On-hoops piece

[Gregory Odegaard <grodeg@kalama.com>]

I don't know if this was posted to the list already, but though it is a month old, it's even fresher.  Does anyone know Ryan Calnan, is he on the list?

Thanks,
Greg

The State of the Celtics 
January 28, 2000, Ryan Calnan.

After the avalanche of e-mails I received from Celtics fans asking my opinion on the team from Beantown, I decided it was time to stand on my soap box and pronounce my assessment of the my beloved Green and White's. 

Oh, the 80's. Given I was just a twinkle in my Daddy's eye during that incredible dynasty the Celtics built in the 60's,my days to remember and bask in were the 80's: Bird, Mchale and Parish as well that illustrious support group. Those magnificent Laker battles! They made me a Celtics man for life. I can remember the days when proclaiming yourself a Celtic fan bought envy from those supporters who's teams languished near the bottom. Now all I get is a look of sympathy. Oh how I hate that. Unfortunately, since the death of Len Bias, the stupidity of having Mchale destroy his foot and the tragic death of Reggie Lewis, the Celtics have slid down the muddy road towards the depths of the NBA ghetto's. M.L. Carr made bad decision after bad decision to help the cause and I wasn't sure when I could once again smile at NBA results. What made it worse was Jerry West was in the process of building the Lakers again. Oh the injustice! 

Then the Celtics hired Rick Pitino and life changed. I am not sure the Celtics could have picked a better man for the job: young, energetic and incredibly enthusiastic (man, you HAD to be to take the job) a motivator who believed in hard work. No wonder Larry Bird recommended him. Make no mistake, Pitino has turned the club around and pulled them out of the quicksand that M.L. Carr had thrown the club into (he tied a bloody weight to its feet). Rick had so many deficits to make into a plus he must have thought he was looking at a rubix cube. But for all the progress they have made, the Celtics appear stuck. Stuck just outside the playoffs without too much tradable material to make them a contender. Rick promised the Celtics the playoffs by the third year. Well, year three is here and the club is below .500. So where are the Celtics? What are their weaknesses and strengths? 

Weakness: 

1)The old M.L. Carr decisions still hang a weight around the Celtics. Witness Pervis Ellison. A man plagued by injuries and a lack of desire was given a big contract that the Celtics could not unload not even to the Clippers. He eats up valuable salary cap money and plays a minor role for the team. UGH! 

2) The Big men. Before we start discussing this point let's all admit something very quickly without debate: Walker is not a power forward. Thank you. With that said, our four and five positions consist of Fortson, Popatenko and Battie. As you all read I am not a fan of the Popatenko trade. Desperation trade giving very little. But none of the three provide a consistent offensive threat down low. The only defense really comes from Battie. Its an unimpressive front-line that will not give them the playoffs.....Oh yeah there's always Nervous Pervous Ellison....mmmm maybe not. I would suggest: La Frentz, Keon Clark or even better Lorezen Wright. Get them while you can Rick! 

3) Our abundance of 2/3 players: We have established that Walker is a 3. So playing two positions on the floor we have Walker, Pierce, Cheaney, Minor, McCarty, Griffen and Williams.....hmm notice the log jam? With Pierce and Walker being the best two players on the team where do these other guys fit? Especially Griffen, who has played very well but can only be a 6th man on this team. And what good is a 6th man to a team that is not winning? 4) Point Guard: Before this season I would have said Kenny Anderson is not going to help the Celtics at all. However, Kenny has started to show that he can play-even if he is a David Falk client! (no disrespect to MJ!). BUT, Kenny lacks height, an outside shot and full court defensive ability. It makes the Celtics weak. Anderson is a weak perimeter defender which has caused us to get burned over and over and over and over again. The backup is Barros, again an ankle biter. Now Barros gives a good shot and full court defense but has no real decision making ability. If only we could combine them together! 

Strengths: 

1) Paul Pierce. The man. This Jayhawk boy (couldn't resist that!) is slowly becoming an All-star. He can carry his team (witness the slump during his injury). If he could get a more reliable spot up shot, the result will become what the Celtics have been dying for: A go to man. 

2) Athleticism: finally we can run. An exciting team that, with the right combination on the floor, can execute Pitino's frenetic defense and make the opposition panic into turning the ball over. 

3)The Bench: With Griffen, Barros and Battie the Celtics have the making of a great bench. 

4) Walker: This is a question mark. With all his ability, his poor shot selection and questionable ability to keep focused on the game for four quarters are all Walker's downside. His strengths are undeniable All-star ability, combined with a great ability to play the three position with anyone in the league. If Walker matures he could be a great player. If he doesn't, we could end up with another Derrick Coleman in the NBA (please no!). 

What this means is the Celtics are stuck. For all their strengths, their obvious deficits are hurting them. Its time for a trade guys. You need a Center and the possibility of a change at Point Guard. Only then will the Celtics begin to climb further.