Re: Mark's Effusive Praise

["Dan Forant" <dforant1@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I disagree with your #2 thought. First of all we had many games stolen from
us because we didn't have this type of talent and no bench. They can adjust
all they want but it's not as simple as drawing up answers as you
say........and we have some counter measure opportunities if OB can see
them.

DanF

----- Original Message ----- 
From: <wayray@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <celtics@xxxxxxxx>
Sent: Thursday, October 23, 2003 3:38 PM
Subject: Mark's Effusive Praise


> Whoah, calm, down Mark, let's not go overboard on the effusive praise
stuff.
> Remember:
>
> 1. Like you said, it's one game and the pre-season.
> 2. Teams don't have a line yet on the Celtics revamped minus-Walker
> style of play and will make adjustments.
> This is a big key. The Celtics may steal a few early wins, as it will take
awhile for
> other club's to catch on. Kind of like when a hitter changes leagues.
> One thing, I'd like to see is Jiri get a bunch of playing
> time, as they're going to need another passer in the half court to
> supplement Paul and Banks, turnover prone as they are.
> 3. Minnesota was hardly at full stength - no Olowokandi pulling down
twenty rebounds,
> and destroying the Celtics big men. Szerbiak and Sprewell barely
functioning;
> Cassell's taking the night off.  That's not the same Minnesota team the
Celtics
> will encounter during the regular season.
>
> But yes, the EVIL has departed and that's a good start. Now, let's see
them
> employ the same effort against New Jersey. That will be an interesting
test.
> Ray
>
>
> > ** Original Subject: My two cents on last night...
> > ** Original Sender: "Berry, Mark  S" <berrym@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
> > ** Original Date: Thu, 23 Oct 2003 10:04:04 -0700 (PDT)
>
> > ** Original Message follows...
>
> >
> > There's really not much to add to all the great posts, but I'll go ahead
and
> > say it all again...
> >
> > I believed completely and absolutely that the style of play the Celtics
had
> > been employing the last few years was holding them back. I never bought
into
> > the theory that the only way for the Celtics to succeed was to give the
ball
> > to Antoine or Paul and everyone else get out of the way. It went against
> > everything I believe and love about basketball. Never have I seen a
team, no
> > matter the players, that wasn't at its best when the players and ball
were
> > moving. Even Jordan - the closest thing to a one-man team in recent
history
> > - was at his best when guys like John Paxson, Steve Kerr and Horace
Grant
> > were involved and contributing. It's just common sense and good
basketball.
> > Good team play is better than good individual play. In fact, it's one of
the
> > reasons that I grew up a Celtics fan here in Columbus, Ohio. The Celtics
> > always played basketball the right way.
> >
> > After the trade, I had no doubts about the potential for this team to
> > improve. But the execution was another matter. It's one thing to talk
about
> > "addition by subtraction" but it's something entirely different to
actually
> > put it all together. I seriously doubted Obie's ability to make it
happen.
> > What evidence have we ever seen that he is capable of coaching any other
> > style? So I was hopeful, but not entirely optimistic, that things might
> > change. Not in my wildest dreams did I imagine the immediate change in
the
> > team's approach and style that we saw last night.
> >
> > This game was an affirmation of everything I believe about basketball.
It
> > was about the whole being better than the sum of its parts. It was about
> > everyone on the floor working together to make the team better than any
one
> > of them individually. It was the most beautiful display of Celtics
> > basketball we've seen in how many years? 10? It happened so quickly and
so
> > easily, is there any other conclusion to be drawn than the simple truth
that
> > Antoine was strangling this team? Is there any other way to say it?
> >
> > I'll talk about the team before I get into individual player evaluations
.
> > Everything flowed. There were easy shots for everyone. I can count on
one
> > hand the number of bad shots taken by the entire team. Antoine (and
Pierce,
> > for that matter) would exceed that total in one half. The only stat that
> > surprised me from the box score was the 19 assists. It seemed like twice
> > that. The ball was moving, players were moving and it suddenly looked
like
> > basketball again, not the uphill hike in the rain that the team's style
had
> > become. The benefits were everywhere, and easy for everyone to see. The
> > shooting percentage went up, rebounding improved, energy went up and
long
> > scoring droughts were nowhere to be found. Everyone was a part of it.
> > Players entered and left the game and there was no apparent dropoff.
> > Everyone was into the game from the beginning and enjoying the newfound
> > freedom they possessed. As others have said, liberation is the only word
> > that does it justice.
> >
> > The players:
> >
> > Pierce... What can you say? We saw a player we only hoped existed within
> > Pierce. He made the game look so easy. He scored when he had the
opportunity
> > (although he wasn't shooting the ball especially well), but when the
defense
> > swarmed him-as it did often, as expected-he found the open man. He ran
the
> > floor, he rebounded... He did it all. If there were concerns about a
> > leadership void, I think Pierce did a lot to dismiss them with his
> > performance last night.
> >
> > Lafrentz... Ainge says he's "a basketball player" and that's the best
way to
> > describe him. Does he blow you away with anything he does? No (although
that
> > block was pretty close), but he does everything well. He shoots, he
passes,
> > he rebounds, he defends, he blocks shots, he runs the floor, he sets
picks.
> > There's no wasted effort. He's the opposite of Antoine in one way:
Antoine
> > is a one-on-one player. He wants the ball in his hands and to do it
himself.
