Re: Thought for Milwaukee game

[Kim <kimmalo@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

One thing you left off in justifying this - even last season, one of the few good games for Vin was against his old team Milwaukee when he wanted to prove something. In other words, he CAN respond to sufficient motivation, at least for the short term.

Only problem is that it completely disrupts the team offense to force things too much to one player, and we aren't good enough for that to be a good thing or to snap back quickly if Vin doesn't get it done or when he's off the court. But I actually agree with the general concept. Including another aspect - I'm all in favor of making going inside in general more of an engrained habit. Silly as it may sound, I think that's the real problem - a big part of why we never go inside is that we just have too strong an engrained habit of looking elsewhere. We don't necessaarily have inside FORCE players, but we damned well could get more out of the ones we have than we do.

Kim
PS In a day or two, I'll replace the old Vin poll with one about a Mihm nickname. Yao Mihm, The Flusher, White Men Can't Jump - anyone got any others? Get 'em in now

-----Original Message-----
From: Mark Piotrowski <markp@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Jan 12, 2004 4:58 PM
To: Celtics <celtics@xxxxxxxx>
Subject: Thought for Milwaukee game

This is probably why I'm not a head coach in the NBA -- that and I 
don't dress nicely enough -- but if I'm O'Brien I'd throw everyone a 
curveball tomorrow night.

I announce the starting lineup of James - Pierce - Welsch - Baker - 
Mihm (who i think should start -- in 8 less minutes he avg 1 more 
rebound, 1 less point, same blocks as Blount (who is the perfect backup 
C)).  Then I say that for the first 12 minutes I want everyone to make 
every effort to get the ball to Vin on the blocks.  Get him 10-15 shots 
in the first quarter and just run him to death.

Why?  I'd assume that Baker's confidence can't get any lower, and 
Milwaukee doesn't have an imposing front line (Joe Smith, Brian Skinner 
and Dan Gadzuric).  It's a mind-game of the positive stripe.  Baker 
probably isn't in a position to make it longer than about 6 mins right 
now, but it sends a signal that while he's got a ways to go -- he's not 
off this team yet.  Also a way to save some legs for the 2nd game of 
the Back-to-Back (with Houston Wed.)

just a thought.  It'd be more interesting than seeing the headless 
chicken run around like a, uh, chicken with his head cut off.

(the other) mark

p.s. I vote for Yao Mihm.  makes me laugh.

pps.  Anyone catch that the C's are 5th in the NBA in both FG & 3pt %?