Celtics Notebook/by Steve Bulpett

[opi@unesco.org]

Bulpett reports on the boos raining on Walker at the end of the game.

This is a part of the consequences when national columnists like
D'Allessandro scapegoat an individual player and coddle and praise the
world's most intelligent fans. IMO Rick Pitino did the honorable thing
in pointing out that Walker was tired after 89 minutes in two nights
against the two top teams in the East. If this were a popularity contest
(sinking attendance), then I suppose Gaston could try to force Pitino to
trade Walker in the next two weeks or at least seriously explore it.

Otherwise, I personally feel it is even less likely that Toine will be
be traded than Pierce (both are similar, near-All Star contributers but
only one of them has the base year contract issue). I'm not concerned
about the trade deadline in this regard. Rather I'm more concerned that
Fortson won't get a fair full-season audition before Pitino jetisons
him, and that we will trade him when his value is at its lowest.

Even at backup center, it's hard to claim that Battie deserves the
minutes over Fortson. "Bat Girl" has been so inconsistent (0 points in
12 minutes with 5 fouls) and hustling, productive, unselfish players
like Fort have a big impact on team chemistry and effort, even if they
only make their presence felt mainly in the locker room and in practice.
Look at how Potapenko and Walker have improved as rebounders since
Fortson rejoined the team.

The Bulpett column is pasted below.


****

Boo-birds flock Walker: Despite late misses Pitino defends star
Celtics Notebook/by Steve Bulpett

Thursday, February 3, 2000

There was a FleetCenter first last night. A Celtic with 35 points was
booed.

Coach Rick Pitino offered an impassioned rebuttal after hearing Antoine
Walker take the fans' wrath in the final quarter of a 105-103 loss to
Miami. Walker missed his last three shots from the floor (two of them
treys) and last four from the line.

As the boos were coming down, Pitino walked along the sideline clapping
his hands to try to turn the beat around.

``What you have to understand is, yeah, he may take an ill-advised shot,
he may miss the free throws,'' Pitino said after losing his second game
in two nights by a combined five points. ``The guy's exhausted. He
played his (expletive deleted) off (Tuesday) night (in Indiana). He
played 47 minutes (last night). He's going to make some mistakes because
of fatigue. Fatigue makes cowards of anyone.

``He's going to make mistakes and he knows when he makes them.The effort
that he has given for the Boston Celtics is flat out extraordinary -
unbelievable.

``He made some bad plays down the stretch, but I've seen Michael Jordan
make some bad plays down the stretch. He'll learn from it. He'll grow
from it. He's given as much effort as any player I've ever coached.''

Said Walker: ``That doesn't bother me. That's been the routine. I'm
still out there fighting. Yeah, I missed some free throws. That's in the
course of a game. I went through my regular routine and I missed them.
I'm going to go (today) and work on them. I've been working hard on
being a consistent free throw shooter.''