Nets' plans every frigging time?  Can't he
> cool out on the three just one goddamned time?  This
> is killing me.  The Celtics look like a bunch of fairies
> out there.  Bring back Vitaly.