Congratulations to Ryan Gomes

[Kim Malo]

At 06:45 PM 5/4/2006, keltsfan wrote:
>Kim,
>
>Because to play the three at a high level, which I believe he can do, he's
>going to have to be able to hit the 20 footer consistently and he's going to
>have to be able to take his man off the dribble in a one on one situation.

Uh duh, but he's clearly not a 3 and shouldn't be slotted there. 
Sorry, guess I didn't make it clear enough that I disagree with that 
idea when I spoke of "some people"... his game is a 4, he's most 
comfortable at the 4 (he's said that himself) and he does things at 
the 4 we need and is smart enough to take advantage of his speed to 
make up for the size. Especially when there's other defense being 
played on the floor to back him up. Call him just a forward like 
there are just guards, but he's not a natural 3 and I don't see the 
point to forcing him into being one and losing some of his primary 
benefit to the team. And if he starts, as I would like for a number 
of reasons including how well he meshes with the starters, Pierce - 
who is a very natural SG that people continually mistakenly slot as a 
SG - is the starting 3 anyway.

I just really really don't understand the emphasis on taking someone 
away from the basket whose best assets to the team have been his play 
near the basket (and in the midrange, where unlike most of the team 
he moves very well without the ball to provide options). Again, I 
don't object to his improving his shooting outside, I just don't get 
the idea of making it a primary focus to want him out there.

>Ryan Gomes is gifted when it comes to the fundamental and mental aspects of
>the game.  Why not add to those abilities so that he can really shine?

That's a straw man. I've no problem with improving it in general as I 
said. But I damned well don't want him focusing on things that keep 
him far away from the basket when his most important contributions 
are close to it. I want him working on his strengths to make them 
better strengths so he's less of a match up liability at times 
against bigger guys inside rather than forcing him to play to his 
weaknesses, which happens to be something the team doesn't need 
because it's something others already provide.

>Lateral quickness when defending smaller, quicker threes is still
>inconsistent and thus my comments about learning from Artest.

See above - he's not a 3. I didn't question learning from Artest (and 
for cripes sake, he's a freaking rookie on a defensively challenged 
team, which raises issues about how much development help he's 
getting). Just your pointing at him as a target for that particular 
criticism and that the only thing you wanted him to focus on on defense.
Kim