Mid-term report

[Mike Dynon <mdynon@ix.netcom.com>]

Average grade: C's: Midterm report shows Celtics
have a lot more work to do before finals
Celtics Report Card/by Steve Bulpett, Boston Herald

Sunday, January 23, 2000

By the time their plane departs Miami airspace Tuesday night, half the
Celtics' season will be history. And though it is abundantly clear this
season will be judged almost entirely on whether the club makes it
into the playoffs, there are midterm grades to be filed.

As always, players are marked on the basis of their own potential. For
example, Antoine Walker is a better basketball player than Adrian
Griffin, but Griffin played more consistently to his own top level than
Walker, so he gets the better grade.

Let us begin with a team grade, sending the Celtics a solid C for their
often slippery ways. The losses to Chicago and Vancouver look awful
... until you realize a team like Miami fell to those same clubs, as
well.
And the Heat also got whacked by Golden State (yeesh!).

Sure the Celtics blew some wonderful opportunities to move up the
Eastern Conference ladder, but as of yet, the errors of their ways
haven't given them a problem they cannot solve. They are still far
closer to a postseason berth than Steve Forbes is to the Republican
nomination -- and Forbes isn't even in Coach P shape.

PLAYERS

Kenny Anderson A-

He admitted he thought last season would never be played and
stopped working out during the lockout. Now we see what he can do
with his body prepared to play the point. We'd still like to see him
take charge more on the floor -- the Celts should be looking at him,
not the coach, when the clock is running -- but he has proven himself
a critical part of the offense with his ability to get to the hoop. The
real revelation has been on defense, where NBA types are marveling
at the way Anderson is denying the ball at times. And those who
thought he couldn't play ``this style'' thought again when they saw
what he did to Jason Williams.

Adrian Griffin A-

The club went on a bit of a run three games after Griffin went out
with a sprained ankle, but if the Celts keep playing the intelligent
game that got them a modest win streak, then Griffin will be even
more of an enhancement. He is the find of the year in the NBA, and
he could be even better if he'd take more advantage of his scoring
opportunities.

Doug Overton B

Overton is not seeing the floor too often, but Rick Pitino didn't think
much at all about guaranteeing his contract for the season earlier this
month. The coach likes his leadership and, indeed, Overton is
perfectly willing to step onto the court after a timeout and note
loudly to his mates that they need to start playing some defense (as
he did in Washington last Monday). There was some though that
Wayne Turner could contribute from this spot, but the veteran
presence is looking better.

Walter McCarty B-

McCarty gets points for playing through a stress reaction in his right
foot when others were hurt and the club couldn't afford another body
out. Beyond that, he is as advertised, a decent appendage to provide
defensive energy and occasional offense. The fact he's shooting
better from outside the 3-point arc than from within is just another
quirk in his game.

Paul Pierce B-

If it takes having an assistant coach explain to Pierce how important
he is to the team, so be it. You'd like Pierce to realize on his own the
responsibility his immense talent carries, but that hasn't always been
the case. He's been guilty of extremes -- shrinking at times and
forcing up ill-timed jumpers. Walker gets most of the heat, but Pierce
has shot the Celts out of a couple of games this season, too. For this
team to work, however, Pierce has to perform to his All-Star
capabilities at both ends of the floor (34 points, five steals in
Washington).

Calbert Cheaney C+

The right ankle sprain from November became more of a factor than
Cheaney expected, slowing him out of the gate to the point he was a
non-factor many nights. Pitino says Cheaney is too hard on himself,
but he gave a glimpse of what he can do with his defense and late
scoring push against Toronto last Wednesday. Through it all --
adjusting to a new team and a new role -- he has carried the type of
attitude that helped save the Celts from internal trouble.

Danny Fortson C+

Fortson has been in and out of the big picture a couple of times now,
hampered by a fractured right foot from the preseason and the failure
to work around the fact that Bull-in-a-China-Shop basketball is no
longer what the NBA wants. Still, Fortson gets to rebounds and makes
his shots inside. He also provides the Celtics with an inside presence
that can make opponents check their health insurance provider before
wandering into the paint. The C's haven't been tough in a long time,
and Fortson gives them that element ... when he's not in foul trouble.

Vitaly Potapenko C+

Potapenko is shooting well and leaving what he has on the floor (or,
in the opinion of many referees, on opponents' bodies). The problem is
rebounding, which for him is a hands issue. Potapenko gets his mitts
on a lot of caroms, but he doesn't hold on to as many as he should.

Dana Barros C

It's been kind of a lost half season for the local guy. The illness to
and ultimate passing of a relative took Barros away from things early,
and Anderson's rise has cut his minutes. This isn't the same Barros we
saw a year ago, and the Celts will need his firepower to return off the
bench.

Antoine Walker C

The grade and the tone of this evaluation would be quite different
were this penned a few weeks ago. The fact Walker is looking more
and more as if he ``gets it'' is no indication that he will continue to
do so. Remember, 32 points and 13 rebounds against Cleveland were
followed the next night by 13 points and six boards (and 0-5 on
treys) in New York. When he hits the boards and passes the ball, the
Celtics are a playoff team. He's done that about half the time, so his
grade is reflective.

Tony Battie C

Which Batt Man are we talking about? The one who had 12 rebounds
and five blocked shots against Miami or the one who had two
rebounds in 21 minutes against Houston three games later? Battie
seems to slip into the shadows too often, giving him a trick-or-treat
status that belies his skills and athleticism. Even when he's not
getting many touches on the offensive end, Battie still needs to be
the force he can on the glass and in the lane. The consistency Pitino
has questioned should not be an issue still.

Eric Williams C-

This isn't the same slash to the hoop and get to the line E-Rock we
last saw in a Celtic uniform. Williams' offense has been curiously
spotty, something he realizes fully. Fortunately for the Celts, their
depth means they can afford to slide him into the game and go with
him longer on nights it is working. 

Pervis Ellison D+

Never nervous and hardly ever on the court. Ellison has still got some
game left, but it's obvious the Celts don't have the confidence that
he'll get to it quickly enough when he comes off the bench. Seeking
to keep the rotation in check, Ellison has been left out. Pitino has
cracked more than once about this being Pervis' contract year, and
the coach can only hope he delivers if injuries or foul trouble give him
minutes. He has to be more aggressive when the warmup pants come off.

COACHING

Rick Pitino B-

Pitino is still a wacky vocal presence on the sideline and he still
falls in
and out of love with players with nifty speed, but Pitino has wisely
toned down the negative comments (he aims to be 98 percent
positive this season) and wisely pared down his rotation from the
stricter two-unit plan. Now his best players and playing more. It's
still
his job to get the game he wants out of his people, and a failure to
do so this spring will be on him. But he's willingly put himself on the
line with the playoff talk, which is more than most people do in this
cover-your-tush society.