The (trying to be) pessimist rings in

[Christopher Littlefield <cjlitt@erols.com>]

Hey, folks,

    Last year I predicted 20 wins and got shellacked for it.  I wish I
had been more wrong than I was, and in the other direction.  While I'm
psyched about last night, it's one game in an 82-game season.  Two years
ago we beat the Bulls, then lost 7 in a row.  I'll submit my prediction
(since it's pessimistic, can I still get it in, Theresa?) at the end.

    Well I'd be criminal if I said I was anything less than tremendously
excited after last night's Opening Night Revenge drubbing of Toronto.

Pierce, Walker, McCarty and Griffin were phenomenal.

Good things:

1) No press, just good harassing, collapsing halfcourt defense
2) Great unselfish ballmovement except for Pierce's heat-checks in the
first half..."hey, everything's falling, why not this 1 on 3 shot?"
3) Efficient offense, to say the least
4) Walker's 1st half more than his third quarter.  Utterly content to
let the game flow through him and elsewhere, and the team totally fed
off it.
5) Griffin's facial of Antonio Davis.  Hee. Hee.
6) Pierce's 2nd half almost as much as his first half, being a decoy,
getting four assists from drive/dishes, and 5 of his 8 rebounds
7) Okay, McCarty shot pretty well..;)
8) PERVIS!
9) They played as a team, not a bunch of parts

Bad things:

1) Williams not playing
2) Cheaney sucking
3) Our center corp fouling out
4) Walker missing that over the back circus shot


Things we probably can't expect going on:

1) McCarty becoming the first player to shoot 100% from 3-pt land for a
season
2) Pierce and Walker to be the best 1-2 punch in the league _every_
night
3) Griffin to continue to be that effective
4) For teams to look as awful as Toronto did last night.


Last night reminded me a little of the game down in Miami last season
where all the planets and stars and dominos were lined up for the
Celtics.  That can't happen
all the time.


Tonight is critical.  They NEEEEEED tonight.  They don't need Walker to
follow up his unconscious night with a stinker like he did last week.
Then they need to take
1 of 2 over the weekend.  If they come out of these first 4 games in 5
nights 3-1, I'll be JUICED!


Okay, I can feel my pessimism slipping away, so I'm going to give my
prediction and walk away.

They can't do it this year.

No more than 40 wins and no playoffs.


C'mon, C's prove me wrong!!!!!!!!!!!

Chris Littlefield



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