Huge!

[Theresa Lee <tjoyce@mit.edu>]

Kudos to Calbert Cheaney, Paul Pierce, Antoine Walker and Vitally Potopenko
who all came through in clutch situations. Walker was interviewed before
the game and he continues to say all the right things. He SEEMS more
mature. I think he's actually learning best from different game situations.
I've said it before. How long did it take you to get good at your
profession/job? Do YOU have shortcomings/weaknesses? If so, does experience
now cover your weaknesses? Does your savy pull you through some situations
that you would have blown as a younger worker?

Walker talked about looking to do different things if his shot was not
falling (passing, rebounding) and how he wanted to get more consistent. He
talked about leadership on and off the court. He talked about defense and
how the Celtics were turning up the intensity, but they aren't there yet.
He talked about loving to play for his coach....how he has had success with
Pitino and how Pitino gives him freedom on the offensive end ("as long as
it's a good shot, coach doesn't mind if we take it), but not on the
defensive end (he laughed). 

One thing I've noticed in the past two weeks is Pitino's reassuring "that's
ok" when a player blows a play. These guys are young and Pitino does "yell
instructions" from the sidelines a lot and they are always looking over
when they foul, are unsure, etc. So I think it's good for him to be saying,
"ok, you blew that play, but get back in there and show me what you can do!"

Funny moment from the post-game press conference: Pitino, in reference to
the teams third quarter free throw slump, said that he heard someone from
the stands yell, "motivate them!"  I had a good laugh about that one. What
does he say to Kennny? "If you make your free throws, I'll take you out for
ice cream after the game."

They're like buttah, they're on a roll!

Theresa