Last night's signs

[Theresa Lee <tjoyce@mit.edu>]

I was glad they won last night, but as usual my stomach was in a tight knot
near the end of the third. 
I think the Clippers helped the Celtics win, but the Celtics really were
hustling.

Things I noticed:

Kenny is the veteran leader on this team and one gets the sense that he
uses his will to assert himself when 
others are not. As I lose my affection for Dana, it grows with Kenny. I
like that he is playing tough through an
injury, but I wonder just when and how it heals if he keeps using it. I
know he doesn't practice right now, but 
with a hamstring, doesn't it require rest?

As goes Antoine emotionally, so goes Pierce and seemingly the whole team
(minus Kenny). If AW is going well, 
everyone else follows suit. That really does make him the leader of this
team whether anyone out there wants him 
to be or not. He kept his head last night on a few tough calls and kept
hustling despite a poor shooting night. He 
needs to use his teammates in crunch time and not try to be "the man."
Sometimes it helps, but usually it hurts.
Last night the Clippers big men were doubling and tripling him in the lane
and he shot rather than pass. He was 
blocked by Odom twice and I think Taylor got one of his too.

Confidence, not ability, is lacking in the team. Veterans would help.
Please, next year, please....let's go out and get an assertive
veteran. The Celtics, minus Walker (but then again, off court, him too),
are a quiet type of team. VP and Walter are the
most talkative and outgoing. 

I'm worried about tonite. If they get down early on the road, KG can fuel
his crowd like no other player in the NBA and the 
Celts can quickly get out of it. I pray for an "emotional" wind beneath
their wings type of evening. 

Hey guys, with 15 wins, this team is at least as good as the ML 15 win
season!! Bright side, bright side. Can they win half of the 
next 48 games for a 39 win season? Is the NBA getting to be like the
NFL....a few good teams, a bunch of .500 teams and two
or three really awful teams. Parity is good for the rest of the league, but
how will the Celtics ever climb back to one of the top teams?
I admit to being jealous of the Knicks and Miami who always seem to be in
it no matter what happens to their team!

Theresa