I went to the post-game press conference tonight. It was my first. Before Monty came into the room, I sat quietly in the back listening to Gerry V getting briefed on the NCAA activity he missed between his soft gumblings . . . 2 of 20 . . . stuff like that. Most of the media folks were in the back area clicking away on computers. Very few people ended up sitting in front of Monty, making each of us very conspicuous, and some more than others . . .
When Monty arrived, he was upset. He was waaay upset. The regulars in the room were clearly taken aback. The unflappable V-man went through his routine with Monty, then Monty softly declared to Harold Kaufman that “This is the last of this,” gesturing slightly. There was no real reply. Coach took one last question, I think from the venerable Peter Finney. There was no resistance as Monty left the podium. Following the press conference, I confirmed that this was, in fact, the most upset he’d been after any game. No other post-game was even close.Â
The notes:
He characterized this game as a playoff game.
He said Marco helped us early.
He attributed the loss to a few things: The 3rd quarter scoring, 34 second half points, falling in love with jumpers, some inexcusable plays, no sense of urgency coming out of the half, and a “nonexistent” bench.
He liked what Landry brought, but it was unable to continue after his eye was cut.Â
He told the team at the half that they could not come out expecting the Celtics to just lay down for the remainder of the game.Â
He says our biggest problem is not putting teams away when we have a chance to do so.Â
I don’t think any of the notes was the story, though. His characterization of the bench would be the biggest thing there, but this isn’t really news. His mood was the story.
There was a part of me that honestly thought at one point that Monty was going to stop what he was saying, point at me, and growl: “Who is that hairy jerk in the back row, and why is he in my press conference?” I didn’t do anything to let him know my jerky nature or anything. I just sat there there quietly with 41 to my right and 43 to my left. He emotions were just radiating. He was like a wild man barely held back by the faint knowledge that if he let go for only a moment, if he said what he wanted to say, did what he wanted to do, that it would damage everything in he’s worked for in his life.Â
I’m being completely poetic here. I’m trying to convey the struggle the I saw, the conflict, and why the mood was so uncomfortable. I didn’t really feel in danger. He was not menacing anyone. I would not, however, have taken any kind of “walkin’ around money” in exchange for even looking like I was going to ask a question. It was a complete anti-chest-bump. Should that Monty and chest-bump Monty shake hands, they would turn into pure energy. Monty*c2 . . . times 2.Â
The cherry on top was that he had to take a picture with two ladies (season ticket holders). He was very polite, but didn’t smile. They were eager before the press-conference, then anxious.
Poor dears.Â
Poor Monty.
I fully expect something to change. I don’t know what form it will take, or if I’m smart enough to see it, but I don’t think that much emotion can leave him without changing something with this team in the process.
38 responses to “Monty Williams’ Post-Celtics Press Conference”
He was probably so hot because he knew they should of won this game. I think he’s gonna really let these guys know blowing these leads isn’t going to keep happening. Hopefully we won’t lose any more games that we’re supposed to win.
I think its a combo of not only our team play, but also all of the Celtics fans cheering at the arena. His quotes from a previous TP article about how he had to endure all of the fans cheering for the Lakers showed that things like that really bother him. I too, was sickened by all of the Celtics fans. I grew up in Maine and the Celtics were my favorite team growing up (and I still love them), but NO WAY IN HELL am I going to live in this city and then show up at a Hornets game wearing green and SCREAMING for the Celtics. All of those New Orleanians there tonight that were doing it are real pieces of shit. I know that sounds harsh, but it’s the truth.
Also, our team offense was the most one-sided and unimaginative that I’ve ever seen it. The Celtics cheated off Paul and Ariza the entire fourth quarter. They all knew that those two were in no way shooting threats. We had to have run a DWest isolation in the post 15 straight trips down the floor. A 2nd grader could have figured out our offense.
Monty was talking in an article yesterday about how he tells his guys the truth, even if it means hurting their relationship. I sincerely hope that goes for not only our bench players, but also our starters, because he needs to tell Paul to WAKE UP. I wanted to strangle Paul in that game. He passed up so many open looks to set up shots that were lower percentage than what he had open.
I’m with Monty. For me, there was something very unsettling about this loss.
P.S. Belinelli and Landry continue to impress.
You know once Ray, Paul, and Kevin retire and the Celts suck again, those 7-8000 there will become Knicks or Heat fans.
