Vescey praises Celtics

["Ozersky, Joshua A" <OzerskyJA@corning.com>]

I love it...

And how can the Celtics be 3-0? Rick Pitino hasn't started a season this clean since his schedule commenced with Athletes & Action. 
Before arriving in Boston, Pitino always turned around programs in his second year. It happened with Providence, the Knicks and again in Kentucky. 
The Celtics, on the other hand, failed to make the playoffs his first two seasons. Leading howling critics to denounce Pitino's judgment of personnel and declare his frenetic defensive style outdated at the pro level. One more participation in the lottery and it's back to college, they conclude; under those circumstances, Celtic owner Paul Gaston (already asking for Tubby Smith's phone number) wouldn't hesitate to make a settlement on the remaining four years of Pitino's contract. 
I'm not about to condemn that notion as being far fetched. The higher the expectations, the greater the dissatisfaction and intolerance when they're unfulfilled, no matter whose fault it may be, or what the complications. 
In Pitino's case, sympathizers blame the lockout for disfiguring his track record, citing the Celtics' continued decline last season as an abnormality. 
True, no team, other than the Pacers who practiced as a unit on their own, had time to prepare properly. Still, few coaches suffered more from their players' lack of condition than Pitino, because few, if any, are so dependent on full-court defensive pressure to be competitive, much less overcome. 
Agree or disagree, clearly the Celtics' mod squad (even Antoine Walker, as long as his assignment, for the time being, is to guard forwards his own size as opposed to chasing smaller, sleeker models off screens) are in shape to press and cause stress for opponents instead of Pitino. 
No longer does Kenny Anderson look as if he's playing at 39,000 feet and in danger of not breathing unless an oxygen mask drops down from the ceiling. Hearty and happy, he hasn't missed a single practice. 
No longer is Walker being unmercifully targeted by Celtics fans for being fat and foolish. He may not have been getting a salary during the lockout, but was sure spending his per diem. In fact, he's still not at playoff weight (eight pounds away), and should be ashamed for not taking better (as in closer) shots. 
No longer are skeptics wondering what possessed nine teams to pass on Paul Pierce two drafts ago. At least half of 'em committed a critical turnover. Obviously! Check out the 30 points he dropped on the Raptors in Game 1 just to remind Vince Carter there was a battle for top rookie honors before he got hurt. That's why Ron Mercer was expendable. He didn't measure up to Pierce, and Gaston's budget specified only one of them would get maximum money in their next contract. 
No longer can't the Celtics run, rebound and ruffle (as evidenced by their success against the Raptors, Wizards and Hornets), and that's minus accomplished board-buster Danny Fortson, on the injured list, in all likelihood until Dec. 15. 
No longer is the second team unreliable and unproductive. Tony Battie, Calbert Cheaney, Walter McCarty (suddenly capable of burying 3-pointers in bunches), Eric Williams and Dana Barros not only maintain leads, but create some of their own, utilizing aggressiveness and agitation. 
No longer is Pervis (Ellison) out of service; no doubt it's a coincidence he showed up halfway healthy in the last year of his contract. 
"This is the most talent we've had since I've been here," Pitino stated a couple days prior to the season opener. "We've got depth and strength, and when Danny comes back we become physical." 
How many wins that translates into, and whether it'll be enough to propel the Celtics into the playoffs isn't relevant at such a primitive stage of the season. Though, I will admit, when Pitino was running down his roster 10 days ago, I shrugged off his optimism as appropriate propaganda between our professions. 
Then I saw the Nets and 76ers (both projected to be legit playoff teams) each lose three games. And I watched the Celtics win three, two of 'em against top teams in the Central Division. Now I'm starting to think maybe Pitino was furnishing me with some straight info. 
One thing's for sure, Pitino wasn't feeding me any pap when lauding the attitude and aptitude of Adrian Griffin. Someone I'd never heard of until Pitino began talking about him as if he was his agent. 
I may be ignorant, but at least I have an alibi; because I don't have a life outside the NBA, I don't get to check out the majority of college players until they're rookies. What reasonable explanation do pro scouts have for overlooking the undrafted Griffin when he played for Seton Hall? Then 28 teams neglected to recognize his attributes again when the 6-5 small forward won the CBA's MVP award last season. 
Now Griffin is starting for the Celtics. Disturbing the enemy with quickness, toughness and alertness. Delighting advocates with hunger and hustle that manifests itself across the stats sheet. 
Against the Raptors, he assembled 14 points, 7 assists, 3 rebounds, and took 6-11 Antonio Davis to the hoop on one fast break and abruptly dunked over him. Against the Wizards, it was 9, 5 and 8. Against the Hornets, it was 8, 6 and 10, icing the win by sneaking up from behind on Eddie Jones for the steal, one of 11 he's accumulated so far. 
"You're going to love this kid," Pitino gushed. "He never stops trying to improve his game. He's so humble and shy. What a pleasure to coach!" 
The first week of the 1999-2000 season doesn't get any more shocking than that.