Re: C's face point of contention

["Dan Forant" <dforant1@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

We'll have to agree to disagree. I don't think Bird was as good as Magic
either, yet he was and still is my favorite player. It's a logic thing.

DanF

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Snoopy the Celtics Beagle" <snoopy@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <celtics@xxxxxxxx>
Sent: Tuesday, October 14, 2003 8:48 PM
Subject: Re: C's face point of contention


> 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