"The Gang that Couldn't Shoot Straight."

[Jim Metz <JBMetzEA@AOL.com>]

Title: "The Gang that Couldn't Shoot Straight."

    The above title was of a book written by Jimmy Breslin. For those of you who didn't read the New York Herald Tribune or the once great New York Post of the sixties, Mr. Breslin was perhaps the most entertaining and challenging of all of the beat/editorial writers. Beat/editorials you say? Yes, that's exactly the style that carried over from the heyday of newspaper journalism in the 30's and 40's. Breslin spent his time on the streets (and in the barrooms) and then wrote his wonderfully inspiring stories, full of the color and humor and pathos of everyman's fight against the trials of daily life.
    Amazingly Jimmy is still at it. After many years of retirement and poor health, he has resurfaced at "Newsday," published on Long Island and available on the web @Jimmy Breslin.
    While Breslin has lost some of his punch and a few strokes have addled his memory a bit, he is still the conscience of New York, whether ranting about "That Clinton Woman;" or the  "Mussolini" of a mayor, Rudolph Juliani; or the murderous police thugs; or last summers two part epic about an illegal Mexican immigrant who was killed while working for a substandard wage in a construction job with substandard safety measures that violated building codes. This story took him to the workers home town in Mexico for the funeral, where I'm sure he had a few beers with the locals before heading back to New York. 
    Anyway; the book was about incompetant, but likeable gangsters, from New Jersey, who just couldn't get things together, much like our boys/men in green.
    I've cut some parts from today's news stories with comments. Could the departure of Pitino really have much of a difference? Is O'brien suddenly able to convince Antoine that passing and rebounding and letting Pierce take the big shots, are the keys to victory? It's hard to believe.  
    Antoine is correct when he says that Sundays game is another big one on the road to maturity for this team.
JB
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O'Brien high on growth *** {(High on what?)}***
Celtics Notebook/by Steve Bulpett 
Saturday, January 20, 2001
LOS ANGELES - The Celtics are playing like a different team these days, and the record that counts back that up. The club is 3-3 since Jim O'Brien took over, and an even better measure is that the Celts are 2-1 on the road in that time.
How have the Celtics gotten better? Let O'Brien count the ways.
``I think we have improved dramatically at the halfcourt defensive level,'' he said. ``To be able to hold (the Clippers) to 36 percent shooting is big - and some of the shots they hit in the second half were deep at the end of the shot clock, which meant that we were playing pretty decent halfcourt defense.
``I think our assists are up, our field goal offense is up and our field goal defense is down, and I think only one team in the last six (Sacramento) has outrebounded us, so those are all areas of improvement. There are a lot of phases that these guys are focusing in on and doing a good job.''
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This is just so incredible. A new coach, but not a new coach. A new system, but not a new system. Is this the honeymoon a new coach gets, or have his changes enabled the players to utelize their talents in a more cohesive way and will the players really play, for Jimmy, knowing he could be gone by Monday, for the rest of the season?
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Raves roll in for Walker
by Steve Bulpett 
Saturday, January 20, 2001
LOS ANGELES - Antoine Walker is nudging the world. Beyond the fact the Celtics have won two of three on this Western swing, Walker's numbers are stirring national types from their Celtics slumber.
When ESPN dove into its Celtics-Clippers highlights, the announcer said, ``What's gotten into Antoine Walker? What have they done with the real Antoine Walker?''
The fact is, the Walker on display out here has always been a tantalizing part of the overall package. And if this type of versatile brilliance is to be the norm, then the outlook for the Celtics changes dramatically.
After getting 20 points, 12 rebounds and 12 assists in a Monday win at Minnesota, Walker had 47 points, five rebounds and 13 assists in a tight loss in Sacramento. Against the Clippers, he paced an 82-79 victory with 29 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists for his fourth triple-double of the season (putting him one behind Jason Kidd for the NBA lead in that department). The trip averages are 32.0 points, 9.3 rebounds and 11.7 assists.
``Antoine's a player now,'' said Clippers assistant coach Dennis Johnson, who was on M.L. Carr's staff for Walker's first two seasons in the league. ``He can do a lot of things with the ball. When he takes his talent and channels it in the right direction, he's a great, great player.'
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    A poster recently complained that O'Brien has completely caved to Walkers will and ego, while Pitino had only caved 90%. Many commentators blamed Pitino's demise to his willingness to let Walker, be Walker.     With O'Brien giving Antoine the keys to the car, Walker has done those things (passing and rebounding) that we all knew would make him an all-star and we hoped would make the C's contenders. Does giving in to a petulant child solve any long range problems? Was Pitino giving Walker too much rope or holding him back?
JB

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Put this one in their clip files 
By Shira Springer, Globe Staff, 1/20/2001  
LOS ANGELES - When the Celtics' season started to unravel early, it seemed every win was mistaken for a turning point. But in reality, the victories that interrupted losing streaks helped highlight the team's inconsistent play. After the Celtics pulled out an 82-79 win over the Clippers Thursday night, there again was the temptation to ask about a possible turnaround. This time, however, the players were not looking for signs of change.
While the Celtics' confidence soared following their fifth road win of the season, and interim head coach Jim O'Brien gave them yesterday off, the team was not satisfied. The victory helped them strengthen their resolve and their character. It did not give them reason to celebrate, especially considering the Green squandered an early 16-point lead and needed to fight until the finish. Besides, Boston still has bigger plans.
''Our character's growing,'' said Antoine Walker, who posted his fourth triple-double of the season (29 points, 11 rebounds, 10 assists). ''We're starting to figure out that the game is never over, that defense wins games. We came up with the big stops to shut them down in the last five minutes. We're just learning every game. We have an opportunity to have our first successful road trip in I don't know how long. Since I've been here, we haven't been
a good road team. But to be honest with you, what happens [tomorrow] determines if we turn the corner.''
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    Walker is just too good to be true. Eddie Haskell in shorts. Who writes his lines? Does he really believe this stuff?

   I've recently been acused of being a Walker supporter, in the ongoing board battles between the Walker lovers and the haters. If anyone really knows my position, it has been one of total schizophrenia. When he plays selfishly, I'm on him like a cobra on a muskrat. When he passes and hits the boards, I'm ready to enshrine him. My personal point of view is that there have been very few players in this league, with the range of skills and who have alternately been the reason for their teams success and alternately for it's complete failure, on a nightly basis. There have certainly been none, so polar, who were team captains and spoke so directly and eloquently on the teams shortcoming and goals.
   If Antoine is sincere and Pitino (his karma, his ego, his system, whatever!) really was the reason for the team floundering, and a corner of sorts has been turned, we could begin to enjoy this team again. What effect will this catharsis have on Kenny Anderson? Tony Battie? Chris Herren?
   We won a couple of games, and I'm started to get excited again. Hey Jimmy save a stool for me.

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      Unchain My Heart!