Re: first ten games

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

At 14:56 30/10/01 -0500, Francis Hsu wrote:
>The first ten games.
>@ Cleveland
>New Jersey
>Chicago
>@ Milwaukee
>Washington
>Seattle
>Indiana
>@ Atlanta
>Atlanta
>Toronto
>
>I think our first 5 are as predictable as can be.  @ Milwaukee will be
>tough, being the end of a back-to-back and the 4th game in 5 nights.
>We should win the other 4.  Anything less than 4-1 will be disappointing.
>
>Things get more interesting in the next 5 games.  We should be able to get
>at least two wins, although I feel like any of those games could go either
>way.  At the end, we should be at least 6-4.  7-3 is possible.
>
>Key games:
>@ Cleveland - our opener, beat an inferior team on their home court
>Indiana - must win at home against these guys
>both games vs. Atlanta - keep them from climbing out of the basement

I agree that three of four wins to start the season is key. The Celtics 
have to be ready tonight for a Nets team that overcame a 13 point 4Q 
deficit and a monster game by Jalen Rose (18-27 shooting, 43 points).

If we can just win the opening four-game "series" (in other words, go 3-1), 
I actually think the salient point about the next 6 games is NOT that 5 of 
them are home games (which is a big deal for Boston), but more that the 
Celtics coaching staff will have at least two nights (sometimes three and 
even FOUR nights) to prepare for each game. After the B2B this Saturday at 
Milwaukee, the Celtics don't play again until next Wednesday hosting the 
Wiz. That's why we need to go all out for the opening two B2B series.

Let's not jump ahead of ourselves, but I think Boston REALLY has to focus 
on taking the next two against the Nets and Chicago. These are must wins. 
The first team is talented this year, but we tend to whup them. The second 
opponent is horrible, but they tend to whup us.

The Nets, like the Celts, had a dream start last night. They got a first 
team NBA player to lead them back with a near triple double. But they also 
got big games from Kittles, Van Horn and Kenyon Martin. Last year Kittles 
missed the season and Van Horn and Martin both broke their freaking legs. 
With all three scorers back, the Nets have reason to be confident about 
this season as a whole. On top of it, Richard Jefferson showed he could 
step up and contribute as a rookie. A best-case scenario for them all in all.

But a big difference in tonight's B2B is that Toine and Pierce didn't have 
to play in the fourth quarter last night. Plus I feel that Boston fans will 
make a lot of noise and really support the Celtics in our home opener at 
the Fleet Center. Reading yesterday's feel-good columns by Shira and Cofman 
etc, I've never felt this much pre-season enthusiasm for the Boston Celtics 
in the last two years. We've got a nice young team, with likeable players 
and potentially ideal chemistry (they just need a good start to learn how 
to win). And apparently the Celts sold a record number of tickets the day 
the box office opened, more than the year Pitino was hired.

If we can go 3-1 on these killer B2Bs, this could be the start of a 
beautiful new relationship

Go Celts Go!

Joe

SI Scouting report:

Obviously one scout's view can differ completely from anothers', but here's 
the SI breakdown on tonight's opponent (in general, Van Horn and Martin are 
the type of forwards that Antoine has for breakfast):

-Marbury's an unbelievable player, but he's only 24, and right now he's not 
as tuned in to involving his teammates and winning games as Kidd is.

-Kidd is going to help Kenyon Martin , Keith Van Horn and Kerry Kittles be 
more creative, but I don't buy into this idea that he's going to turn 
Martin into the second coming of Shawn Marion. Kidd's success with Marion 
had a lot to do with Marion's explosiveness; I don't think Martin is as 
good an athlete. The jury is still out on his jump shot, and he seems in 
between positions -- not quick enough to guard small forwards, too small to 
handle bigger forwards.

-Van Horn isn't a true power forward either, so maybe between them they can 
make a decent frontcourt if they can stay healthy.

-Like a lot of people I questioned the contract the Nets gave Todd 
MacCulloch . He was able to score with his back to the basket last year, 
but that was because Philly had other guys you had to worry about. I don't 
know if he can succeed as your starting center. He's not a big rebounder 
and neither is Van Horn, which means other guys -- especially Martin -- 
will have to help on the boards.

-Kittles looks like he's recovered from his knee problems. When he's 
healthy, he stretches the defense. If he could give them 10 to 15 points a 
game, that would be huge.

-Richard Jefferson is going to be good. He's definitely an NBA athlete.

-As bad as they were with all their injuries, I never saw them quit, so at 
least Byron Scott has got them playing hard."

***