I foresee a sh*t load of suicides being ran by the Bees next practice.
Right when our lead surpassed double digits, I was already worried about us losing it. Our inability to score and lack of focus after obtaining large leads have been haunting us all season long.
Carl Landry has been great, but unfortunately nobody can get him the ball. That guy is a scoring machine! Somebody please get him some looks. The rest of our 2nd unit is so bad that I would settle for letting Landry go 1-on-1 for an entire 6 minute span while the starters are taking a breather. There are just way too many plays where he doesn’t even touch the damn ball.
They should be ran to death.
I totally agree about NOLA-ites cheering for the opposing teams. I had a couple of obnoxious Celtics fans behind me and really wanted to be able to turn around and give it them at the end of the game.
A couple? Almost EVERYONE sitting around me was a wannabe Celtic fan. It took everything I had inside not to throw punches at the douche sitting in front of me after that screwed out-of-bounds call. Everything.
I had my speech all worked out. This idiot behind me said “brick” every time the Hornets missed a shot, and would say “pull it” if he wanted the Celtics to shoot. I knew I wouldn’t be in my seat (press conference), so it was all the more frustrating.
He was even doing it when we were up by 10+. Little moron.
OMG were you in section 114?!?!?! dude like 3 rows up from me allllll game same thing. Brick! Brick! &$%&est fans of all itme
The most frustrating part was seeing when the second unit came in when Dwest and Landry were the post players and on 6 straight possessions jarrett jack or Willie Greene completely dominated the ball and forced bad shots. Especially two airballs from Green when Marco was going supernova. I’m looking at Landry get to the rim at will and I’m begging for the guards to give him the ball, but instead they were being selfish as usual when they are both on the court together. Landry’s injury in 2nd half was huge as Mek missed 3 point blank layups at the rim. Mek is too strong to play so week at the rim
Nice insight,42. I think Monty is struggling mightily to find his coaching persona. I think he is a really intense, competitive guy- but he knows he has to be careful. We all know this league is run by the stars, and he has one. I think maybe he is struggling with just what he can and can’t expect/say from(to) some of his players, and this frustrates him. He’ll, it frustrates me too.
I have only been on this earth for 23 beautiful years but i have attended countless games, competitions, professional sports, w/e you want to call it and never in my life have i been in a home teams stadium/arena and that overwhelmed by the opposing teams fans. I was behind the celts bench, so its understandable that i would have some celtics fans but 90% of those seats are season ticket holders, i did not have a hornets fan within atleast 8 seats of me IN ANY DIRECTION. when the celts took their first lead they all jumped up around me and i was trapped in a pool of puke green, and they were heckling me in my stadium……ive always hated Boston hell the state of Mass. and all that it stands for. yuppie ass clown know it alls who feel they have a since of superiority because they came from some smelly cold turd in new england. (and they have celts and patriots my 2 least favorite sports teams ever and the 2 most classless sports teams ever). and now they have 1000 (maybe more) Louisiana natives half or over half id bet have never even been to Boston decked out in green cheering against their own team….ugh And to make it even better the celtic fan right next to me was an 7 year old girl, wtf do i do with that? I sat there bottled up with rage that exploded only once when David got the and one with both celts on him, i repeatedly screamed “this is our house!” doing circles in my section only to have that backfire horribly.
On a lighter note who wants to file a complaint to the league about big baby giving the bird to the bee zanies? I DO I DO I DO….i smell a fine in his future.
I was at the back of your section for the end of the game. It was ridiculous. Totally ridiculous.
Whatever, they pushed the attendance up and had a good time. Maybe some of them will come back wearing the right colors.
I hate going to those games. I never do. So why did I go to this one? The ‘bobblebelly’ for the lady (only one in the guaranteed giveaways for STH) and the press conference.
Ya i knew you must have been i just commented up higher about you being in the section. I heard that brick dude the entire time uuuuuuuugh horrible
Actually, I was only there at the end. I was in 301 for most of the game.
You keep them right down low, and I’ll handle the balcony.
It must be something they ‘learned’ in Boston, the brick thing.
I have only been on this earth for 23 beautiful years but i have attended countless games, competitions, professional sports, w/e you want to call it and never in my life have i been in a home teams stadium/arena and that overwhelmed by the opposing teams fans.
