Re:How Many Wins?

[Joe Hironaka <j.hironaka@unesco.org>]

Hart wrote:

> HOW MANY GAMES WOULD THE CELTICS HAVE WON LAST YEAR WITHOUT WALKER
> ON THE TEAM?
>
> I say 20 games.
>

Witch Craft wrote:

> The great Il Duce would have them overachieving to the tune of 25
> wins.
> WC

    It's actually a tough call, since the Pat Riley and Chuck Daly
systems worked surprisingly well even with the franchise player missing
in action. And just like Pitino, I think Daly was also a first year
coach down there in Orlando (right?).

    But on the other hand, I would have been thrilled to get 25 wins
without AW in the lineup. In fact, I think even
Philly/Toronto/Vancouver/Denver fans would have considered it a
genuinely disappointing "upset" had they lost a game to us. Just compare
the talent, size and experience of those teams with ours.

    No one on our first unit could create a shot or draw a foul. More
critically, I think the Celts would have been outrebounded by 10 or more
every game. Also, the Celtics really were an embarrasingly weak passing
team before Kenny arrived. I recall that Pitino was literally seething
after the first five games of the season. He had no choice but to tell
his supposed "Karl Malone"-style power forward to just bring the ball up
himself. Antoine was the only guy on the Celtics with the vision and
size to find people.

    As for this upcoming season (when it happens), I think the Celtics
-and especially Paul Pierce- will be hurt by the cancelled/curtailed
training camp. But at the same time, I think the 1998-99 Celtics are
good for up to 52 wins. A lot could go wrong, but I don't think it will.
I wouldn't trade the future of our "big four" for any four guys on
another team in our division.

    BTW, on behalf of my good wife -who is also a fine Catholic - I
pledge to never again refer to the Virgin Mary as some "raggedy-ass
homeless lady". I'm sorry about that one, "Hommie"   :-)


Joe H.

*****