Murphy (Herald) - plus comments

[Eggcentric@xxxxxxx]

Extra prep time for Nets won't be wasted

Celtics Notebook/by Mark Murphy
Monday, December 23, 2002

Celtics coach Jim O'Brien, knowing that the biggest item under his 
tree on Wednesday morning will be the Nets, has only one Christmas wish.

``Beat New Jersey, that's all,'' he said.

    THAT'S ALL - JUST ONE WISH, JIMMY?  
    
    - HOW ABOUT IF THE CELTS COULD BRING IN A GM YOU ARE ON 
       THE SAME PAGE WITH? 

    - HOW ABOUT WISHING THAT SHAMMOND, SUNDOV, AND BREMER 
       COULD DUPLICATE THOSE SILKY-SMOOTH WORKOUT THREES WHEN 
       ACTUALLY GUARDED BY HUMANS? 

    - HOW ABOUT IF YOU WERE ABLE TO TRUST KEDRICK WITH MORE 
       THAN 2 MPG WHEN WE ARE UP BY 20 POINTS WITH 12 MINUTES 
       REMAINING IN A BLOWOUT? 

    - HOW ABOUT IF KEDRICK TURNED OUT TO HAVE A BRAIN?

    - HOW ABOUT IF BAKER HAD ONLY BEEN RIGHT FOR YOUR SYSTEM 
       OR AT LEAST COULD INCREASE HIS AVERAGES TO 4.4 RPG and 
       5.7 PPG?  YOU COULD THEN TRUST HIM TO PLAY MORE THAN 
      18 MPG AND CEASE USING SF McCARTY (11th man last year; 
       sixth man this year due to our improved bench) AS BATTIE'S 
       REPLACEMENT?
          
    - HOW ABOUT IF SVENGALI PAPILE HADN'T TALKED YOU INTO 
       BELIEVING  THAT WOLKO, WHOSE BODY HE LUSTED FOR, WAS 
       AN APE ON THE BOARDS AND THE PERFECT 12th MAN WHO
       WOULD HAVE BEEN TAKEN 6th IN THE JUNE DRAFT JUST BEHIND
       SUNDOV?

The Celtics' upcoming practice schedule, after three games in four 
days, is particularly fortunate, then.

After giving the team yesterday off, O'Brien will bring his charges 
back onto the floor today for two rare, controlled days of practice.

    Go, OBIE. SUCH AN APOTHECARY SHOULD NEVER BE OUT OF SPIRITS.

``We've played a lot of games in a short period, and it took a lot of 
energy to pull out this last game,'' he said.

    POOR THINGS and SO FATIGUED EVEN AGAINST 5-24 CLEVELAND.  
    TOO BAD YOU STILL FELT OBLIGED TO ALLOW THE WOUNDED PIERCE 
    AS WELL AS WALKER TO PLAY 40 and 47 MINUTES RESPECTIVELY 
    AGAINST CLEVELAND ON 12/13 WHEN WE WERE UP BY 17 POINTS 
    AFTER THE 1st QUARTER AND NEVER LOOKED BACK. 
    
    UNLIKE MOST OF OUR EASTERN DIVISION EQUALS, OUR SCHEDULE 
    HAS BEEN SOFTER THAN PAMPERS AS WE HAVE YET TO EMBARK 
    ON A WEST COAST or TEXAS ROAD TRIP.  BE ASSURED THAT 
    THE PIPER IS ON HIS WAY... STILL LOOKING FOR HIS PAYMENT.

To that end, the C's can't let up while tuning up for the Nets. From 
what forward Eric Williams can see, the energy level has to increase.

``We just have to bring the energy to practice,'' he said.``We haven't 
had a lot of practice lately, but to be OK (against the Nets), we have 
to practice three times harder than we've played in games. Those three 
days are going to be hard for us, but it's going to show how much we 
want it. That's the science.''

For some, like guard Kedrick Brown, these brief windows are even more 
important.

``I still need practice time,'' said Brown, still getting up to speed 
after a severe ankle sprain. ``Since I've been back, there hasn't been 
much practice time.''

Big man on boards

For a player not known for his offense, Williams continues to come 
up big for the Celtics in so many other ways - particularly with big, 
game-swinging rebounds. That was especially true in his 14-point, 
seven-rebound effort against the Cavs.

``He had huge offensive rebounds,'' O'Brien said. ``He was like a 
middle linebacker going after the quarterback on the blitz. He also 
had two big ones for us (Friday against Minnesota). The whole team 
feeds off something like that.''

Williams, true to his Rodman-esque form, would much rather crash for a 
game-breaking rebound than hit a big shot.

    WILLIAMS RODMAN-ESQUE?  #$%$##%$&*($#@## = FRAUD CRIED 
    THE MADDENED THOUSANDS.  

``It's rebounds, dog, get the rebound,'' he said. ``These guys shoot 
3's, and when they miss it, I know exactly where the ball is going. 
Stuff like that down the stretch breaks teams' backs.''

Secret admirers

JR Bremer, in his Cleveland homecoming, was treated to a rare sight 
and sound late in Saturday's game, when a section of high school or 
college-age kids across the floor from the Celtics bench broke into 
a standing ``Bremer'' chant.

Bremer was perplexed after taking a careful look at the group.

``I have no idea who they were,'' he said.

    I CAN ASSURE YOU, MR. BREMER, THAT THEY WERE NOT FROM THE 
    BOSTON AREA.  PERHAPS RELATIVES OF CHRIS WALLACE FROM 
    HIS HOMETOWN IN WEST VIRGINIA?

                                                - Eggy