I could have sworn

[opi@unesco.org]

damekmo@teleport.com wrote:

> The problem is that winning one out of four doesn't exactly get everyone
> excited about that one win. This team needs to win four or five in a row to
> get its confidence up. Winning needs to stop being something out of the
> ordinary.

I'm hoping the Celts will win their first back-to-back game since the nice
season opening three-game start (back-to-back over the Raptors and the Wizards,
then the clutch win over Charlotte two nights later). One very positive sign is
that no Celtic played 40 minutes last night (Cheaney was closest at 39).
Fortson should be pretty rested <g> and might deliver productive minutes
against Joe Smith as well as at backup center.

I'm really hoping the Celts player's can also set any self-doubt aside and go
sweep this entire three-game road trip (NJ and the Wizards have two of the
worst home records). If we accomplish this, then I think we can go into the
tough final stretch of the month with enough confidence to win half of the
games and be back in the Eastern playoff picture after a full month's absence.

> Yeah, a win is a win, but I'm waiting for them to actually prove
> that they know how to go out and get a win, not just fumble into one out of
> four. Let's be honest about it, they need to go out and finally play a
> good, consistent four quarters of basketball on the road, against a good
> team, and get a win. And then, they need to do it again, and perhaps one
> more time just for the hell of it. They've played too many games to keep
> making the same mistakes. I'm not sure the anxiety, doubt, and sarcasm on
> this list isn't justified. Is it too much to ask that after 30+ games this
> team goes out and plays well tonight against the T-Wolves, plays like they
> know what they need to do to get a win, and then actually doing it? Does
> anybody feel confident that it's going to happen? If we did, maybe there'd
> be more discussion and joy about last night's victory. Perhaps we're all
> just preparing ourselves for the loss this evening. They've given us no
> reason to believe anything else.

Minnesota is an example of a team that has successfully overcome a horrible
stretch this season to get back over .500.  In fact they lost a disastrous 8
straight games in December (we lost 6 straight) and fell six games under .500
(we've been as many as five games under).

Since that time, Minnesota has gone 10-2, which shows pride on the part of that
club. I can picture the Celtics having that kind dramatic and timely run
sometime in March or April, when the schedule starts to look very favorable
from my point of view.

Kevin Garnett has been scoring like crazy but he's also a nasty rebounder (four
games with 20 or more boards) as he preps himself for his coronation this
summer in Sydney as the best player on the best team in the world. He's
presently in the NBA's Top 10 in blocks and steals as well, not to mention
averaging a career high 4.7 assists per game (Kenny Anderson's numbers, more or
less).

Veteran pointguard Terrell Brandon (16.8ppg 8.9 apg)  has lived up to his huge
off-season contract extension by moving into the NBA Top 10 in assists, steals
and freethrow percentage. His play has turned high-profile names like Bobby
Jackson (4.3ppg) and Will Avery (1.8ppg) into afterthoughts.

For once, the Celts face a team that doesn't shoot the trey very much or very
effectively. Anthony Peeler is the only guy averaging anywhere near 2 attempts
per game, and is hitting just .292 from that distance. Naturally, Kevin Garnett
is the team's best three point shooter at .409 (18/44).

The rest of the Minnesota Minnies are basically role players, but with pretty
solid NBA or NCAA pedigrees. Wally World Sczerbiak is averaging 11.7ppg in 31.6
minutes, but hitting just .158 on treys and averaging only 4.0 rebounds. Malik
Sealy (12.1 ppg in 26.5 minutes) and former #1 overall pick  Joe Smith (10.6
ppg in 26.8 minutes) are the other double figure scorers.

The 23-year-old starting center Radoslav Nesterovic (7-0 248 pounds) is another
player to watch. The Slovenian doesn't play for a strong national team so he
won't get much exposure this summer, but he has previously led his Kinder
Bologna to the Euroleague Championships and was MVP of the European under-22
tournament.

As the Timberwolves' starting center, he is presently averaging 7.5 ppg, 5.3
rpg, 1.5 assists, 1.0 blocks and 3.6 fouls in just 24.6 mpg while shooting .481
from the field, .587 from the line. Call him a "Poor Man's Vitaly Potapenko" I
guess.

So there you go. Overall, Minnesota is arguably not even as deep as the
Clippers or very experienced as a team, but they have a quality veteran point
guard in Brandon and a franchise player in Garnett. The relative superiority at
point guard could be the decisive factor separating Minnesota from the Clippers
(a total mystery to me). Individual roles seem much more clearly defined. This
is why the Celts will need to play a lot better to win.

Although the T-wolves are certifiably sizzling right now, they remain a pretty
average home team at 10-7. They currently hold the 8th seed in the Western
playoff race. I don't think McHale will let his player's take this game lightly
or be too cocky. It should be a lot of fun to watch.

Go Boston Celts!

Joe

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