From: TM
Sent: Fri 6/20/2008 6:52 PM
To: Peter.Vecsey
Subject: Admit your mistakes
Patter Vajey (as long as we are calling people names) -
In 1982 you could write just about anything and there was no way for readers to let you know what they thought. In 2008, your email address accompanies all of your inaccuracies. I’m assuming the intention is to allow feedback from your readers. Working under that assumption….
I take exception with your “Garnett No Gem” article published on June 17, 2008. First, consider your source for this article. Ron Artest? Isn’t this the guy who admitted his insanity to the world by assaulting some fans in Detroit a couple of years ago? If we excuse that fact and assume these were your opinions and you just needed Ron Artest to back you up, I’ll continue.
“Fake Franchise Player.” I can’t look that up on www.dictionary.com, but I’m sure it would not say:
· Leading scorer in the 2008 Playoffs for the Celtics
· Leading rebounder in the 2008 Playoffs for the Celtics
· 2008 NBA Defensive Player of the Year
I like Paul Pierce as much as anyone, but to say HE was the reason the Celtics won may not be completely fair or accurate. Let’s look at the stats for the 16 games the Celtics won in the 2008 playoffs (also remember Boston may not have been in the Finals if Paul Pierce were carrying them – See Cleveland Game 1 stats):
· In the Atlanta series, here are the splits for the four wins:
KG = 18.3ppg, 9.0rpg, 4.3apg, 1.0spg, 1.5bpg
PP = 18.5ppg, 5.5rpg, 3.5apg, 1.25spg, .25bpg
· In the Cleveland series, here are the splits for the four wins:
KG = 20ppg, 12.3rpg, 3.5apg, 1.5spg, 1bpg
PP = 23.3ppg, 5.5rpg, 3.5apg, 1spg, .25bpg
o Game 1 Boston victory (76-72), Paul Pierce had 4 points (2-14 shooting), 3 assists, 5 rebounds. KG had 28 points, 8 rebounds and 3 assists.
· In the Detroit series, where KG was again the best player on the floor, here are the splits for the four wins:
KG = 24.3ppg, 8.8rpg, 4apg, 1spg, .5bpg
PP = 19ppg, 5.8rpg, 4.3apg, 1spg, .5bpg
· In the four wins in the Finals vs. the Lakers:
KG = 20.8 ppg 13 rpg 3.3 apg 1.8 spg .8 bpg
PP = 21.8 ppg 3.8 rpg 6.3 apg 1.3 spg .5 bpg
I actually think there is a pretty solid case that KG deserved the Finals MVP.
Now, if we go back to 2004, when KG was carrying a franchise with Ervin Johnson as it’s starting center and Gary Trent getting minutes in a Game 7 to get to the Western Conference Finals, KG did put the team on his back. You are welcome to look through this boxscore and search for ways he didn’t:
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/boxscore?gameId=240519016
KG scored 32 of the teams 83 points, He also tracked down 21 of their 50 rebounds and five of their eight steals. The boxscore doesn’t show the three he hit with two minutes left or the blocked layup on Brad Miller with seconds remaining. He also dominated Chris Webber in this series in a year Webber was actually good.
Perhaps your column was intended for The Onion, an obvious spoof on reality. If so, I apologize and you can forward this to your editors for pushing this article to the NY Post.
The beauty of writing for a newspaper is that you can admit your mistakes. You can take back the words you wrote. You can change them around. You can even try to take credit for motivating The Big Ticket to 26 points and 14 boards in Game 7. You even have a chance to talk about the fact that Kobe, not KG, is the one who melted under pressure. Kobe’s averages went down with each round of the playoffs.
Waiting for your follow-up article……….Should I look in The Onion?
From: Peter.Vecsey
<Peter.Vecsey@nypost.com>
To: TM
Sent: Friday, June 20, 2008 10:33:25 PM
Subject: RE: Admit your mistakes
Who cares what a numbnuts like you thinks!!! Did you ever come close to passing english comprehension? Have someone read the column to you ten or twenty times and you might understand its essence, as opposed to spouting Garnett's numbers. Look up what he's done in the fourth quarter of big games his whole career. What a dope!