Aaagh, the Sequel

[peter delevett <pdelevett@amcity.com>]

I had promised myself, after checking in on the game midway through the 3rd
last night and seeing we were down by 16, that I wasn't going to read the box
score today, wasn't going to read the Celtics digest. It was all going to be
more of the same, just too depressing ... Unfortunately, I'm more addicted to
the team in green than I'd realized. And considering I spend close to every
waking moment thinking of them ("what did you say, honey?..."), that's quite a statement.

Well, I guess misery loves company, so I love you guys. I don't even know
where to start here. It can't be the players, there is just too much talent to
be getting killed like this. I never thought I would sour on Pitino, but just
like Paul M, I found myself wondering yesterday afternoon (before the latest
massacre) whether Gaston could/would do anything to shake up the coaching
staff. I don't really know what to make of Pitino's dressing down his players
publicly ... I feel he's gotta look in the mirror and ask whether his "we
won't make the playoffs this year" pronouncement of a week ago didn't help
spark this avalanche. Then Vitaly's saying, "We just kept letting them blow in
for layups ..." Story of the season. I thought having a big enforcer like VP
was supposed to stop that stuff, but maybe DJennsen's post was right on the
money: our halfcourt defensive schemes are so bad that our centers are
constantly out of position. What has happened to our bench, to Mercer? And
what to make of Paul Pierce? Is he a hungry, driven, player who demands the
ball because he wants to win, a la Bird & Jordan, or is he the next Jerry Stackhouse?

I see the talent on this team and I think: The Three J's. Or for an even more
recent example, the New Jersey Nets. I don't think the answer is to ship off
players. I have been a loud proponent of the give-them-time gospel. But why
the quitting?? I'm considering a 10-day moratorium on the Celtics; maybe the
next time i check the paper, they'll be winning.