A Disturbing Game: Somewhere Pete Shepherd Is Laughing

[Way Of The Ray <wayray@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

        Baker will be a stiff. He'll score 18 one night and 2 the next
game....
                                             Baker will be a stiff.

                       The very prophetic Pete Shepherd, a few days back



The Celtics took the Wayback Machine to Coach Jim
O'Bowie's Glory Years of 2001 - 2002 and once again faced an
Eastern Conference opponent missing half their quality players.
In this case, Chicago was without Celtic killers Jalen Rose,
Eddie Robinson, and Donyell Marshall.

Despite that fact, the Windy Cityites put together a scrappy
performance, never letting Celtic Nation dominate them completely,
thanks to some terrific interior offense and rebounding by Eddy
Munster Curry, who made Tambori Chicken out of the defensively
overrated Battie and the lost in space Baker.


ANALYSIS

A Star Is Born:

That would be Jay Williams, the Bulls franchise point guard.
Very rusty due to injury, but you could see the imprature of great
talent.
Long after Junior Jordan is retired due to various injuries, Jay
Williams will
be winning playoff games. As I said before, during, and after the draft,

I'd trade Walker for a Franchise PG like Williams in a blink of an eye.


I Take Back Every Nice Thing I Said About Vin Baker:

But is it his fault really? The coach apparently doesn't have
any plays drawn up for him. He's in the unfamiliar position of coming
off
the bench. He's playing out of position at center. The C's lack a
quality
PG to get him the ball.  My question:
Is O'Babbling and Grommet trying to purposely sabotage him?


Heinsohn's: Celtics Centers As Good As Any In The Leaguie

LOL.  Took exactly two pre-season games to dispel that myth.
I've never bought into the "Tony Battie as a good defensive center"
crap.
Watch him against any real center and he's useless. Same for Baker,
who's not a center, and has never been one. Baker needs to start at PF,
and Celtics management needs to be thinking about ways of acquiring
Olowokandi or putting themselves into position to get one of the young
Big Men in the next two drafts.


Junior Jordan Injury Prone:

2 years, 2 ankle injuries. Wait till his knees go. His free throw count
is 1 - 2 in 40
minutes of playing time, but I would start him over E Williams. Then
again, I'd
start anyone over Williams, as I said, the worst starting SF in the NBA.

And I think Brown's defensive prowess would best be served with the
Mavericks,
in a package deal, with Van Exel coming to the future is now Celtics.

Sundov, Sundog, Sundial, Sunny Days:
Well, he can shoot, and did pick up five rebounds. Now, if they can just
teach him and
bulk him up to be a low post defender. That's where this club needs a
lot of help.

 Wallykenya. Why?
There was a slew of quality Euros avaiable, willing to work cheap,
and the C's end up with him.

C's Interior Defense is Woeful:
Imagine if they were playing in the Western Conference. In recent times,
the Celtics
have benefited/covered their weaknesses up front, because tthe East has
been lacking in
Center/PFs. But that's not always going to be the case, and we see a
trend emerging,
of more Centers/PFs being traded to/drafted and develpoped by Eastern
Conference teams
Ray