SI questions Celtics' defense

["Alessandro Celtics-Fan" <alessan420@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

http://www.telegram.com/sports/cnotes4.html

Williams on defensive

Thursday, November 14, 2002

By Bill Doyle
Telegram & Gazette Staff

BOSTON -- Celtics coach Jim O'Brien loves Eric Williams' defense, but Sports 
Illustrated doesn't.

Unnamed scouts ranked the defensive ability of every NBA starter for SI's 
NBA preview issue. Williams was ranked as playing "no D."

"That's the first time I've heard that," Williams said when told of the 
report. "Those guys are what they are -- they're on the outside looking in. 
I don't know who the scout is. That's just one person's opinion. Everybody 
has a right to their own opinion."

Williams' opinion is different than SI's.

"I always guard the $100 million guy," he pointed out.

"One thing I've learned about this league is 50 percent of the people love 
you, 50 percent hate you," he said.

O'Brien remains a big believer in Williams despite the magazine's rankings.

"Every time I've asked Eric Williams to do something over the last couple of 
years, he's done everything in his power to get the job done,"  O'Brien 
said.

"I go out there and play hard, Williams said. "A good defender helps his 
teammates out when they need it, who can cause havoc on the defense without 
having to lead the league in steals. Getting steals has nothing to do with 
being a defender. Getting steals is more of a gamble.

Paul Pierce ranked among the league leaders in steals last season, but SI 
also rated him as playing no D. Last week, Kobe Bryant scored 41 points on 
Pierce, who is much better defending with his hands than his feet.

SI ranked Vin Baker, whom it wrongly assumed would start at center for 
Boston, and Antoine Walker as fair defenders, and Tony Delk as a strong 
defender.

The Celtics got off to a poor defensive start this season even though Delk 
is a far better defender than Kenny Anderson and the other four Celtics 
playoff starters who returned.

"I don't think they had to defend the quality of player that they had to 
defend in practice last year, O'Brien said. I think losing the toughness 
of the people who are not with us this year (Erick Strickland, Vitaly 
Potapenko, Mark Blount) took a little bit awayfrom our overall psyche.

76ers have C's number

The Celtics swept three homes games from the Sixers in the playoffs last 
spring, but they had lost their last five regular-season home games to 
Philadelphia before winning last night. The Sixers have won 13 of the teams' 
last 17 meetings overall.

Brown now caught on tape

Kedrick Brown has learned his lesson and said he will tape both of his 
ankles before every practice and game.

The second-year Celtic didn't tape either ankle before he sprained his right 
one last January and missed 12 games. He taped his ankles off and on for the 
remainder of the season, but not every day, according to trainer Ed Lacerte.

Brown wasn't taping either ankle this season before he sprained his right 
ankle again in a preseason game Oct. 10. He had so much tape on his right 
ankle prior to last night's game, a Velcro strap broke when he tried to 
tighten his sneaker.

The Celtics activated Brown from the injured list and suited him up last 
night, but he didn't play. He's scheduled to resume full practicing today 
and could get in a game as early as tomorrow against Dallas. Wednesday 
against New Jersey is a more likely return, however.

Lacerte said the decision to tape is left up to the players.

Baker and Delk do not tape their ankles.

A language barrier

Ruben Wolkowyski of Argentina rarely leaves the bench. O'Brien said the 
progress of the 29-year-old rookie has been delayed because of a language 
barrier.

"He's an intelligent guy, O'Brien said, but I speak kind of an inner-city 
Philadelphia-ese and they don't always pick my signals up.



Alessandro
http://pub61.ezboard.com/bthemeangreen



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