Re: Layoff helps Celts too.

[bird <birdwl@earthlink.net>]

> From: "Dan Forant" <dforant1@nycap.rr.com>
>
> Dan is alive and well. When the Celts were looking more like the Detroit
> High Freshmen team they were getting and deserved negative posts. Only
> diehard gooey Celtic fans pleaded their case.

It couldn't have been because they saw something you didn't right Forant?  
I don't know which is more disconcerting: your 180 turnaround from 
negative curmudgeon to optimistic curmudgeon (hmmm, maybe that's not 
really a 180 turnaround then, is it?), or the fact that I agree with parts 
of your recent posts.

Oh, well, it's all good.  I'd kiss Dick Nixon a la Sammy Davis, Jr. if the 
C's keep playing "clamp down" defense in the finals minutes of playoff 
games.  That's what it's all about.  How many times have we seen the team 
just shut the opposition down in the last minutes of a game?  How many 
times have we heard the players and coaches say that they always feel like 
they have a good chance to win the game?  It's a 48 minute game, but there'
s always that span of time -- could even be five minutes or so -- which is 
critical to a team's success.  In close games, it's often the last five 
minutes or so.  The Celtics have proven, to me, that they understand what 
is needed to win during that time, regular season and playoffs.

Can''t wait until the next game tomorrow.  Hard to imagine Philly just 
rolling over, but I do think the C's will prevail: All they really need to 
do is "stop" AI and play the other ("role") players aggressively.  Iverson'
s going to have to carry this team (or guys like McKie, Snow, and Mutombo 
are going to have to "step up" huge) for Philly to win the series.  
Winning a game is not out of the realm of possibility by any means, but 
right now, the Sixers look outclassed.  We'll have a better look when 
Philly plays at home.

Bird

P.S.
> OB for coach of the year and PP for MVP.

I hate the MVP award because it means something different to each 
person -- why not just have a "Best Player" award?  But, though Obie 
probably doesn't deserve COtY, what with Scott, Carlisle and the perennial 
Western Conf, coaches in the running, but it has surprised me just how 
little discussion his cause is getting.  And I use "surprised' in the most 
lenient of possible ways, as I think we all saw a lot of vehement 
criticism of the guy right here, and it''s only now that people are 
speaking up with assertions that maybe, just maybe, Jim O'Brien isn't 
"wicked retahded".