Assessing the "Chemistry" Issue with Quotes

[huzy]

February 24, 2009

We were out on the court playing like we don't like each other– Michael Curry

February 24, 2010

We don't have that one guy that steps in, get on a person for doing something wrong. We have certain nights where one person would say something, and another would, but we need that one person who will be there, and we know that they got our back and that they'll get on us when we do wrong and direct us when we're going wrong. We don't have that." – Antonio McDyess

February 7, 2010

"We tend to relax and let our guard down," – Doc Rivers

February 3, 2010

We gotta make a change and do something about it quick, Not a trade or anything, but just making some changes in the locker room, amongst ourselves. Every guy has to look in the mirror and hold themselves accountable."

In the locker room, you can feel it,You don't feel like it's the same continuity and camaraderie in the locker room as it was the first year [in 2007-08]. The first year, it was a crazy spirit in the locker room. But now it doesn't feel the same. It's not the same right now. We've got to find a way to get that back somehow, some way." –Rajon Rondo

February 10, 2010

"We're going to try to do something [in trade market]. It might be something very small, but tweak the personality of our team." –Danny Ainge

You know with the common thread is between these quotes?

Same time of year and…Rasheed Wallace.

I know I’m digging here but locker room camaraderie and effort seems to be the common problems in both of these cases.

Rasheed inherited the benefit of the doubt because of his veteran status and relationship with KG when he came to this team. The only problem is that his approach to the game and general attitude has been contagious. I’m convinced.

Albeit, Allen Iverson was another factor in the emotional collapse of the Pistons last year, however, seeing these same types of quotes coming up at the same time of year, I can’t ignore the fact the Sheed is right in the middle of it in both cases.

His apathetic approach to games is rubbing off on everyone else.

His willingness to “turn it on” only when he wants to is contagious.

If Danny is making a move because of chemistry, this is the bad apple.

Experience doesn’t equal leadership and can’t compensate for complacency. This team lost it’s hunger and needs to be reminded that a Championship is not a right of passage.

Send Sheed packing. If someone is dumb or crazy enough to bite on his contract, Danny, consider it a blessing…

[crownsy]

I've said it before and I'll say it again.

If a 35 year old bench player with a limited role's attitude is affecting this team to the point where they have seemingly changed there entire attitude about the game of basketball, they don't deserve to win anyway, because they are a mentally weak locker room, and a joke.

That piston's team had no leaders once billups was gone.

We, supposedly, have KG, Paul Pierce, and ray allen, who we are told are three of the finest leaders in the game.

If the above is true, that's false. They are horrible leaders to let one guy on a bench contract affect their entire season and team identity.

I know it's fun to scape goat sheed, and he may deserve some of it, but to say that he's the reason this team can't be bothered to play fundamental basketball at times?

I don't buy it. Their issues are deeper than that.

[Drucci]

Rasheed "the scapegoat" Wallace.

So you're using Michael Curry's quote ("we were out on the court playing like we don't like each other"  : ugh, nobody on this team liked Curry so I guess you can start by pointing fingers at him for that situation) and McDyess' quote about a lack of leader in Detroit, a team that was in a total mess last season and who turned out against their coach, their newly acquired player and their organization, to make an analogy with the Celtics' possible chemistry issues, thus making Sheed the culprit in these cases?

Wow. Sheed has never been a leader so I don't see why McDyess would be referring to him in that quote.

And although his laziness and cool attitude is frustrating for fans, and maybe for the players at times, it's just ridiculous to say that the team has lost its hunger and swagger because of Rasheed's mere presence in the locker-room.

If people really think KG's super intense personality makes everybody goes, do you really believe Sheed's laziness can be the kryptonite/counterpart to that energy that drives the whole team?

Come on now, if you want to blame somebody, blame the whole team and especially the starting five, but do not use Rasheed or anyone else as a scapegoat, this is a team sports.

