NBA.com Season preview of C's

[CeltsSteve@xxxxxxx]

http://www.nba.com/preview2002/bos.html

Boston CelticsBy Randy Kim, NBA.com

SEASON OUTLOOK: Although they were one of the biggest surprises in the topsy-turvy East, the Celtics didn't let last season's success stop them from making major adjustments heading into 2002-03. In a high-risk move that could pay huge dividends, the Celtics traded for erratic, yet talented, power forward Vin Baker. Boston could wind up with an All-Star-caliber big man with the inside game they so covet; or they could have an up-and-down player who isn't worth the players the Celtics sacrificed to get him. Either way, the players are hoping for the best from Baker.
"If we can get Vin to come in here and really work and show us that he has a new attitude and that he's willing to commit to what we're trying to build, I think it's something that could really work," Pierce recently told the Boston Globe.
As long as the All-Star combo of Paul Pierce and Antoine Walker are still wearing the green-and-white, Boston will win its share of games. While Walker (22.1 ppg, 8.8 rpg, 5.0 apg) is the more senior of the two and does the majority of the ball-handling, Pierce (26.1 ppg, 6.9 rpg, .404 3FG%) has emerged as "the man" in Boston. One of the leauge's brightest young stars, Pierce was named to the 2001-02 All-NBA Third Team and finished the season third in the league in scoring behind Allen Iverson and Shaquille O'Neal.
Besides Baker, Boston's biggest question mark will be at point guard, where converted shooting guard Tony Delk and little-used Shammond Williams will be asked to guide the offense. Since the offense flows through Walker and Pierce on every possession, though, this can be minimized.

WHO'S IN: What's lost in the criticism of Baker is that through the first half of last season, he was playing very well for the Sonics. Baker averaged a respectable 16.9 ppg and 6.9 rpg over the first 39 games of 2001-02 before suffering an injury in February that slowed him the rest of the way. If Baker comes close to capturing the old form that saw him make four-straight All-Star teams (1995-98), then the Celtics will contend in the East. Joining Baker from Seattle is explosive, yet undersized, point guard Williams. Williams will get a chance to prove himself in Boston and make good on the promise he showed in flashes while with the Sonics. Rookie guard J.R. Bremer out of St. Bonaventure could also see some minutes, while rookie big man Darius Songalia has opted to play professionally in Europe. A wild-card for Boston is former Sonics forward Ruben Wolkowyski. The 6-10 Argentinian is coming off a strong WBC, where he showed a nice shooting touch for a big man. Due to a lack of size on the Boston bench, Wolkowyski could get a chance to contribute.

WHO'S OUT: The Celtics sent starting point guard Kenny Anderson to Seattle in the Baker trade, along with big man Vitaly Potapenko and little-used guard Joe Forte. Anderson's absence will hurt the team the most, as he had matured into the savvy floor leader that most NBA scouts always thought he'd become. The loss of backup point guard Erick Strickland to free agency compounds Anderson's departure, but the biggest loss suffered by the Celtics in the offseason could be versatile forward Rodney Rogers, who signed with the rival Nets.
"I thought we should have done whatever we could to sign Rodney," Pierce recently told the Boston Globe. "He's going to a team we battled for the Eastern Conference. It makes (the Nets) a lot better."

BENCH: Last season, Boston's bench was a strength, but entering this season it is a question mark. Whereas last season they had Rogers and Strickland making key contributions off the pine -- especially in the postseason -- now they are left with Walter McCarty, Eric Williams, Shammond Williams and Wolkowyski. McCarty and 'Mond have shown promise, but are still inconsistent contributors. If nothing else, the door is wide open for second-year swingman Kedrick Brown to live up to the promise the Celtics have heaped upon him. His athleticism and energy could be a big boost for Boston.
THE CELTICS MAKE THE PLAYOFFS IF ... : Pierce and Walker stay healthy, and they get steady play at the point.
THE CELTICS MISS THE PLAYOFFS IF ... : Injuries become a factor, and Baker doesn't adjust well to new team.   
Pierce and Walker are arguably the league's toughest duo East of Kobe and Shaq.Noren Trotman/NBAE/Getty Images  
P R O J E C T E D   S T A R T E R S POS PLAYER SCHOOL YRS PG Tony Delk Kentucky 6 SG Paul Pierce Kansas 4 SF Antoine Walker Kentucky 6 PF Vin Baker Hartford 9 C Tony Battie Texas Tech 5 

S C O U T ' S   T A K E "Paul Pierce is one of the three best players in the East. ... At the end of last year, Antoine Walker deferred to Pierce. Will Walker want some of that control back? That's a big question. ... They're going to be down this year, because the Kenny Anderson trade will hurt them. ... Now, they have three guys, with Vin Baker, who need the ball and three guys who don't work well without it. Last year, Anderson had his best year ever with the Celtics, and while he could get his own shot, he worked to get the other guys the ball last year. They're going to miss that this year. ... Tony Delk traditionally comes off the bench, but he needs to start ... They're not very deep on the bench. They can go six or seven deep and losing Rodney Rogers doesn't help. ... Still, they have a post presence on offense with Baker, and that could help them in the East. Last year they didn't have a true post-up guy. Walker is best 15 feet from the hoop. ... The Celtics need good execution from the guy who runs the offense this season because they run good sets and they run stuff other teams don't run. We'll see if that has to change with Baker."-- Eastern Conference assistant coach 

2 0 0 1 - 0 2   L E A D E R S PPG Paul Pierce 26.1 RPG Antoine Walker 8.8 APG Kenny Anderson 5.3 SPG Paul Pierce 1.88 BPG Paul Pierce 1.05 

G A M E S   T O   W A T C H 10/31 at Washington 7:30 ET, TNT 11/7 L.A. Lakers 7:30 ET, TNT 11/15 Dallas 8 ET, ESPN 12/25 at New Jersey 6 ET, ABC 1/8 at New Orleans 9 ET, ESPN 

F A N T A S Y   S L E E P E R  Shammond Williams - GuardWilliams is a longshot, but he has the chance to pay huge dividends. 'Mond is an explosive scorer with tremendous range who can fill it up in a hurry. The Celtics need a pass-first point guard, though, so Williams will have to adapt to this mentality to see ample minutes. 

T H E   S T A T 29 Total number of times both Paul Pierce and Antoine Walker scored 20 or more points in a game. The Celtics won 25 of those games.