Re: C's face point of contention

[Snoopy the Celtics Beagle <snoopy@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

At 08:10 PM 10/14/03 -0400, Dan Forant wrote:

> Yep, stop the music. Bird better than Jordan? Let's get the breathalyzer
> out...must be happy hour...


I know Jordan may have more pure athletic ability, but I say Bird was--and 
is--a better basketball player.  Bird helped his team in ways that Jordan 
never bothered to learn until the Celtics embarrassed the Bulls in the 
playoffs.  The whole thing is summed up well in microcosm:  Playoff game - 
Jordan scores 63 points--but the Celtics won the game.  Five guys beats one 
every time.

> I don't care if Walker is learning Jordan's moves
> or not...just that he do it on another team.

My point is that IF Walker learns when to pass, he would become a much 
better--and more effective--player.  The offense can "still run through 
him" but it just means knowing when he's being guarded far too closely to 
attempt to score and pass the ball out.  Conversely, it ALSO means his 
teammates need to be ready for the pass and know when THEY should (or 
should not) shoot.  Too often the instant reaction of a recipient of a 
Walker pass is to throw the ball back like the pin had been removed.  That 
needs to change.  And when his teammates DO shoot, it needs to be a 
reliable shot.


> Now Snoop, I enjoy your posts and Celtic site but Walker a wave of the
> future? I wonder how many High School coaches are instructing kids to watch
> Walker in games or Jordan's old clips.

Why should they?  ESPN and NBAtv run the damn things every day.  Highlight 
reels that show flash without foundation, style absent the substance.  Case 
in point, LeBron James.  He's been castigated for his (admittedly) poor 
shooting in the preseason.  But his JOB is to PASS the ball, not shoot 
it.  His passing has been quite good--at least in the game I saw.  but the 
highlight films all showed his dunk--never mind that it was occasioned by a 
good defensive play and LeBron was the last man back on defense.

How can a coach compete with "Be Like Mike"?  When I was a kid, I practiced 
free throw shooting every day.  I never dunked a ball in my life.  I only 
learned a hook shot because I realized Kareem was creating an unstoppable 
shot, but I was never very good at it.

Today, everyone wants dunks and monster jams.  They want an alley-oop pass 
over the hoop instead of a back door give and go from the weak side.

I'm quite serious when I say a good passer can be a way to change the look 
of the game.  Remember Bird, Walton and Parish?  Three of the slowest guys 
in NBA history and they ran the fast break off the pass.  Cousy, for all 
his dribbling fame, worked his real magic with his passing.  I believe 
Walker has that potential.  I do not know if he will ever achieve 
it.  Certainly not if he emulates everything Jordan does.

I grant Jordan's workout regimen is effective and he can certainly show 
some moves.  But Walker already has moves and his conditioning seems to be 
on the right track at long last.  He needs to learn how to help his 
team.  Jordan, for all his considerable talent, cannot help him do 
that.  If I could speak to Walker I would beg him to start learning passing 
from people like Bird, Walton, and Cousy.  (Yes, I realize Bird is working 
with the Pacers nowdays, but I'm sure Antoine has a VCR or a DVD 
player.  And I'm positive the C's would eagerly provide the appropriate 
viewing material.)

Again, I think it's a matter of conditioning the mind more than the body 
for Walker--and to a lesser extent, Pierce.  If nothing else, a matter of 
pride.  Pierce is making smarter passes than Walker, even though overall, 
Walker has greater talent passing.  Let Antoine step up and move the 
ball.  After all, if it's respect for himself and his team he wants, 
winning a championship will certainly make it happen.

Snoopy the Celtics Beagle
Please visit the <http://www.celticsbeagle.net/>Celtics Beagle Website