Re: No respect

[jmc@ptc.com (Jonathan McIntyre)]

Mike Dynon said:
> Is it just me, or does anyone else think the Celts get no respect from
> the opposition?  Perhaps the other players don't want to admit they
> don't like to be pressed, but most postgame comments are along the lines
> of: "It wasn't so much what the Celtics did, it's that we a.) lost our
> focus; b.)didn't capitalize on our chances; c.)were careless."  A team
> commits 20+ turnovers vs. Boston, then won't give the Celts any credit
> for forcing them into it.

This is exactly how I felt after I read the following quotes in the 
game recap at www.nba.com: 

    " I don't care who we're playing, we could be playing five
    little children, but we have to get up," Bryant said
    disgustedly.  "There's no way on earth they should beat us." 

    "It hurts," admitted Jones.  Not because of the rivalry.  But
    because they probably won't even make the playoffs and we're one
    of the best teams in the league and we let this team beat us,
    that's what hurts." 

Maybe these guys watched the San Antonio game on their films to prepare 
for the game and figured Boston would be an easy win.  The only thing 
that the San Antonio game proved is that the Celtics will get trounced 
by teams with dominating, quick, well-conditioned big men (which is why 
Ike Austin would look nice in green), but the rest of the season has proven 
that they'll play competitively with or beat everyone else, and that
includes the Bulls (no dominating big men), and the Shaq-less Lakers.
In fact, Shaq has so much more weight to move around than Robinson or
Duncan that he's not likely to make as big an impact against the
Celtics as the Spurs' big men did, unless they get settled into a
halfcourt game.

The Lakers need to do their homework, and show some respect.  Perhaps 
this can get the old rivalry back in gear once again. 

> The Celts are a .500 team.  They are not the 15-win group from last
> year.  Yet around the league they are apparently still looked at as
> nobodies.  This wouldn't bother me except that in the NBA marketing
> world, image is everything.  Think it's a coincidence that the
> superstars get the calls?  Think Pippen should be second in All-Star

That's the thing that bothers me... not getting the calls from the 
officials.  I think that will start to improve later in the season.  
I was pleasantly surprised to see the C's with so many more Free Throws 
than the Lakers last night. 

Jon Mc