Game 1

["Berry, Mark S" <berrym@BATTELLE.ORG>]

Lots of thoughts that got lost in the list crash or whatever it was...

1.	Did the scouting report fail to mention that the Nets like to run?
That the team needed to get back quickly on defense? This is the stuff that
drives me crazy. It's like when a college football team has a month to
prepare for a game, then acts stunned when the opposing defensive lineman,
who has 18 sacks on the season, beats single coverage to sack their
quarterback. That's what I was thinking yesterday. They had four days to
prepare, and this is what they came up with?

2.	The letdown in Game 1 against Detroit was understandable and
predictable. But yesterday? You just can't give away games at this point.
It's one thing to come out, be prepared, play hard and lose. It's another to
seemingly mail one in like that. That was really disappointing.

3.	The fast breaks were bad, but even worse was the layup line in the
halfcourt. The Celtics can (and hopefully will) slow the pace of the game
and eliminate some of those fast breaks, but it won't matter if they
continue to give up layups and dunks in the halfcourt. Their defense was
atrocious. New Jersey is a different and much more dangerous offensive team,
but teams not nearly as effectively defensively as the Celts have been able
to make Jersey look bad in the halfcourt. The Celts have to disrupt that
flow by being physical, bumping cutters, playing aggressively. The Nets are
soft, but they bullied the Celts yesterday. Inexcusable.

4.	What happened to the commitment to rebounding? No way the Nets
should dominate the boards that way. Antoine has to refocus on rebounding.
He hasn't been. If Obie is going to go with Rogers at center, Rodney has to
rebound. It's a matter of will. The Celts were at a tremendous size
disadvantage against Philly, but wanted it more. They have to show the same
determination against the Nets.

5.	MacCullouch is a real problem. Battie isn't big or strong enough to
handle him. Rogers isn't tall enough. These problems were hidden against
Mutombo and Wallace because those players weren't really offensive threats.
MacCullouch is. He can catch the ball with his back to the basket and
finish. The Celts have to hope Rogers can hit enough shots to force Byron
Scott to take MacCullouch out of the game.

6.	Why do the Celtics seemingly forget from time to time that they have
a guy named Paul Pierce on their team? He does enough to take himself out of
games with some silly fouls. Why do his teammates compound it by throwing
away possessions before he ever even touches the ball? Especially when he
pretty much can have his way with this team? He should get a touch every
time down the floor.

7.	Finally, the Celtics need to handle this team the way the 80s Celts
handled Byron Scott's Lakers. Get physical. No layups. No dunks. Knock them
around. Van Horn doesn't like it. Kittles doesn't like it. Take those guys
out of their games.

I'm not nearly as confident about this series as I was the Detroit series. I
still think the Celts can win, but the Nets are good. This will be a battle.
Too bad the Celtics didn't realize that going in.

Mark