> > Lafrentz needs and wants others to help him find his offense. Some might
see
> > that as a weakness, but I don't. He understands his role and he plays
it.
> > The guy doesn't even know the offense yet, but he always seemed to be in
the
> > right spot. He never held the ball. If he had a shot, he took it. If
not, he
> > passed it. Sounds simple, but after seven years of Antoine, it seemed
like a
> > quantum leap in basketball IQ.
> >
> > Baker... I'm really trying to temper my enthusiasm for Baker. I've never
> > despised a Celtic as much as I despised Baker last season. I know he's a
> > good guy, but he was so terrible with only himself to blame that it was
> > impossible for me to muster anything but disdain for the guy. BUT... now
he
> > looks like a different person. He has this spring and quickness that I
never
> > believed he could regain. Forget Seattle, he hasn't looked like this
since
> > his early days in Milwaukee. He's rebounding, moving without the ball
and
> > scoring efficiently. If he can just maintain this (a HUGE "if"), then he
> > won't just be someone who can get a few minutes off the bench. He'll be
a
> > valuable part of the team and maybe even the team's second leading
scorer
> > and top rebounder. But I'm still skeptical. And although it's looking
more
> > and more like a Baker/Lafrentz combo in the starting lineup, I'm not so
sure
> > I wouldn't hold Vin back as the sixth man just to match him up against
other
> > bench players and give the team another offensive option when Pierce is
on
> > the bench. But I do think Vin and Raef could play well together - Vin in
the
> > post, Raef facing up for jumpers.
> >
> > EWill... Great game last night. Of course, he's not going to do that
every
> > game, but the great thing about it was the way the Celtics recognized
that
> > EWill had it going and kept feeding him. When was the last time that
> > happened with a player not named Pierce or Walker? The Celtics NEVER
rode a
> > hot hand unless it was one of the captains. Guys might hit two in a row,
but
> > all that meant was you knew Antoine was going to jack one up pretty
soon.
> > EWill is a guy who won't be effective at all some nights and may be
traded
> > by midseason. But last night we learned that players not named Pierce or
> > Walker are capable of heating up-and the team is capable of recognizing
that
> > and exploiting it. Tony Delk scored 50 points in a game once, but did he
> > ever have a play run for him in Boston? Did he ever get shots on
consecutive
> > trips down the floor? He was never given a chance to heat up.
> >
> > Battie and McCarty... I'm lumping these two together because I'm not
sure
> > where they fit. Battie certainly has some value as a backup big man, but
> > when you consider his contract, is he really that much better (I can't
> > believe I'm writing this... ) than Blount? Still, unless a really
attractive
> > offer comes along, I'd hold onto him (no salary dump). If anything
happens
> > to Lafrentz or Baker, Battie is a nice luxury. As for McCarty, with
Kedrick
> > continuing to play well and all the good things we've heard about
Jumaine
> > Jones, Walter just seems like an odd man out. He still doesn't want to
cross
> > that three-point line, and he's not a guy who fills in the other stat
> > categories. He's kind of the anti-Lafrentz in that Walter never seems to
be
> > in the right place. He's a wild card. He kind of stood out last night
like
> > Stephen Jackson stood out for the Spurs last year - everyone else is on
the
> > same page, but he's reading the wrong book. But it's early.
> >
> > Banks and James... Both guys continue to make progress. Banks is capable
of
> > more great plays, but James is the steadier player. The T-Wolves
pressured
> > Banks a little, and he hesitated a couple of times. He has to get over
that,
> > because he doesn't have Antoine to bail him out anymore. But both guys
> > pushed the ball well and kept it moving.
> >
> > Jiri... Didn't see enough to comment. I liked that, like most Europeans,
he
> > didn't seem so conscious of the three-point line. He looks like he might
> > have a very nice little mid-range game. We'll see.
> >
> > Kedrick... Like I said, he continues to progress. He may be a big winner
> > with this trade, because if they continue to play like they did last
night,
> > Kedrick will get a lot more than just stand-still 3-pointers.
> >
> > Blount... He was active. He doesn't rebound well, but he seemed around
the
> > ball a lot. He is what he is. Like everyone, he'll benefit from the
change.
> > That's the great thing about this trade... everyone benefits.
> >
> > Obie... I may be his harshest critic on the list (unless it's Josh or
> > Kestas), but he stunned me last night. I never imagined he could bring
that
> > kind of play out in the team so quickly, if at all. I'm praying Obie had
> > something to do with it. My worst fear is he saw last night and thought
"we
> > need to get Paul more shots... " But credit where it's due for a great
job.
> > Maybe the implications that Obie was happy to see Antoine go are true.
> >
> > OK, I know it was preseason and I know it was just one game. There will
be
> > ugly games. There will be games when it seems they can't find anyone who
can
> > make a basket. But we've also seen what this team is capable of
doing-and
> > they did it without a full practice with the new guys. It was wonderful
to
> > watch. I hope everyone got to see the game (sorry, Josh - you missed a
thing
> > of beauty). They really reminded me of the 1970s Havlicek-Cowens
Celtics.
> > Those teams didn't have the overwhelming talent of the Russell or Bird
> > teams, but they played together, ran the floor and did it as a team.
> > Obviously, this team isn't in that class yet, but they looked a little
like
> > that last night. It was beautiful. More than I ever hoped.
> >
> > Man, this is long. It's just so refreshing to watch basketball again.
> >
> > Mark
>
> >** --------- End Original Message ----------- **
>
> >
>
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>
> >** --------- End Original Message ----------- **