5 Questions - Boston Celtics

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            Five questions: Boston Celtics

            by DAVE D'ALESSANDRO  The
            Sporting News
                                                           

             1. Can Antoine Walker keep his head on  
             straight?
             If you don't know it by now, this isn't 
             the most mature kid you're going to      
             encounter in the league. OK, we'll say    
             it: He has shown more selfish tendencies  
             than Rick Pitino is willing to admit, and 
             given that fact -- and the numbers he
             puts up -- expect David Falk to squeeze   
             when it comes time to talk contract
             extension. There reportedly is a Walker deal to Miami (for
             P.J. Brown and Jamal Mashburn), but we can't see the Celtics
             dealing him within the division, and there are probably
             better trades to be found out West. But if the Celtics keep
             Walker, they're going to have to make him happy.

             2. What's the deal with Travis Knight?
             Take a look at these numbers, and raise your hand as soon as
             you see the one that doesn't jibe: 6.5 ppg, 4.9 rpg, $20
             million left on the contract. We're trying real hard to give
             the kid the benefit of the doubt -- new conference, new
             team, new coach, new system and all that. But he needs
             another 20 pounds to be an effective middleman, or they'll
             start to wish Zan Tabak were still around.

             3. Who'll shoot the ball?               
             They shot 43 percent as a team last year,
             fifth worst in the league, and their         
             half-court sets invariably looked awful              
             once they were forced to settle for jump  
             shots. Among their guards, only Dana
             Barros shot better than 43.

             4. Is Kenny Anderson's knee healthy?
             Anderson is the index of the Celtics' possibilities, and he
             has a good chance here to resurrect his career after
             languishing in Portland. When healthy, Anderson seemed to be
             a nice fit, and he and Pitino seemed to get along quite
             well. When Anderson's knee was cranky, he gave it a good
             try, but the full-court gallops and slashes weren't there.

             5. Will Popeye Jones be re-signed?
             Coming off an ACL injury, Popeye has reached a turning point
             in a pretty serviceable career. If he is nearly 100 percent,
             the Celtics would be nuts not to bring him back: There's not
             a better mucker on the roster and probably not a better post
             defender. The Celtics still need to ball to start the break,
             and he can go get it.

             Dave D'Alessandro covers the NBA for The Sporting News and
             the Newark Star-Ledger.