Re: Kedrick

[Ryan W <ubiquitous_am_i@xxxxxxxxx>]

Steve, 

I completely agree.  While technically Kedrick has
been in the league for 2 seasons and 3 games of this
year, he still is almost rookie-like in terms of
experience and confidence (and he's as old as Banks
and Hunter and younger than Jiri).  Ainge knows this,
and O'Brien as well.  Hopefully they continue to give
him minutes after Jones and Williams return from
injury.  Conversely, I hope Kedrick does something in
the next couple games to warrant such a show of
confidence.  All in all, I don't see him being buried
on the bench as some of our more unforgiving posters
have suggested.  If anything, he'll take Walter's
current spot and play 10-15 minutes a game (remember
back to the New Orlean game on Saturday...Walt came
in, made a couple bad passes, and was lifted
immediately....Kedrick, for all his passiveness so
far, at least doesn't NEGATIVELY affect the game).  

The important thing in getting Key to go "off" is to
give him some confidence boosting opportunities.  It's
not much to ask to have the C's diagram an oop and run
it as the second or third play of the game.  Or give
Key a couple touches in the post (he would have taken
Wesley easily in the post during that last game).  OR
LOOK UP ON THE FREAKING BREAK!  Kedrick is always open
on the break.  Situations like Kedrick finds himself
in are cured by coaching...either the coach telling,
yelling, screaming it into him to take more shots,
force more shots, be more daring on the offensive end
or the coach running a couple of plays to see if Key
comes out of it naturally.  O'Brien, per usual, is
doing neither.  

One other thing:  Some have wondered out loud why
Kedrick isn't getting that many rebounds.  Well, he
plays the other teams' best wing player, thus keeping
him on the perimeter more often than not. 
Furthermore, he usually is running the break instead
of coming back to garner the rebound.  Lastly, on
offense, he's often protecting against the other
teams' fast break and is unable to get any offensive
rebounds.  

Kedrick, as any young player trying to find his way on
a team would do, is attempting to play without
mistakes.  He runs, he defends, he does what is asked
of him.  He's not being asked to jack it up and as
such is deferring much of his offense to others (his
assist numbers have been decent and he can pass pretty
well).  What is needed is a coaching
intervention....O'Brien just has to go up Key and tell
him to shoot and drive to the hole more...it's that
easy.

Ryan

--- Steve Ouellette <bosox18@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> I don't think Kedrick lacks the skills to be a good
> NBA player. I think 
> he's just the least confident NBA player I can
> remember, or maybe the 
> most nervous.
> 
> I believe he played better in EVERY exhibition game
> this year than he 
> has in any regular season game. He's got the ability
> to be a force on 
> the break, to blow by his defenders in the
> halfcourt, to make the open 
> jumper. It seems he's just too scared to.
> 
> Not a lost cause, but maybe Danny has to give him a
> talking to. Maybe 
> hypnotherapy or a good stiff drink before games.
> 
> STEVE


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