Boston Herald articles

[Vinny Natale <vnatale@map.com>]

Pitino may pull trigger on trade
by Steve Bulpett 
Sunday, February 21, 1999 
WASHINGTON - The Celtics were looking in the mirror yesterday while Rick Pitino
was looking at his options. 
In the wake of a 106-86 loss in Portland Friday that exposed his club's
meekness - and the problems that ensue due to compensation - Pitino was angry
enough to talk about trades and lineup changes. The Celts took a 52-37 beating
on the boards that was even worse until the meaningless moments toward the end.

It was just one game in 50 and the Shamrock AC is but one game under .500 after
seven. Still Pitino was in one of those Larry Brown let's change the team
moods. That team, by the way, came into the weekend 28th of 29 teams in NBA
rebounding. 
``We just got physically overpowered in the frontcourt,'' Pitino said. ``And
I've seen enough to judge that I'm going to have to do probably one of two
things. I'm going to either have to move Antoine (Walker) to the small forward
spot and go bigger to create problems on the glass, or I'm going to have to
make a trade and bring in somebody who rebounds the basketball. 
cw0 ``It's got to be one of the two probably, because we're getting dominated
on the glass and it's hurting us in all phases of the game.'' 
To get what he'd need in a trade would likely require moving someone of major
substance, and the Celtics have until the March 11 deadline to explore that
option. 
``You hate to break up an asset, but you may have to,'' Pitino said. ``If you
don't rebound the ball in this game, you can't win.'' 
Before the assets start heading for the door, the Celtics will undergo some
serious self-examination. Individuals will examine their commitment to playing
aggressive basketball and Pitino will look at the system of trapping that has
worked too infrequently while leaving opponents numerous openings and easy
baskets. 
``I think it stems from inside play,'' Pitino said. ``Unfortunately, we have to
double, and when we rotate they get some good buckets.'' 
Added Dana Barros: ``We're trapping, we're pressing. We're at bad angles
sometimes. We're doing that because we're just not physically big and strong,
so it's just like a full circle that we're always trying to compensate for
certain things. We're not always able to have our best rebounders inside where
we need them. We get down and then we have to press. And once you start
pressing, there are no rules. You just go where the ball takes you and the
rotations take you. So sometimes you have guards on centers and forwards.'' 
Pitino pointed to Paul Pierce as the only player who generally enjoys a
physical advantage in his matchup. 
``I think we have too many finesse players,'' Pitino said, ``and we need some
physical players. 
``(The rebounding problems) could be inexperience, youth and everything else.
But when you're trying to win now, that's a problem. You don't necessarily have
the solution.'' 
But Pierce, among others, recognizes that bodies shouldn't be getting pushed
around as badly as the Celtics did by the Trail Blazers. 
``It's embarrassing,'' Pierce said. ``It's embarrassing to the team; it's
embarrassing to me. We just have to take a look at ourselves and decide what
we're going to do. I mean, are we going to come out the next night and play
better or what? It's something we definitely have to talk about, and then
everybody has to look inside themselves . . . .


        

Delay game not working for C's
by Steve Bulpett 
Sunday, February 21, 1999 
WASHINGTON - The Celtics are evidently not getting the memo on the starting
times of their games. For some reason, they are not taking the cue from the
fact a ball is being tossed in the air in the center circle. 
In each of their seven games, the Celts have been awakening to find themselves
in an early deficit. While managing to come back and win three of them, they
have nonetheless been behind by double figures in the first half of all their
outings. The C's have yet to own a halftime lead. 
``I don't know if we're coming out with the fire or if we're not ready to
play,'' said Paul Pierce. 
``It does seem like every game we start off really slow and teams get off to a
big lead and then we realize the other team is out on us and we start to pick
it up. And that's one thing we've got to work on. We've just got to stay
together and recognize that and come out ready to play better basketball.'' 
For now they can recognize some frightening facts. The Celtics fell behind
Toronto by 13 points in the second quarter of the opener and never truly got
back into the debate. The next night they were 11 points in arrears vs.
Cleveland in the first period. 
The problem has gotten more acute on the road. 
Orlando went ahead by a dozen in the first quarter when the Celts hit just four
of their first 17 shots. The next night in Miami, the C's made one of their
first 11 shots and were behind 11 a mere 10 minutes after the opening tipoff. 
They continued to head south when they headed west, sticking but two of their
first 16 shots on the way to a 13-point second-quarter deficit in Sacramento,
then putting in four of their opening 19 field goals while getting 11 points
behind the Grizzlies in the first quarter. 
Three of the first dozen Boston shots found the mark on Friday while Portland
was going up by 12. 
``I think that the first unit comes out, does not play great defense and they
get caught behind,'' Pitino said. ``Then the second unit gets you back in the
game. That's a hard way to have to play.'' 
Added Kenny Anderson: ``We've got to get off the blocks better, be more crisp
with running our offense and just be more up - more energetic.''  
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