Re: Vescey on Heinsohn, Pierce

[Snoopy the Celtics Beagle <snoopy@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Despite the overwhelming temptation to opine that "Peter Vescey" is often a 
synonym for "ignorant, uninformed fool", let me try to confine myself to 
putting Tommy's comments--which I have heard in their ENTIRETY--into 
perspective.

Peter accurately quoted the END of Tommy's ruminations--which have been 
made over the course of several games--but never mentioned what preceded 
them.  Basically, Tommy said that Pierce has the POTENTIAL to be the best 
purely offensive player the C's ever had.  At no time did he even begin to 
suggest that he has the court vision of Larry Bird, the passing skills of 
Bill Walton, the low post game of Kevin McHale, etc.  Nobody will ever 
consider Pierce for defensive player of the year.

Tommy, like most C's fans, is quite cognizant that the players I mention 
are better, more well-rounded players.  What he was pointing out was that 
if he lives up to his potential--and his dissection of the problems with 
Pierce's current shooting style put a definite qualifier on it--he has the 
potential to be the best purely offensive player the C's have had.  that's 
not an unreasonable statement.  Despite the plethora of great players 
who've worn a Celtics uniform, the C's have never had anyone who was a 
really automatic scorer, though Larry came close--mostly because Bird was 
hands down the smartest player in NBA history.  He used his mind to 
compensate where his body might fail him.

Pierce has the potential, though Tommy--and everyone else--knows he's not 
there yet.

Vescey sounds--to me, anyway--like he's just trying to stir something up 
out of nothing.

Again.

Someday, 'ol Pete might want to try raising his journalistic bar just a tad 
higher off the floor--if only so he will look like he put some effort into 
lifting his foot over it.  He has more unnamed sources than a White House 
reporter, and even when he has access to all the info, he doesn't bother to 
check the videotape of his primary source.  Sloppy, sloppy journalism, but 
what else is new?

At least Pierce admits he has a lot of room for improvement.  When did any 
combination of that phrase ever cross Petey's lips?

At 10:29 AM 3/14/2004, Josh Ozersky wrote:

>"Tommy Heinsohn normally saves his rave reviews for those decked in Celtics
>green. Which makes the imperious broadcaster's pure praise of Artest's
>defense, effort and all-around excellence especially meaningful. At the same
>time, Heinsohn sent me into a fit of Hooping cough when he blasphemously
>decreed, "When it's all said and done, Paul Pierce may very well be Boston's
>best offensive player of all time."
>
>Really! How so? Because Pierce notched his 10,000th point in five fewer games
>than Bird? Because for the last four seasons he and Antoine Walker took all of
>Boston's shots and wanted more? Because Pierce is apt to hoist up more shots
>each evening than three Celtics starters combined? Because Bird went to work
>for another franchise? Because he had the misfortune to play alongside Kevin
>McHale and Robert Parish as well as Dennis Johnson, Cedric Maxwell, Ainge,
>Bill Walton and Gerald Henderson? Because Bird made the mistake of sharing the
>ball with accomplished teammates and winning championships?
>
>Then again, Heinsohn's probably right. Yo, Tommy, hand me a Magic Marker, will
>ya? Let's cross out the "33" that's on the banner hanging from the ceiling and
>change it to "34."  "

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