Michael Holley's column

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

Hi list:

I'm pasting a segment of Michael Holley's column, copyright BosGlobe. I
say again, where are you WC? This is supposed to be your job on the
list.  :-)

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"Trade winds beckon defense-minded Celtics "

                  The NBA's trading deadline is a week from today at 6
p.m. Pitino already has said he has made inquiries to teams, but he
insists he hasn't gone shopping for a power forward or center. He knows
that's one thing he has to think about in the next seven days. Does he
want to shop for this shortened season, especially with his young team
struggling with man-to-man defense? Or does he maintain his position and
hope his youthful players grow into fierce defenders?

                  Pitino became frustrated with his defense after the
Celtics gave up 116 points to the Cavaliers Tuesday night. Keep in mind
that the Cavs are usually the parched wanderers of the NBA desert,
desperately seeking offense.Their starting point guard, Brevin Knight,
had a sprained right index finger Tuesday and, if he had played,
wouldn't have been able to shoot. ''I don't  know what we would have
done if he had to shoot free throws,'' Cavs coach Mike Fratello said.
''Maybe shoot them lefthanded?''

                  It never became an issue. The Cavs shot 58 percent,
nearly double their field-goal percentage from the previous night, and
won by 17 points. Knight didn't play. He used his healthy hand to
high-five teammates when they came to the Cavs bench. And Pitino sat on
the Celtics bench, seething because his team could not press.

                  ''I think we're very lacking in defensive talent,''
Pitino said after the loss.

                  What does he mean by that? Well, he looks at his
roster and sees four exceptional or potentially exceptional defenders,
all of whom have asterisks next to their names.

                  Bruce Bowen is a terrific defender. He knows where he
and his teammates  should be on the Pitino Press. He rarely gets tired.
Twice this season, he has made one of the toughest plays a defender can
make: He has disrupted a  point guard's dribble and cleanly stolen the
ball from him. The asterisk on  Bowen is that he doesn't score often and
is making less than half of his free throws this season.

                  Paul Pierce is a good defender - for a rookie. But he
is a rookie. Not only does that mean he has to learn how to avoid
illegal defenses, flat feet,  handchecks, and picks. It also means he
has to learn to keep an edge, which all veterans do. Pitino was asked
about Pierce's 0-for-11 shooting night on Tuesday. He halfway joked that
if Pierce had worked harder on defense, the ''Hoop God would have let
good things happen to him'' on offense.

                  But the truth is that the Celtics prefer a hungry
Pierce. They want the rookie who responded with a jump-shooting
vengeance during practice when someone screamed out the names of players
drafted ahead of him. They  want the rookie who scowls when he blocks a
shot. That's one reason the coaching staff continually puts challenges
before Pierce, such as telling him that he graded out dead last during
the team's game analysis charts. Pierce said he likes those challenges
and that ''Coach really knows how to motivate me.''

                  Popeye Jones is a good defender who knows all the
industry secrets of pivot work. Asterisk: Pitino says Jones, coming off
knee surgery, probably won't be able to help this season.

                  Ron Mercer could grow into a solid defender. The team
already knows he can play a controlled offensive game (22 points, 4
assists, 1 turnover Tuesday). Now he has to prove he can control an
opposing shooting guard. Asterisk: If the Celtics are going to make a
trade and remain a talented team, Mercer would probably have to be a
part of the deal.

                  Last week, Pitino said finding an impact free agent in
the summer was his top priority. Maybe he will change that position and
pursue a center now. And if not, he still has some interesting things to
show the Celtics when they return to practice today. They fouled the
Cavaliers 40 times, a sign of either poor conditioning or poor
positioning. They also missed six free throws against the Nets and lost
by 2 points.

                  After tomorrow's game against the Nuggets at the
FleetCenter, the Celtics have five consecutive road games. You will know
a lot more about the team when it returns to the FleetCenter on St.
Patrick's Day. You will know whether the Celtics improved their defense
and foul shooting. And since they will be on the road when the trading
deadline strikes, you will know if there will be a new Celtic returning
home with them.

****