Obviously you have never been to a USMNT soccer game…it was pathetic Saturday but just saying — no comparison.
my favorite was this fat turd celts fan behind me after big baby hit his first free throw and it was a 3pt game he turns to his skank g/f or i can only assume she was his g/f and hes like “game over game over game over, no way they can win now” and i just sat there in awe of his genius
Speaking as a mathematician and educator… Subtraction is hard for most people.
If it makes anyone feel better, it seemed the way watching the Miami-Boston game on Tv in miami. tons of cheers for the celtics. Stupid bandwagon jumpers
Maybe this will spark a run for the rest of the season
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Opposing fans in NOLA seems to be a bigger situation than I thought. You’re bound to have even home-team bandwagoners (I rooted for the early 90s Mavs in an empty arena. ’nuff said), but I’m surprised to hear away fans potentially overcrowding the home fans.
But you know, we’re somewhat to blame as well. Maybe if we had 12,000 season ticket holders and 16-17,000 regular attendees all the time, fans of teams like the Celtics/Lakers wouldn’t BE ABLE to get their hands on 8,000 tickets.
In years past, I remember going to Saints games where the Falcons had a good 10,000 fans in the Superdome. Any chance that could happen nowadays? My point exactly.
Anybody else want to get up and thrown down with David when he shoved that ball in Kristics chest? man that shit had me fired up, i love how pissed david gets. In the words of Rodney Dangerfield he gets no respect
Was Krstic the guy who bashed that dude with a chair?
D West could take him… No chairs in the paint…
I think that was Linus Kleiza.
Maybe Kleiza did too, but this is what I was referring to:
http://www.dailythunder.com/2010/08/nenad-krstic-fights-greece-throws-chair/
So 42 that’s what you call an “analysis”? Can’t wait for your insights this summer on the Hornets’ fate.
For those of us out of the NOLA market, when the Hornets play another small or low teach market team (Toronto, Portland, even Philly), there is no HD option! Even Tommy Heinsohn shilling for the Celtics is better than 1950s level TV coverage, which is unfortunately all the Hornets generate for NBA League Pass.
Whenever the Hornets play at home or at one of those “low tech” markets it’s never in HD. It really is frustrating, they need to fix it, or they probably end up losing some of their out of NOLA fans….like me. It’s unfair that we have to pay almost $180 to watch the Hornets and like you said it’s in “1950s TV coverage”.
i dont know if yall are only on nba league pass but i got dish network and like 1 out of every 10 games is in hd. the other ones are as poor as illegal streams from the internet. and even the hd is pretty piss poor. i think i like tnt’s coverage the best then espn for basketball
No. I never used that word. This is what I call reporting some observations and inferences in an entertaining and informative way.
What I call analysis looks like that stuff of mine that is published in peer-reviewed journals or part of launch rationale, perhaps in flight readiness reviews for the space shuttle.
Why do you ask?
Damn, im so pissed to hear that. I cant imagine watching my home team adn hearing more cheers for the visitors. Hate the argentinian ways as well. If you dare cheer for other team ( dont even think about it in soccer, you will end death or in coma) but for sure in basket you will end with some fingers on your face… Hate our barbarians, but i cant imagine being in that arena Vs Celts, Lakers and all of those “bigs”.
Slap one for me please, lol.
Marcus 2 reb and assist away from a triple dub
probably the most frustrating loss in awhile
does anybody else think it is odd that chris paul has been playing the entire 2nd half of late but didnt yesterday when we only have 1 game this week?
Worse yet, CP3 and DW noticed.
Damn embarrassing. Pieces of s*** doesn’t even begin to describe the potential damage those jerks did. Every single one of those idiots at the arena are damn welcome by me to go live elsewhere. In fact, I encourage it. To be that brazenly hostile towards your own city, especially one in a fucking dogfight trying to keep their team, is despicable.
Monty you don’t understand those are “real” fans
Monty is upset because he knows he has been unable to make the Hornets react when the opposition takes over the game. Our team has suffered many bitter defeats this season after being winning by a good margin. The adversary grows, and Monty can do nothing to change the situation. And he should also explain why Chris Paul scored only 4 points. If he gets upset, we got more. The game against Boston was a mess …
New Orleans should have definately beaten the Celtics, but this is part of the problem. When things don’t go their way, the Hornets have trouble adjusting their game plan.