Toronto

[peter delevett <pdelevett@amcity.com>]

Didn't see the game last night, but here are some quick thoughts on the box score:

1) A DNP-CD for DeClercq? Wonder if that's a sign if things to come ... or
just a sign that Rick wanted to see what his other centers have?

2) Speaking of those centers, it's a bad sign that Battie grabbed fewer boards
(5) than Pierce or Mercer. Six points ain't anything to brag about, either;
hell, DQ could have put up those numbers. Two blocked shots are nice, though.
Michael Stewart had the same number of points and blocks in about the same
minutes, altho' 3 more boards -- the first round in the Great Stewart What-If
Debate looks to be a draw.

But man, what about Schintzius? 10 boards and 2 blocks in 23 minutes? (Plus 2
assists and only 1 t.o.) Me gusto mucho.

3) The good: Popeye had 9 points. The bad: he had only 4 boards. The silver
lining is that 3 of those were ORBs, but the early going indicates that
questions of whether Popeye's weight loss and ACL injury will affect his
boarding could bear watching.

4) 46% from the floor as a team? Thank you, Kenny Anderson. Even Antoine hit
better than half his shots.

5) Paul Pierce: 14 points on 5-11 shooting, 7 boards, 4 steals and only 1 t.o.
Yum, yum.

6) Hey, Marlon Garnett: anybody ever told you that a point guard is expected
to dish out ASSISTS? I mean, 7 points is nice and all, but how 'bout dropping
even ONE dime?