Re: THE CELTICS STINK

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

> Subject: Re: THE CELTICS STINK
> Date: Wed, 13 Oct 1999 21:40:46 -0400
> From: Dan Forant Sr <dforant1@nycap.rr.com>
> To: celtics@igtc.com
> 
> Man relax, it's only the 1st exhibition game. 

It only takes one nose to smell a pile of garbage. It was the same old
weaknesses on exhibit once again.


They did look really ragged.
> I watched with futility the Celts trying to get an inside game going, it
> was awful. Bad shooting, shot selection, rebounding, defense, you name it,
> it sucked. With so many new players the home court advantage early may not
> be of help. I can't say one Celtic stood out to nite. I'm not an Anderson
> fan, but I don't think Magic Johnson could have helped this squad to nite.


Magic would be a solution; Kenny is a problem.

> In defense of the Celts the Hornets looked ready to go. This is a team we
> will lose the series to this season.

If the Celtics are a playoff team as Pitino has told us, then they too
must
look ready to go. They were completely outmatched, because they aren't
that
good unfortunately. They need a point guard and center; also it wouldn't
hurt if they had a legitimate low post scoring option.  


 I hope Pitino has broad shoulders,
> this may be a long season.


I'm already depressed, but I see some possible avenues of hope. Maurice
Taylor
would help and you have to expect that the Clippers will eventually
trade him.
Battie looked pretty good and I hope Pitino starts him. As the trading
deadline
approaches, there may be one or two quality point guards available in a
deal.
I'd like to see Wayne Turner play a lot, because he seems more of a fit
in
the Pitino system. It's going to be tough to find a center, however.
Ray

> 
> At 08:47 PM 10/13/99 -0400, you wrote:
> >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
> >
> >