RE: random things make you say Hmmmm

["Berry, Mark S" <berrym@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

This is a great point. I've been down on Pierce this season, but I would
like to see what happens with the new coach. If it's the same old thing,
then I think Pierce is the guy you'll have to trade. It would be nice to
know that now, but instead we have John Carroll - who is like a
fourth-generation photocopy of Obie.



The announcers on the Rockets-Suns game said a couple of really
interesting things last night. First, late in the game, the Rockets took
a couple of bad three-pointers. I think Francis took one, and I know
Mobley took one. The two color guys - Steve Kerr and Mike Fratello -
talked about those being bad shots, especially with Yao dominating
inside, but said the players had developed bad habits after so many
years under the Tomjanovich system. Rudy T had embraced that kind of
play late in his career, allowing Francis and Mobley to bomb away. Kerr
and Fratello said the players took those shots in the past, and still
don't recognize them as bad shots now. This is my fear with Pierce. Have
Obie and Carroll created too many bad habits? Is he going to be able to
resist the coast-to-coast drives, the quick three-pointers, the
step-back 20-footers? Tommy questioned it the other night, actually
saying "I don't know if he's ever going to get it ... " when Pierce
drove wildly into traffic. Anyway, I hope a new coach changes Pierce,
but I fear that the damage is done.



Secondly, they said the key relationship in a team is the relationship
between the head coach and the best player. If that best player buys
into what you're doing, everyone will follow. If the best player doesn't
buy in, you're doomed. Again, this comes back to Pierce. Is he willing
to change his game? Will he accept having the ball out of his hands,
sharing the load offensively and becoming a finisher instead of a
creator? If so, great. But if not, he'll have to go. That's for Danny
and the new coach to figure out.



Mark





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Ravi wrote:



I think the more important point with respect to impact is whether or
not Pierce has a positive or negative one with respect to Ainge's
vision/plan.

Once that is determined then the Celtics will have a better idea of whom
they might/should trade.