I would be glad if you could explain to me on Rasheed can be blamed for the 19-0 run the starters went through against Orlando last Sunday, for example, when Sheed was sitting on the bench. I guess he was sending negative vibes to his teammates.

[jdpapa3]

I'm sorry, but I just don't see the similarities between the quotes from Detroit and the ones here.

[Fan from VT]

maybe the similarity is Age?

Don't you guys think it's possible that saying things like "we get leads, then our guard down," or "we coast in the regular season" or "we lack focus/intensity for 48 minutes" is pretty standard old(er) man code for "The old legs just don't respond anymore, but i look the same and i'm not ready to admit it?"

[BballTim]

I've said it before and I'll say it again.

If a 35 year old bench player with a limited role's attitude is affecting this team to the point where they have seemingly changed there entire attitude about the game of basketball, they don't deserve to win anyway, because they are a mentally weak locker room, and a joke.

That piston's team had no leaders once billups was gone.

We, supposedly, have KG, Paul Pierce, and ray allen, who we are told are three of the finest leaders in the game.

If the above is true, that's false. They are horrible leaders to let one guy on a bench contract affect their entire season and team identity.

I know it's fun to scape goat sheed, and he may deserve some of it, but to say that he's the reason this team can't be bothered to play fundamental basketball at times?

I don't buy it. Their issues are deeper than that.

  It's hard to have good chemistry on the court when your best players are in and out of the lineup.

[guava_wrench]

Genuine confidence is likely part of the problem. There has to be a lot of doubt with KG still not showing much.

[twinbree]

Sheed is well Sheed but I find it really hard to blame him for apathy problems the team had long before he got here. Last season we had stretches of sloppy play like we're having now that was lost in the shuffle after KG's injury. Listless uninspired play - our 2 game 1 performances in the playoffs come to mind - tells me there were motivation issues too last season. He's not helping but he's not the cause.

[chicagogreen]

some people dominant whatever room they are in, sucking all the attention, the very air, their way.  if 'sheed is one of these people than the poster(whose name I forget, sorry) might be right.  

I am looking at another reason though, well same reason but different person.  We know KG is one of those types of people.  It seems possible to me that instead of his usual high to low, pumped to angry dynamic infecting the rest of the room, maybe the guy is just down, depressed and flat from the injury, being substandard athletically for the first time in his life and not really knowing how to deal with it emotionally and his depression is the elephant in the room, and people are treading real quietly around it, and it is a little contagious. To me, this kind of emotional state would go a long way to explaining the periodic lack of energy and aggression.  I mean, we are seeing C's not try to chase down long rebounds, just watching them...oh, I'll never get there what's the use...I don't remember much of that the last couple of years and it seems just a little sad, literally a sadness, a kind of limp apathy, occasionally fought against in an over-the-top and reactive kind of way, that infects much of the team.  Which, BTW, is why I am loving Tony Allen right now, he just continues to be the over active dog, trying to please, constant energy, immune from these silly people-feelings, see ball - chase ball, see kobe - chase kobe, ball, ball, ball, rebound, run, run, dunk, arggh, close eyes, enjoy, one breath, open eys, good tony, run, run, run, oh, see the ball again....

on a side note, I finally found the edit post button, modify, hurrah

[crownsy]

I've said it before and I'll say it again.

If a 35 year old bench player with a limited role's attitude is affecting this team to the point where they have seemingly changed there entire attitude about the game of basketball, they don't deserve to win anyway, because they are a mentally weak locker room, and a joke.

That piston's team had no leaders once billups was gone.

We, supposedly, have KG, Paul Pierce, and ray allen, who we are told are three of the finest leaders in the game.

If the above is true, that's false. They are horrible leaders to let one guy on a bench contract affect their entire season and team identity.

I know it's fun to scape goat sheed, and he may deserve some of it, but to say that he's the reason this team can't be bothered to play fundamental basketball at times?

I don't buy it. Their issues are deeper than that.

  It's hard to have good chemistry on the court when your best players are in and out of the lineup.

