The 1997-98 Celtics. Feisty, but still Lottery-Bound

[Chris Littlefield <chris@mjr.com>]

There are so many question marks with this team I don't even know where to
start.

1) Will Knight and Declerq be able to man the middle?  Or will they get
pounded?

2) Will Pervis be able to perform any service?

3) Will Antoine Walker even get along with Pitino, much less go berserk for
a 23/11/5 season?

4) Will Mills break down after so many slogging minutes under Fratello?

5) Mercer? Minor? Barros? Brown?

6) 3-point shooting from the new line?  Who's gonna do that?  Dee?

7) Can Billups play the NBA point?



	My predictions follow, and they are very optimistic.  Even so, the
playoffs would be a miracle.

1) They get mauled in November and December, begin to turn it around in
January, and go .500+ for March and April.

2) Billups will be fine at the point.  Hey, Stephon Marbury played mostly 2
for Georgia Tech.  15-17 pts., 6.5-7.0 assists, 2-3 boards, 1.5 steals.

3) Mercer will finish up strong.  He will start behind Minor, then earn the
starting spot.

4) Mercer, Mills, and Minor will man the 2/3 spots.

5) 35 wins.  Good for 11th in the Eastern Conference.

6) Declerq will have a better year than Knight.

7) Eric Williams may set the single-game scoring record in the FleetCenter
on November 12 when Denver comes to town.

8) Dee Brown will thrive.  I don't know if he'll be traded.

9) Barros will never get fully healthy.

10) We will make no trades for McDyess unless it involved Walker.

11) I have no idea what Walker will do this season.  I hope he's a monster,
but you just never know.


4 days to training camp.


I cannot tell you how psyched I would be to see a trade for Mcdyess or Joe
Smith that allowed us to keep Antoine Walker.  I can't tell you how
depressed I would be if we traded for McDyess or Smith and Walker was part
of the deal.


Chris