Doc Unimpressed By Baby

I agree with Rivers. BBD did not play particularly well, although he wasn’t terrible. Powe did not play particularly well either.

But how can Rivers single out anyone without mentioning Scalabrine?

Scalabrine embarassed me for crying out loud

We know it’s a motivation tactic – but really, Scalabrine was the worst player to pick up a basketball in a long time last night. It’s unfair, motivational or not, to ride Baby in the press and not mention Scal.

Doesn’t Scalabrine need motivation too?

Scal doesn’t need motivation, he needs a plane ticket out of town!

I don’t see it as motivation. There is too much logic that says BBD could well be the least useable of the 16. When Doc talks of his fear of not having length, he’s got to be directly looking at BBD. I think any of the bigs, maybe even Scal (but thats a stretch), can shoot over Baby. If Miles sticks, Baby is the casualty.

If Scal doesn’t play well he’ll be here another year. If he sucks he’ll be gone next year.

Why does Scal need motivation? He’s got that starting PF spot locked up if KG misses any games.

As for Baby, I agree. He did himself a major disservice by not slimming down at all this offseason. Just another reason why all this “Powe or Baby?” talk is nonsense.

  What was all the talk about BB working out diligently all summer here?

I may have missed it, but one guy who wasn’t mentioned in evaluation of the Philly game was Rondo. He did a great job of setting pace and pushing the ball when he wanted to. On one push he scored with a left-handed layup. I don’t remember him doing that last year. It’s a shot he really needs to have.

Scal always was and always will be a horrible player. But I was really hoping to see some improvement from big baby. Yes, its only one game, but he obviously has not improved his conditioning. He better drastically improve his jump shot or his rebounding, because there is no future in the league for a 6’8" 290lb guy who’s main contribution is diving to the floor and and out of bounds to save balls. He has great hands and is a smart, strong, player; but his skill set, as is, does not translate into an nba career.

Baby does have skills as he’s shown. The question is did he show up in shape and ready to play? If he can cut down on cheap fouls, he’ll find floor time. He is one of the better post players on the team.

Good for doc for going after BBD. The danger for the Celtics is not the big three being content. Those guys are professionals and will play hard no matter what. The danger is that guys like Powe and BBD let last year’s success go to their head and start thinking they are better than they are. The Celtics are only a few nagging injuries to Garnett, Pierce or Allan, and the young guys thinking they don’t have to play hard and improve anymore because they already know it all, from being run out of the playoffs a lot earlier than people think. The East has got some good teams. I hope Doc rides everyone of the young players like a horse and makes it clear to them that as of game 1 this year, last year means nothing.

If you haven’t already, read all of Souza’s story. In it he suggests Davis may have been trying to inappropriately assert himself in the offense, and as a result, was screwing up the spacing and flow of the plays.

This may better explain Doc’s concerns than any questions about the Davis’s weight or jumpshot.

From Souza “It is somewhat interesting, though, that he doesn’t go through the big man workouts after practice with Patrick O’Bryant and Leon Powe, but waits until they are done. Perhaps that’s why Rivers mentions Powe as more of a backup center and Davis as a backup power forward that forces Kevin Garnett to switch to center when they are on the court together.” This is consistent with an earlier interview with Coach Ray, when in talking about working with the Celtic Centers and did not mention Baby. That said, Miles is also a PF.

Typical classless airing of team business to the media that Rivers is known for. No chance Davis gets cut anyway.

Andy, normally I pretty much agree with you. To compare Larry’s situation with Rivers is ludicrous. Rivers would never call out his star players. He uses young role players when he talks to the press. The only time he cites veterans is when they’re no longer on the team.

Rivers does this airing to the press pretty much pertaining only to role players. You didn’t see him calling Ray out when he was playing poorly in the playoffs. He’s alienated players doing it.

There’s a lot of ways to get to a player. Airing it out to the press isn’t one of them.