Celtics' Weaknesses

[Michael Joseph Byrnes <mbyrnes@leland.Stanford.EDU>]

1) No true centers.

I like Travis Knight's skills, and Andrew DeClerq's hustle, but both of
them are really complementary role players who would be better suited to
sharing the power forward spot than the center position.  Defensively,
without a true big man, the Celtics are always going to be abused in the
paint.  Offensively, the Celtics are full of perimeter players, and lack a
inside game to help open things up for them.

2) No true shooting guards.  What happened to the good old days of having
two people in the backcourt who can both handle the ball?  The only real
ballhandlers on the Celtics are Kenny Anderson and Dana Barros.  Players
like Ron Mercer, Paul Pierce, Greg Minor, Bruce Bowen, and Dontae Jones
are really all small forwards who are masquerading at the 2-guard spot.  I
think this limits the team's effectiveness on the fast break, and also
results in Antoine Walker bringing the ball upcourt way too often.  A guy
like Derek Anderson would really be a huge help to the Celtics; hopefully, 
Ron Mercer will improve his ballhandling skills this year.

3) No real inside offensive game.  The Celtics are full of perimeter
players:  Anderson, Barros, Mercer, Pierce, McCarty, and even Knight all
tend to score from outside shooting or drives.  Antoine Walker scored most
of the inside points for the Celtics last year, but he is really a
perimeter player who excels at drawing bigger, slower power forwards
outside the paint and then using his speed and quickness to blow by them
like they're standing still.  If the Celtics had a power forward or center
who was good at posting up underneath, I think it would open up a lot of
scoring chances for the C's perimeter players (particularly Walker,
Pierce, and Mercer).  As it stands now, the centers of teams defending the
Celtics can concentrate on cutting off drives to the hoop.  What I
wouldn't give to have Kevin McHale on this team...

I think the biggest strength of the Celtics lies in their "Big Four":
Walker, Anderson, Mercer, and Pierce.  In addition, I think Dana Barros is
a good backup at the point, and Walter McCarty and Bruce Bowen should be
good role players.  

On thing I'd like to see the Celtics add is another point guard who is
more defense oriented.  (I'd like to see Derrick Phelps, formerly of UNC,
get a shot.  He can't score, but he would give Pitino a 3rd option at the
point, and one who is big and can play defense).

Michael Byrnes
mbyrnes@stanford.edu