Re: A passing fancy

[Eggcentric@xxxxxxx]

> People are just going to have to get over turnovers. I've been arguing 
> this point for both Paul and Antoine for years. >  -Tammo

< Well no we're not just going to have to get over it (man, are you 
trying to be as infuriatingly patronizing as you can? why not do it to 
someone who's asked for it rather than JB), because it's a valid complaint 
where too many are his own fault and eminently correctable. You 'just 
have to get over' things that can't be helped or can't be fixed/changed. 
This isn't one of them.>  - Kim

Kim - Okay, only one egg remaining in my cupboard this AM so I will bite.  
Why do you feel that the Tammo summary was patronizing or a direct 
hit at JB?  I interpreted the Tammo post to be a fair, accurate, and moderate 
assessment of the residue caused by a stubborn coach who demands that 
his best two players - a talented PF and a SF -  serve as surrogate point 
guards/ball-handlers.  So why should we be surprised that both have lots of 
turnovers?  And yes, I feel we have to just get over this aspect of their 
game 
which seems directly linked to the Obie I-am-above-implementing-any-
conventional-offense strategy. 

If I had to choose between Walker and Pierce based solely on their 
turnovers, I would frankly opt for the Pierce strips into traffic. 
At least his beminently correctableb turnovers come against 
triple-teaming  (see guys and gals - he does make other players 
better and create opportunities for them after all).  More times than 
not, Pierce drives into traffic have at least gotten him to the charity 
stripe.  So maybe we should consider a new stat -  TURNOVERS VS. 
FREE THROWS on triple-teamed drives to the basket

In his alleged frenzied, unfocused, selfish rage to excel in our 
eight preseason games,  Paul has somehow created the opportunity 
for 65 free throw points vs. the Walker 22.  Head up or not ( a petty 
complaint of his playing style considering his past production), 
Pierce seems to be doing ok.  So what say you to this, Kim?  
Should we trade him for El Amin and fodder?

You are probably not surprised that during our eight preseason games, 
Pierce has completely bested Walker in FG%, 3P%, and FT%?  But are
you not surprised/dismayed, Kim,  that Pierce also has had more 
ASSISTS and REBOUNDS than Walker, the player who JB Metz claims 
has suddenly (in one game against Washington) become a complete 
player and no longer can be faulted in any aspect of the game?  

In all fairness, just maybe pro-Pierce and pro-Walker fans alike
self-consciously expect too much from our only two decent players.  
The Obie/Wallace assumption that Walker is so versatile that he
can easily cover for our lack of a point guard and still do his job as 
a PF - well that to me IS A LOT MORE PATRONIZING to us fans than 
the Tammo post. 

And it certainly does not bode well for our team.  Jeesum crow - if our 
best rebounder is asked to serve as a PG, if our franchise-destroying 
$53 million dollar man cannot match throw away child Battie (who I 
like so much) in defense, blocked shots, FG%, and especially rebounds,
and if alleged 3-point specialist Sundov is being hyped as the second 
coming of Rogers as a decoy for spreading the oppositionbs defense,  
then  DAMN - where do we expect our rebounds to come from?  

Oh right, from PAUL.  Why not... he is expected to do just about 
everything else for us.    

-----------------------------
PRESEASON STATS (eight games)
    B    B    B    B    B    B        B 
B  Player    MPG   FG%   3P%   FT%       RPG    APG   SPG   BPG  TO      PPG
B Pierce 30.8        .466     .452   .815        5.30     4.1      1.25    .25   
    3.63        22.5
B Walker 31.0         .413    .310   .545        5.10     4.0      .50      
.50     3.13        13.9