RE: random things make you say Hmmmm

["R. Singh" <keltsfan@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Josh,

Again, the question is whether or not Pierce can sublimate his
individual ego for the good of the team and just as importantly, whether
he can become a smart basketball player.  I'm not arguing that he
doesn't have talent and if there is a coach out there that can transform
him in these areas that would be fantastic because, as I've said, he has
skills that any championship caliber team would love to have.  

I find it amusing that people want to place all the blame for Pierce's
weaknesses on the coaching staff when much of it must be placed on the
player. The coach isn't telling him to drive into three defenders and
turn the ball over is he?  The coach isn't telling him to fire up an
ill-advised three is he?  The coach isn't telling him to purposefully
lose the man he's defending so that his individual opponent can score a
bucket is he?  

While it is true that coaches can make players look bad, it is equally
true that players can make coaches look bad.  

Ravi



-----Original Message-----
From: Josh Ozersky [mailto:jozersky@xxxxxxxxxx] 
Sent: Wednesday, March 17, 2004 11:16 AM
To: R. Singh; Celtics@xxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: random things make you say Hmmmm


And as Russell demonstrated, it's individual talent that wins
championships.  Pierce's dribble is better than you portray it. Once he
starts wheeling and dealing with his back to his defender, he can be
stripped, but his ability to dribble drive is what makes him the star he
is.  His arms are so long -- freakishly long, really -- that he is
occasionally vulnerable, but only when trying to split double and triple
teams.  Limit him to three dribbles, and he can get by anybody.  I think
the whole thing with Pierce is about his bringing up the ball.  If he
sets up and gets the ball, he's the guy from two years ago.  If he tries
to attack from 23 feet out, the whole offense, including his own, dies
on the vine.  It's amazing to me that Carroll and Obie couldn't see
that.  Kestas makes fun of Tommy Heinsohn, but he's been seeing it and
saying it for years now.

Josh

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "R. Singh" <keltsfan@xxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <Celtics@xxxxxxxx>
Sent: Wednesday, March 17, 2004 2:01 PM
Subject: RE: random things make you say Hmmmm


> To me, the Paul Pierce circa 2002-01 and the Paul Pierce of today are 
> the same player except for two details. This Paul Pierce can't shoot 
> as well and doesn't play defense nearly as well. Other than that, 
> nothing much has changed. Pierce is still a terrible ball-handler who 
> is prone to playing dumb basketball by forcing his dribble drive and 
> forcing shots thereby killing any offensive flow.  Look at his numbers

> the last two years.  He's basically become another Antoine Walker.  
> While I agree that Pierce played team ball at Kansas where the coach 
> would have sat his butt down if he didn't play proper, he now has had 
> untold praise heaped on him, feeding his ego to the point that I 
> really wonder if this jack can be put back in the box.
> 
> I hope I'm wrong because he does possess skills that any championship 
> caliber team would love, but as Mr. Russell said, it's  team ego, not 
> individual ego, that ultimately wins championships.
> 
> Ravi
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-celtics@xxxxxxxx [mailto:owner-celtics@xxxxxxxx] On Behalf

> Of Berry, Mark S
> Sent: Wednesday, March 17, 2004 7:32 AM
> To: Celtics@xxxxxxxx
> Subject: Re: random things make you say Hmmmm
> 
> 
> Josh, you mention Roy Williams and that's exactly why I still have 
> hope that Pierce will turn it around. He was an unselfish team player 
> at Kansas, who fit into a system and excelled. So he CAN be that kind 
> of player. That we agree on.
> 
> 
> 
> Unfortunately, he's playing exactly like the guy you mentioned - Jerry

> Stackhouse. It's not about what he CAN be. It's about what he is. 
> Right now, he's Stackhouse. He needs a strong coach - and a 
> willingness to be coached - to return to Paul Pierce, circa 2001-02.
> 
> 
> 
> I just think you're seeing him only as the guy from two seasons ago 
> and not recognizing that he hasn't been that guy for a while. We all 
> know he's capable of it. But at some point he has to do it. If he 
> isn't willing, then, like Ravi said, he has to go. You don't build 
> your team around Jerry Stackhouse.
> 
> 
> 
> Mark
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> --- --- ---
> 
> 
> 
> Josh wrote:
> 
> 
> 
> I don't know where you and Mark get the idea that
> Pierce is a ball-hogging offense killer.  He does
> do that without a coach, but so would any top-flight
> scorer.  If anything, Pierce's flaw is in being too comfortable as 
> another cog in the machine.  The guy was schooled well by Roy 
> Williams, and knows what it means to play within a team context.  
> You're talking about Jerry Stackhouse, not Paul Pierce.