I agree, but how does that relate to rasheed wallace singlhandely fracturing the locker room?

Our leaders were still around weren't they? in the OP's hypo, they have allowed sheed to posin the entire locker room. no one put their foot down? no one took hi aside?

I just find the idea that rasheed wallace is singularly responsible for this teams lackadaisical play, a problem they had in much shorter bursts last year, hard to believe or credit.

Although i suppose we could retroactively scapegoat marbury for that  

[crownsy]

some people dominant whatever room they are in, sucking all the attention, the very air, their way.  if 'sheed is one of these people than the poster(whose name I forget, sorry) might be right.  

So you think Sheed is such a cancer that his personality alone has neutralized any leadership abilities from KG, Paul pierce, Ray allen?

I was lead to believe KG and paul, in particular, were pretty well respected in the leadership department.

Clearly i was mistaking if a 35 year old making MLE money in a bench role can come in and destroy everything the've done, as the OP suggests.

I'll say it again, if the above is true, the celtics are a mentally weak team, from top to bottom.

It also doesn't explain why the coasting issue popped up last year, before sheed ever got here.

The plain fact is that people don't like sheed and he's fun to scapegoat. I myself am not a huge wallace fan, but I just find it incredibly difficult to believe that all this teams problems can be traced to him.

It speaks of not wanting to address the real issues, mainly that we are one of the worst rebounding teams in basketball, lack athleticism and rebounding ability from our forwards, have players who age is clearly taking a toll on (which compounds the rebounding problem), and generally can't stay healthy.

[celticinorlando]

I've said it before and I'll say it again.

If a 35 year old bench player with a limited role's attitude is affecting this team to the point where they have seemingly changed there entire attitude about the game of basketball, they don't deserve to win anyway, because they are a mentally weak locker room, and a joke.

That piston's team had no leaders once billups was gone.

We, supposedly, have KG, Paul Pierce, and ray allen, who we are told are three of the finest leaders in the game.

If the above is true, that's false. They are horrible leaders to let one guy on a bench contract affect their entire season and team identity.

I know it's fun to scape goat sheed, and he may deserve some of it, but to say that he's the reason this team can't be bothered to play fundamental basketball at times?

I don't buy it. Their issues are deeper than that.

TP....no way sheed is the cause of all this...there was an old guy and young guy rift last season

[BballTim]

I've said it before and I'll say it again.

If a 35 year old bench player with a limited role's attitude is affecting this team to the point where they have seemingly changed there entire attitude about the game of basketball, they don't deserve to win anyway, because they are a mentally weak locker room, and a joke.

That piston's team had no leaders once billups was gone.

We, supposedly, have KG, Paul Pierce, and ray allen, who we are told are three of the finest leaders in the game.

If the above is true, that's false. They are horrible leaders to let one guy on a bench contract affect their entire season and team identity.

I know it's fun to scape goat sheed, and he may deserve some of it, but to say that he's the reason this team can't be bothered to play fundamental basketball at times?

I don't buy it. Their issues are deeper than that.

  It's hard to have good chemistry on the court when your best players are in and out of the lineup.

I agree, but how does that relate to rasheed wallace singlhandely fracturing the locker room?

Our leaders were still around weren't they? in the OP's hypo, they have allowed sheed to posin the entire locker room. no one put their foot down? no one took hi aside?

I just find the idea that rasheed wallace is singularly responsible for this teams lackadaisical play, a problem they had in much shorter bursts last year, hard to believe or credit.

Although i suppose we could retroactively scapegoat marbury for that  

  I might have misread your post but I was disagreeing with "Their issues are deeper than that". When we have a full and stable staring lineup for more than a few games and we still have problems I'll believe that we have issues.

[More Banners]

Any chance is a youth/age division?

(Edit:  just noticed someone else posted this about last year.  I think with young guys getting paid in the offseason-Rondo and BBD-and the older guys a half-step off this year, could the team be at a crossroads?)

 

[sk7326]

chemistry is a trailing indicator, not a leading one