ESPN Preview: Bulls vs. Celtics

[Matt Keenan <makeenan@liberty.edu>]

Pitino's Celtics debut couldn't be tougher

By Howard Ulman=20
Associated Press=20
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NBA Chat

WALTHAM, Mass. -- Welcome back to the NBA, Rick Pitino. For openers, meet
Michael Jordan and the world champion Chicago Bulls.

<Picture: Rick Pitino>=A0Boston coach Rick Pitino welcomes a tough test
against the champion Bulls to start the season.
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The new Boston Celtics that Pitino is rebuilding from the remains of a
15-67 disaster start the season Friday night at home against Chicago, which
was 69-13. Even Pitino admits the Celtics are nowhere near ready,
especially with a frequently changing roster.

"I don't think we're ready for anybody yet with experience, never mind the
Bulls," he said after Thursday's practice. "So I would rather open with the
Bulls because it's a good measuring stick of how much we need to improve
when you play against the best."

Pitino has been so busy running rigorous practices and teaching his complex
offensive and defensive systems that he hasn't had time to consider how he
might feel in his first game as coach of the franchise with the most NBA
titles but none since 1986.

"It's very special, but my mind is so preoccupied with plays and matchups,
I don't really notice too much," he said. "I'm very, very excited. I'm not
nervous."

After eight seasons at Kentucky -- including an NCAA championship in 1996
- -- Pitino replaced M.L. Carr as coach last May after the worst season in
Celtics history and the second-worst in the NBA last season. He says he has
no regrets even though he knows he's many years away from contending for
the NBA title.

"We accomplished what we set out to at Kentucky," he said. "It was eight
glorious years and now I just can't wait every single day to get started
with the Boston Celtics. So I've had the best of both worlds."

The hiring of Pitino, who coached New York for two seasons before moving to
Kentucky, was the first in a long line of changes that probably won't end
for a while.

Only four players from last season's team are expected to be on the
opening-night roster. Last week, Pitino obtained young forwards Walter
McCarty, Dontae' Jones and John Thomas from the Knicks. This week, he got
shot-blocker Roy Rogers from Vancouver.

Of Boston's 15 players -- including three on the injured list -- 12 were
drafted in the first round, eight played in the Final Four and eight are in
their first or second season in the NBA. And the team should be better than
last year's.

But the players are still learning Pitino's systems. He hopes they won't be
distracted by the spectacle of opening night against Jordan and the=
 champions.

"What I will tell them is feed on the emotion on defense and, on offense,
be poised and under control, making the right plays," Pitino said. "Don't
rush on offense and don't play under the influence of emotion on offense."

On defense, rookie Ron Mercer, who played at Kentucky the past two seasons,
will be matched against Jordan at the start.

"I'm going to have to be on my toes in every aspect of the game just to
guard him," Mercer said. "It's going to take a team effort. One person
cannot stop him ... whether you're a rookie or a veteran."

Guard Dana Barros, at 30 the second-oldest Celtic, sees no need to look
back to last year's problems.

"Last year doesn't matter and this year is not going to matter next year.
We've got too many things that we need to focus on with a new system," he
said. "We want to play wild and crazy, not under control at all. We want to
get teams in a crazy game. We're not there yet."

Pitino is confident they'll get there eventually. Now, though, he just
wants his players to work hard, entertain the fans and make progress day by
day. It's just that there may not be many wins in the first few weeks of
the season, especially Friday night against the Bulls.

"I'm very optimistic," he said, but "we know we'd have to play one
incredible game at this stage in our season to beat them."=20


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