Re: Quick game thoughts...

[Kim <kimmalo@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Might have been intentional vs missing the obvious, with Blount more likely to take it inside and perhaps get a foul or the rebound if the shot didn't fall. His shooting % this season is 15 points higher than LaFraenz (yes, without the outside shots to skew it, but that's part of my point) and this year he's shot enough to make that have some significance.  I'm not confusing him with an allstar but he has improved, notably on offense, and I suspect you're making a similar mistake with Blount to the one you accused the Indy announcers of making with Battie.

As to running game, are you perhaps confusing running per se with running a break. They definitely get it up court a lot faster than they used to most of the time and even run an occasional break, if not one with any regularity. IMO that may be more likely to come as the PG improve.

Kim

-----Original Message-----
From: "Berry, Mark  S" <berrym@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Nov 12, 2003 10:50 AM
To: celtics@xxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: Quick game thoughts...
<snip>
The play-by-play guy kept going on and on about Battie's scoring. He was making 
sarcastic remarks about it being the best night of his career, and once when Battie
made one of his 15-footers, said something about that being way out of his range.
He clearly thought Battie was a total scrub.
<snip>
Obie made some good adjustments, but he misses some obvious things. On the Celtics' final possession, when Baker hit the winner, he came out of a time out with Blount still in the game. Doesn't that seem nuts? It's one possession. If you make the shot, Indy calls time out. If you miss, you foul immediately. So don't you put Lafrentz in for Baker just to force the Pacers to guard him? It worked out, but don't you want your best offensive players on the floor for that one offensive possession? Sure, it's just one possession, but if Baker had been doubled or pressured more, and forced to dump it off, would you feel more confident with him dumping it to Blount or Lafrentz? Plus, Lafrentz is the team's best rebounder and definitely the best offensive rebounder. Anyway, it didn't bite them this time, but that's the stuff that drives me crazy. Overall, though, that was a well-coached game by Obie. I thought they were a little more creative in getting good shots for Pierce and Baker!
<snip>
Last thing - the running game is nonexistent. No one is running. I think Obie pays lip service to running for Ainge's sake, but I don't see any indication he's actively coaching it.