ProJo article

["j.hironaka" <j.hironaka@unesco.org>]

Hi list:

I hope you enjoyed the game. Thanks for all the game reports and how fast 
and well you did them.

I'm posting excerpts from a ProJo article on the rookies below. There are a 
lot of games coming up through the weekend and I imagine the playing time 
will get spread out much more evenly, with a greater opportunity for the 
rookie and bubble players.

As for Obiewon, I can fully understand his competitiveness after all these 
tough years, but what matters is that we are ready to win the opening 
regular season game.

That means (among other things) developing a third scorer. I don't see much 
of a good excuse for giving Walker and Pierce 37 minutes each last right . 
It also seems to me the coaching staff doesn't need McCarty, Eric Williams 
and Potapenko to see over 60 minutes of PT combined. We already know what 
they can do and what shape they are in.

I guess one can argue that McCarty needs an extra look since he's a bubble 
player for the 12th roster spot.

Obie needs to get his starting lineup's chemistry and personnel in order, 
and define who the last three starters are after the two captains. That's 
fine, and clearly he was trying to do that last night so there's no sense 
in my playing "couch-potato coach".

In truth, Eric Williams, Joe Johnson, Potapenko and Battie all got roughly 
an equal look for two of these starting positions. Milt also played a lot 
because he may still be in the running with Kenny. Obie's already seen 
Blount extensively this summer, although I won't be surprised if Blount 
gets an extensive look in the next game.

Over the weekend Obie probably needs to get the bubble players and rookies' 
feet wet and try to ignore the scoreboard. I'm pretty confident he'll do 
that, now that he's got that first win against a 50+ win team (regular 
season+playoffs) out of his system.

If he's going to give Forte and Kedrick four minutes a piece, he might as 
well not play them at all.

Joe

BTW, the 49 Celtics rebounds (and 16 steals) look great on the boxscore. 
That's gppd team rebounding! (+9 over a Silas-coached team). Also, did you 
guys notice that Battie and Vitaly combined to deliver 7 offensive boards 
worth of whup-ass on Charlotte last night? I hope our three-headed centers 
rotation can keep bringing 110% energy to give us second-chance points.

----

 From today's ProJo
http://www.projo.com/report/stories/06329552.htm

"I didn't intend on playing Antoine ( Walker ) and Paul ( Pierce ) 37 
minutes tonight, but I wanted to get a win," O'Brien said. "When the game 
was on the line, I wanted to win."

Johnson played 18 minutes, to only four apiece for Brown and Forte. A 
swingman from Arkansas, Johnson looked hesitant and was a bit sloppy with 
the ball. Brown had one big slam at the end of a fast break, while Forte 
didn't get a chance to do much.

O'Brien said the rookies are progressing nicely, but that didn't translate 
into minutes.

"Kedrick, it was like a lightbulb went on during our practices in 
Connecticut (the last three days)," said O'Brien. "You see Joe Johnson play 
well and play composed. I'm very pleased with the rookies. I've seen their 
development in practice."

During last week's twice-daily practices, the veterans were all over the 
rookies, ordering them to pick up doughnuts for the team, fetch dry towels 
and do other menial chores. Tony Battie is assigned to pester Johnson.

"He gets me the USA Today every day. I tell him I like the sports page on 
top," Battie said.

All three rookies certainly are young. Stark evidence of that fact came 
when a reporter asked Johnson if he spent much time at the gaming tables 
during the Celts' three days of practice at the Foxwoods Casino in Ledyard, 
Conn. Johnson answered, "I don't gamble. Plus they have this age-limit 
thing. I'm only 20."

Watching and waiting

Fall River's Chris Herren will be busy doing a lot of watching this 
preseason as O'Brien tinkers with playing Forte at point guard. Forte was 
drafted as a shooter, and played off the ball at North Carolina. However, 
the Celts are thin at the point, and O'Brien would love to see the rookie 
adjust to playing both guard spots. Herren was the only Celtic not to see 
any time last night.

If Forte can handle the ball under pressure and defend point guards, 
Herren's chances at significant playing time behind Kenny Anderson will 
take a hit. Right now, Herren is battling Palacio for time as veteran Randy 
Brown nurses a groin injury that could keep him out for at least two months.

"Joseph has made nice strides at the point guard spot," O'Brien said. "When 
we drafted him, Red ( Auerbach ) and I thought he had the skills to play 
some point guard. What happens with (Forte), as far as if he can play the 
point, will have a lot to do with how much time Chris (Herren) will get."