re: Mark's got points

["hironaka@xxxxxxxxx"<hironaka@xxxxxxxxx>]

I agree. The question is how much worse our defense is 
from last year's team.

Its pretty obvious we are weaker at backup pointguard. I 
guess the bench as a whole is weaker, or dumber, or 
something (we've subtracted Vitaly and Erick Strickland 
from the regular season rotation). But basically its the 
same starters not putting in the effort or the proper 
focus. Remember we've added a few compensating strength 
to the rotation too (more size at center, plus Kedrick 
and Delk for a whole season).

Boston can't muddle through in the coming weeks.  They've 
got to turn key defensive stats around emphatically. Some 
of it is essentially inevitable, but others (like 
rebounding) are areas where they can't ever let their 
guard down.

The Knicks game, which an exceptional game statistically 
and scoring-wise for Boston, got us out of the cellar in 
a few statistical departments. 

Thanks to the Knicks game, Boston is back "up" to 27th in 
rebounds allowed (-13.7 differential), 28th in points 
allowed 106.7 (-12.7 differential) and 28th in opposition 
assists (29).

Yay. That's the good news. 

Not only are we last in many categories, we have a 
significant way to go before we move out of the cellar in 
some other categories.

For instance, Boston is dead last in FG% allowed (.523), 
in rebounding (34 per game) and in blocks (1.67) by 
significant margins. 

Meanwhile, the division "rival" NJ Nets are averaging a 
scary 9.7 blocks per game. Division rivals Philly (51.7), 
Washington (49) and the Nets again (47.3) are among the 
elite rebounding teams in the league so far. We won't 
match that this year, but we need to at least hold up 
part of our end, or else just quit and call it a year.

When your team is shooting .404 from the field and your 
captains are 9-39 on three-pointers, I definitely don't 
want to read any happy talk from the players about having 
turned a corner, collective sigh of relief, how great 
Antoine's leadership has been so far, and all that other 
nonsense. 

This team is performing like a laughing stock. Walker's 
game is a joke (shooting under .300 from the field). 
Pierce is a joke for helping a guy score 40 on us and 
shooting .238 on treys so far. 

These guys should not be showing their faces until they 
straighten out this baloney. I'm going to personally go 
steal Krispy Kremes from their lockers, if that's what it 
takes. 

Thank god they didn't catch a break and go 2-1. They 
fully deserve to be 0-3, against the three easiest games 
on the schedule this month. 

Obviously, we can't have the players mired in self-doubt 
and navel gazing. 

But they better get down to business on Wednesday and 
demonstrate some Celtics Pride. 

We've got a Lakers game to prepare for this week. To me 
those are the two biggest games of the year. Our players 
damn well better have as much pride in these games as the 
fans do.

And it would be a winnable game, if the players get their 
act together in practice and beginning with the warm-up 
game against Chicago.


Joe H.







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