break time

[Douglas342@AOL.com]

     Seems to me that most of the things that made this a 36-win team last 
year got fixed, at least for a while, and the Celtics to date have generally 
played absolutely to the highest level of which they are capable.  For the 
first third of the season, everything went right.  Battie, injured the past 
two years, came back healthy and exceeded most expectations.  Anderson did 
the same.  Pierce rose to an even higher level.  Walker is still erratic, but 
his highs are higher than in the past and his lows are not nearly as bad as 
in the past.  Williams has done far more than anyone ever expected.  And 
prior to this year, didn't most of us wonder, "Who the hell is Erick 
Strickland?"  For me, the only Celtic who is playing more or less as I 
thought he would is Pots.   The six listed above are playing better than I 
thought
     But even with all that, this is still a 50-win team at best, and we all 
knew that.  Most of us predicted 40 or so.  (Maybe our scribe could post the 
prediction list for a midseason check?)  But now injuries and fatigue are 
chipping away.  We knew it couldn't last forever, didn't we?  It started with 
the back to back losses to Houston and Detroit, IMHO.  Someone said that 
we're going to win some of these and lose some of them.  Yes, but we haven't 
won any of them of late, with the losses to Detroit, Houston, Milwaukee and 
Toronto.    But most of us hoped for a .500 season and the playoffs, which 
are still very realistic goals.  
  Maybe the rooks will come on later in the year.  We need the point guard 
and the Big Guy.  Here's hoping we can get them.  Patience.
 - Doug