re: Some great stuff from Antoine today...

[wayray@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]

Who's we, Kemosabi (is that one word or two?)

I didn't buy into the Banks hoopla and have never embraced the 
Jimbo or Toine meanderings.  And stated my misgivings about all three
of them a multitude of times.  Good Egg has been critical. Tammo too.
Others on the list certainly.

I said it at the time of the draft and after the draft, and I'll state it again:

There was simply no need for the Celtics to trade up for Banks and bypass
the players they did, because they could have gotten a quality PG with the 20th pick,
whether Planinic or Barbosa or perhaps even the BC guy.
  
With both Perkins and Lampe dropping, they actually could have had the draft of the
century, if Ainge hadn't made promises and was willing to pick up another low
first.  Think Carbakapa at 16, PG at 20, low first for Perkins or Lampe, and Hunter
at 56, or some combo thereof.

Any ways, both O'Brien and Walker have to go. I'm sure Ainge knows it too,
just a matter of finding the right deal for Toine and letting O'Brien muddle up
the offense and rookies, so he has an excuse to fire him.
Ray


> ** Original Subject: Some great stuff from Antoine today...
> ** Original Sender: "Berry, Mark  S" <berrym@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
> ** Original Date: Tue, 14 Oct 2003 06:37:52 -0700 (PDT)

> ** Original Message follows... 

>
> Some things are so predictable. Who among us was surprised that:
> 
> 1.	It took Obie all of three preseason games to park two of his rookies
> on the bench for the whole game? Nice developmental skills. No one expects
> Perkins and Hunter to play much during the regular season, but the third
> preseason game? Are you kidding me?
> 
> 2.	Obie would pull out the old "we haven't put in a halfcourt offense
> yet" excuse? Forget three preseason games. We're going on three years and I
> still haven't seen a halfcourt offense.
> 
> 3.	And then there's the capper today from Antoine. Check out the quotes
> below from today's Globe and Herald. Some of us have been saying all along
> that nothing would change unless Antoine and Obie were gone. Well, are any
> of the doubters starting to see why we said that? Do you think Ainge is
> happy with the way things are going? 
> 
> 
> "You can't just throw him into the fire and a lot of people can't be
> expecting a lot from him. It's very difficult for a rookie to come in and
> play on a team where the ball is dominated by two players. He has to find a
> way he's going to be effective in the system. What a lot of people have got
> to understand is guys are brought in to fit into me and Paul."
> 
> --- ---
> 
> And here's this on whether Banks' presence would allow Antoine to play a
> more traditional power forward's role:
> 
>  ``That will never happen - it's impossible,'' Walker said after yesterday's
> practice. ``What people have to understand is that guys have to fit into me
> and Paul. 
> 	
>      ``Marcus is a great talent, and he'll come along fine,'' said Walker,
> who added that to this point his conversations with coach Jim O'Brien have
> focused on improving the fast break - not a personal style change. 
> 	
>      ``We've talked about playing up-tempo, but that's about it,'' Walker
> said. ``To be honest, when all is said and done, it's back to the grind, as
> always. I've been playing too long to even worry about it.''
> 
> --- --- ---
> 
> We read so much crap from the PR firm that we start to believe it. It worked
> with Marcus Banks. The Celtics kept telling us he was the best, most
> NBA-ready point guard in the draft, and gradually we just believed it. We
> went from being disbelieving that they would promise to draft him at No. 20,
> to being convinced that they got a steal by trading up to take him in the
> lottery. I'm not down on Banks. I still think he'll be a good player and it
> will happen this season. (But he's still no T.J. Ford. I watched Ford last
> night, and he's a POINT GUARD-and not just in name only.) My point is just
> that the PR firm regurgitates whatever the Celtics feed them so constantly
> that eventually we all buy into it. Marcus Banks is the best point guard in
> the draft... Marcus Banks is the best point guard in the draft... best point
> guard in the draft... OK. Antoine is in great shape and everything will be
> different... Antoine is in great shape and everything will be different...
> everything will be different... Riiigghht. Obie just needed different
> players. He's a fast-breaking, motion offense guy after all... Obie just
> needed different players... He's a fast-breaking, motion offense guy after
> all... Uh huh. 
> 
> I guess advertising does work.
> 
> Mark

>** --------- End Original Message ----------- **