THE CELTICS STINK

[Way Of The Ray <wayray@ix.netcom.com>]

I hope the Red Sox beat the Yankees, as what I've seen from the
Celtics so far, does not offer me a lot of hope. Here are the
problem areas and other thoughts:

- Kenny still can't defend opposing point guards and concentrates
too much on scoring.
 
- Antoine still can't guard opposing power forwards. 

- The C's interior defense is woeful. They keep having to double team, 
because there are no shot-blockers, and that leaves them vulnerable
to three-pointers.

- Fortson can rebound, but until he learns how to ball fake,
he's near useless offensively.

- Turner plays out of control, but at least he pushes the ball up the
court.

- I'm thinking, that Tony Battie is one of those players who has to
start to be effective. 

- Pierce looks okay.

- The C's are really small upfront.

- The Celtics really need a shot-blocking center or some defensive
presence
in the frontcourt.

- Pervis is useless - waive him or trade him as cap fodder.

- Walter McCarty is the world's highest priced twelth man. He should
kiss Pitino's pinkie ring every day for the contract Il Duce gave
him.

- Eric Williams can take it to the hoop and his rebounding is improved,
but he can't defend anyone or hit an outside shot.

- Vitaly is the same as last season.

- Charlotte looks good but until they face a legitimate quality NBA
club,
it's hard to judge how good they are.

- Sadly, it looks like the Pitino critics are right. He has a bunch of 
players -- Anderson, Pot, Walker, Cheaney, Fortson, Pervis -- that don't
fit
his system.

- Calbert Cheaney looks useless, which shouldn't come as a shock,
because 
that's the way he's played for the last five years.

- I should have known it was going to be bad, when Jersey Dead
proclaimed
that the Celtics had changed.

- Pitino's going to have to make some sort of massive deal to get this
team
into the playoffs. 

- Or, he must bench Kenny, keep Walker away from the power forward
position,
 and start Battie.

Ray