Obie frustrated with front office

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

	Obie says the next five practices before the opener are key, presumably to 
install some semblance of a half court offense. Despite Antoine's rare 
13-23 shooting, Boston still failed to crack the .400FG% barrier.

	He also expresses some frustration directed at the Celtics front office 
(not the league) for scheduling so many exhibition games. Obie implies that 
Herren will make the team initially, but hasn't played much in the 
pre-season because the team hasn't even practiced.

	The boxscore from last night reads 56 rebounds (17 offensive) and just one 
steal. That's a stat line I can't imagine any of us seeing from a Pitino 
team, which aimed to lead the league in steals and forced turnovers in 
return for high FG% allowed.

	Its more like the 80s Celtics, except that we don't have nearly the same 
kind of personnel. This could reflect Harter's (and Ramsay's) impact.

	Although last night could be an abberation, you get the general feeling 
that this year's defense will stress more of the fundamentals like boxing 
out and be stronger on the boards. The question is whether they can get 
opponents FG% down as well. Go Celts!

---
http://www.bostonherald.com/sport/basketball/cs10202001.htm
``Well, what we got out is five games without any practice, which 
absolutely sucks,'' he said. ``That's what we got out of it. We got game 
experience and no practice time, which absolutely sucks. So we have to get 
after practice . . . the next five practices are important. And in the next 
two exhibition games, we want to be better than we have been in the last 
(six) games.''

The loss was the Celtics' fourth straight after opening with a win in 
Dallas the Friday before. The club had slipped at times from doing the 
little things (boxing out, etc.) and improved last night, but the coach saw 
it all as par for this course.

``I think we're about where I had anticipated being, again with the idea 
that you need to practice to get better in preseason,'' O'Brien said, 
emphasizing the word ``practice'' more as he went. ``That's what preseason 
is supposed to be about, practice. Not playing five frickin' games in eight 
nights and only getting two practices. That's not what you're interested 
in. So in lieu of the fact that we haven't practiced, we are where we 
should be right now.

``It has nothing to do with the NBA. We make the schedule. The NBA doesn't 
make the schedule - we make the schedule.''

****