[none]

[Peter Delevett <pdelevett@nopg.com>]

from yesterday's sporting news online.

                    Boston Celtics
                    Team Report posted December 2, 1997 

                    by tsn correspondent
                    PETER MAY  Boston Globe

                    The lack of an inside presence is no big surprise, 
but it is a
                    problem that won't go away. The Celtics don't have
                    enough, or maybe any, tough guys. Their power forward,
                    Antoine Walker, should be a small forward. Their 
center,
                    Travis Knight, plays there only because he's 7-foot 
tall.
                    He's more comfortable on the perimeter. 

                    Thus, they need to press and trap to get baskets 
because
                    they are continually beaten up inside. Already, the 
Celtics
                    are starting to lose the rebounding wars, which, 
again, is
                    not a big shock. Until they get better, bigger and 
stronger
                    inside, these problems will remain. 

(nb - this could be why Knight's name has suraced in trade rumors)

                    Ah, but when the press works. The Celtics are the easy
                    NBA leaders in forcing turnovers, and it's a good 
thing.
                    On some nights, points off miscues account for as much
                    as one third of their total production. They live and 
die
                    with the press right know. When it's working, as it 
was
                    against Cleveland, the results can be devastating. 
They had
                    a real chance to win that one until Wesley Person 
dropped
                    a couple 3-pointers in the closing minutes. 

                    STRONG TO THE HOOP 

                    Will someone put a stop to all these nonsense 
3-pointers?
                    Pitino built his reputation as a coach who covets the 
shot,
                    but he doesn't have the personnel for it now. 

                    Walter McCarty and Walker are the two biggest 
culprits,
                    not in terms of shots, but in terms of thinking about 
it.
                    Walker will make one occasionally. McCarty makes them
                    about as often as the Vatican changes bosses. 

                    The Celtics don't have an inside game, so baskets are 
at a
                    premium if they can't get them off their press. It's 
stupid to
                    throw away opportunities. 


                                    
           Peter Delevett             
            Staff Writer         
     New Orleans CityBusiness       
         pdelevett@nopg.com