Predictions

[JimMeyer@aol.com]

There are no established stars...nobody who has really proven themselves at
the top tier of the league.  At the same time...IF the injury bug doesn't
bite as hard as last year, we have a lot of folks who can put in quality
minutes.  As a matter of fact, in my opinion, (if you leave out Barros)
everybody currently with this team is capable of coming in and at the very
least holding there own (I expect much more from at least Walker and Mercer).
 Know what that means?  It means we've got them right where we want them.
 Remember what Red did when he came into the league?  He revolutionized style
of play with up-tempo torture and break the will of the other team.  YES...I
know...he had a whole pack of future hall-of-famers.  All I'm saying is that
this team, right now, will be competitive under Rick Pitino.  NOBODY will
look forward to playing us.  We may loose a couple more games than we win,
but I bet we are very much in most of the ones we loose...scrapping and
fighting until the end.  I think we win 34-39 games next year...but I
honestly wouldn't be surprised with actual .500 ball.  The only thing I
really see holding us back from that is the unfamiliarity of players with
each other... and with (for most of them) a new system.

RP is putting together a team of hungry folks.  I don't think we'll see the
ego problem alot of coaches (poor Brown at Philadelphia) have to deal with.
 The name of the game is teamwork...the hallmark of a RP team.  These guys
will (already do) believe in him and what he tells them.  I've been looking
back again at some of the comments made by some of our most revered Celtics
when they have answered questions about what made their teams so special and
different from the rest of the league.  I think we are seeing the very
beginnings of that rekindled here.

Comments?  Disagreements?

Jimbo
Tucson, AZ