Delonte

[Kim Malo]

Oh come on. You really agree that Doc is actively looking to break 
the spirit of our young players? I think he's a bad coach in a lot of 
ways and I am a fan of Occam's Razor in explaining most phenomena. 
But I don't think he's an actively evil megalomaniac playing that 
sort of games for his own amusement or whatever you think is behind it.

As to PG, in a point that has been made ad nauseum, even the Kidds 
and Nashes of the world take several years to develop - and that's 
after spending some maturing time in college. See Cecil's post about 
relative ages and experience. among our PG (and don't forget that 
Delonte was a SG in college when calculating that)  I'm no great Doc 
supporter as a coach but I'd want better grounds than that to dump him.
Kim


At 12:56 AM 1/2/2007, R Howe wrote:
>For me this is the best post yet this season. Most all our young 
>players either regress or take a long time to play up to potential 
>under Doc, he is especially poison to any young PG he has been 
>given. True he has not been given a Nash or Kidd (thank God for 
>them) but you would think at least one PG, flaws and all, under his 
>tutelage would develop into a serviceable PG. After-all he was a PG 
>himself right? and that is the problem IMO.
>
>   Time to move the coach.... Please
>
>Tom Murphy <tfmiii at worldnet.att.net> wrote:
>   I agree with the many comments that Rondo looks like the eventual 
> answer at the point some years down the road.
>
>But however the PG spot turns out I don't think that this team is 
>rich enough in talent that we can afford to basically sour on 
>players, destroy their self-confidence and then discard them. 
>Unfortunately, that is what I see happening under Doc. This applies 
>not only to Telfair but to Delonte and every other young player on 
>the team as well (although Delonte has a longer leash than most he 
>was victimized by Doc's "I don't need no stinkin' rotation" earlier 
>in the season). Right now Telfair is playing his worst ball of the 
>year. Does is seem farfetched that the deterioration might have 
>anything to do with the Doc's mixed messages? ("I value D and 
>unselfish ball - but I'll sub you out if you're not scoring enough!")
>
>No matter how 'mentally challenged' the players may be, the game 
>basics are still fairly straightforward. If the coach can't 
>translate those basics to the players in a way they can grasp, then 
>he is committing the same error as Pitino. If you recall, he had a 
>wonderful system, just never the 'right' players to make his theory 
>a reality. Well Doc is facing a similar situation - you've got to 
>play with the players you have rather than lamenting their 
>shortcomings and constantly bemoaning how 'young' they are.
>
>The least Doc can do is at least build up the value of the players 
>by actually teaching the players and fitting them into a 
>*consistent* team concept rather than seeking to break their spirit 
>through pointless mind games. It doesn't matter if Doc is receiving 
>'orders' from above - he is still the coach and it is his job to 
>reach these players and motivate them. Doc likes to moan about lack 
>of consistency - a good start might be consistency from the coach.
>
>I think there would be a lot less concern about losses on the list 
>and among fans in general if we could see any progress, but under 
>Doc that does not ever seem to happen unless a player receives 
>'extra-curricular help' (hello Clifford Ray). Some players look like 
>that they improved in the off season (Al Jeff, Green) and at least 
>Tony Allen seems to have improved (by just getting PT and from what 
>I can tell ignoring everything he's been 'taught' for the past two 
>years) but the TEAM has not noticeably improved one jot. They still 
>look as unprepared and uncertain as they did two months ago.