Re: ''You wonder where Ainge is taking the Celtics'' - MacMullan (Globe)

[Kestutis.Kveraga@xxxxxxxxxxxxx (Kestutis Kveraga)]

--- You wrote:
This is where I part company with Ainge. You cannot measure athletes or 
coaches strictly on points and rebounds, or X's and O's. Character does 
matter. Chemistry is essential. The Patriots are preparing for their second 
Super Bowl in three years this week with a collection of players who have 
been handpicked not just for their individual talents, but for their 
psychological makeup. Coach Bill Belichick and personnel man Scott Pioli 
have gone after quality veterans with strong leadership qualities to fill 
out their roster. As one team official told me, "Our goal is to have an 
[expletive]-free locker room." You know what? They are very close to 
succeeding.
--- end of quote ---

Yeah, Jackie, chemistry is great when it's also associated with talent.
Chemistry alone, without significant talent (which is what we had in EWill and
Battie) results in a hard-working, blue-collar team that will never rise a
notch or two above mediocrity. What was that McHale said about putting five
hard-working plumbers on the floor? On the other hand, talent without chemistry
results in a dazzling anarchy. So, you gotta have both. However, as has been
pointed out on this list repeatedly, talent is a lot harder to come by than
chemistry. You can always surround your talent with middle-waged or, more
typically, minimum-salary "glue" players. I'm sure that, if Ainge wants to, he
can have Eric Williams back next year. He could get Strickland back, Adrian
Griffin etc. etc. These guys are always available if you're willing to show
them some luv and pay a few dollars more than the minimum veteran contract. 

--- You wrote:
I wandered into last Friday's Celtics game against the hapless Washington 
Wizards, and I couldn't believe what I was seeing. After Boston built a 
comfortable third-quarter lead, the team's best player, Paul Pierce, began 
taking one ludicrous shot after another. He was actually fooling around 
in the middle of an NBA game, one that certainly had not been decided. If 
Williams had been there, or, for that matter, Walker, they would have 
told him to knock it off. Davis? He joined in, firing up a few jumpers of 
his own.
--- end of quote ---

Well, I'm don't think that you can blame Davis for not being the Eric Williams
or the Antoine Walker of this team. Pierce certainly has been playing fairly
terribly at times, especially when he realizes it's 3rd quarter and he hasn't
gotten "his". Teams key on it now and, contrary to someone's conclusion that it
was a special case with Detroit, every team with a decent coach will sucker
Pierce into these traps. The only cure for it is, yup, movement offense, where
Pierce is not the creator. Which is exactly the OPPOSITE of what Obie was
trying to do. Pay attention to the team you're allegedly covering, people!

--- You wrote:
Pierce will be one of the biggest casualties now that O'Brien is gone. 
He is carrying too much of the load, both on and off the court. Ainge was 
the first to admit Pierce isn't a leader in the locker room. He is a very 
talented, very fine basketball player whose work ethic is outstanding. 
But he can't do it alone, and you wonder where this leaves him.
--- end of quote ---

What I just said - Obie's so-called offense was a big contributing factor in
Pierce's 
troubles this season. You can't continue to run the same offense you did with
Walker handling the ball and the pressure now that Walker is gone. 

--- You wrote:
So what is next? Ainge, you can be sure, is not done retooling. He better 
not be. His vision, whatever it is, should be given time to take shape and 
evolve. It was supposed to be a three-year plan, after all. Yet, that plan 
suddenly looks a lot murkier to me when someone like Jim O'Brien isn't 
part of it.

It takes a principled person of uncommon character to walk away from 
millions of dollars. The Celtics and O'Brien likely came to some kind of 
small buyout agreement, but believe me, it's not about the money with 
this man. He's already made more than he's ever dreamed.
--- end of quote ---

Jackie must think we're all a bunch of morons. Obie quit knowing full well that
he's very likely to get a more lucrative contract than the one he's forfeiting.
Which she immediately alludes to in the next paragraph. 

--- You wrote:
Don't worry about O'Brien. His reputation in the NBA is impeccable, and 
he will get another job. 
--- end of quote ---

These scribes either don't remember what they just wrote to so contradict
themselves in adjacent paragraphs, or they think we won't. In either case, as I
always say about authors, someone's intelligence always puts a hard cap on
someone's writing. You can never get an intelligent book or article from
someone who's not very intelligent, and I'm afraid that's the case with a lot
of Boston sports media. 

--- You wrote:
You wonder if Danny Ainge truly knows where he is headed. You want him 
to take a good, long, hard look at the direction he is choosing, because 
when it leads you away from a quality basketball man like Jim O'Brien,
you've got problems.
--- end of quote ---

What is it with those people and their personality cult of Obie? Why are they
so impressed by him? Is it his effortless spilling of obscure (and more often
than not, meaningless) stats? They probably think to themselves, "gee, I
couldn't do that, I barely remember who the players are on the Celtics. He must
be really smart!". Do they even watch games? Do they find Obie's style
appealing? 

--- You wrote:
Problems you'll have to solve all on your own.
--- end of quote ---

No, he won't. He'll hire a coach he respects and trusts, one who'll play the
style that Ainge wants and that most fans will find appealing. 

Kestas