Springer - Don't worry, be happy

[Eggcentric@xxxxxxx]

Have you ever wondered if Shira Springer is Obiebs mistress? Seems 
like the Celtics are her world and her religion is to propagate  
propaganda.  Problem is, her saccharine columns taste more like 
mustard to this particular sports mouth.

Yes, I could be kinder and maybe I am blinder,  but we have won two 
exhibition games against weak teams who were both missing 2-3 key 
players to boot. These games have been reminiscent of the Summer Leagues 
or more accurately, Red Sox spring training games in Ft. Myers. These 
games have proven nothing except that Celtic fans are loyal to a fault 
even when they realize the bottom line has caused what they now are 
seeing before them.  

And so I ask:

Will an offense stocked with shooters really take care of itself without
the coach bothering to install an offense?  Anarchy? Hubris? Where we 
not last or near last in FG% this past season? 

Where has our defense or intensity been in these first two preseason 
games? medically disabled Chicago 104 points? Smug practice makes 
for a smug season.

Why is everyone so excited about Bruno S(h)undov being such a coup due 
to hitting two of three 3-pointers when he is clearly deficient at all 
other classic CENTER/PF criteria? Why not have just re-signed Chris 
Crawford?
 
Will history record Obie as a PIONEER in changing the face of NBA 
Bball? Or will his precocity exact a great price in years to come as 
his errors burst with their own corrections?  Still yet, am I -oh no-  
a Jessen naysaying loserb" for even daring to question Obiebs MO?

I now present - drumroll please - Shirabs 2,395,958th optimistic 
column du jour.

Egg
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Celtics' offense: Shooting stars 
By Shira Springer, Globe Staff, 10/12/2002  
Although coach Jim O'Brien is often fixated on the smallest detail, his 
approach to the 
Celtics' offense in the exhibition season has been decidedly laissez faire. 
Except for dictates 
that the Celtics run and exercise intelligent shot selection, O'Brien is 
confident an offense
stocked with shooters will take care of itself. He doesn't worry about the 
offense coming 
together in the way he sometimes perseverates about the defense. He trusts 
that between the 
3-point line and the basket, Boston will post enough points to win. And if 
everything goes
 smoothly, the offense can be downright frightening for opponents. 
''It's a freelance type of system,'' said Eric Williams. ''It's pretty much 
just us out there 
playing basketball. You're more free on offense. You can do anything you 
want. But on 
defense, it's more of a system. '' 
O'Brien's trust has been well placed. In the Celtics' second exhibition game, 
there were 
plenty of glimpses of how explosive their offense can be. There were pinpoint 
passes 
from Antoine Walker. Some acrobatic shots by Paul Pierce. And one high-flying 
dunk 
by Kedrick Brown that left Pierce in disbelief. 
By the end of the night, the Celtics had shot better than 50 percent from the 
floor 
(51.9 percent) and 3-point range (53.8 percent). Seven players converted from 
beyond the
arc. All of the roster players scored except Ruben Wolkowyski, who missed his 
only shot.
The Celtics hit the 100-point mark with 8 minutes 39 seconds remaining in the 
fourth quarter. 
''I think we got better offensively,'' said Pierce. ''We're getting a little 
bit more comfortable 
with each other, feeling out each other. As the preseason rolls on, we'll get 
better and better. 
If we go out there and play unselfish basketball, there's a lot of guys out 
there that can put the 
ball in the hole. It's the second game, so we're not where we want to be, but 
it's just a 
feeling-out process and we'll find out a lot more about each other each and 
every game.'' 
The Celtics already have learned a few encouraging things about their 
offense: 
It seems there will be plenty of shots to go around and keep everyone happy. 
In limited 
minutes against Chicago Thursday night, Pierce took 14 shots and Walker had 
12. The 
only player with a lack of touches was Vin Baker (1 for 3). After the game, 
O'Brien said 
he doesn't ''have any plays for Vin right now,'' but that should change soon. 
Despite pressure from Bulls rookie Jay Williams, Shammond Williams had no 
problem 
getting the ball upcourt. 
Bruno Sundov was a threat from 3-point range, hitting two of three shots. 
The Celtics have shooters who should make the most of their opportunities, if 
the game 
against the Bulls is any indication. 
''It's the first time in a long time that we've had four or five guys on the 
court at the same 
time that can shoot the basketball and shoot it from deep,'' said Walker. 
''That's a good 
luxury. If we can put our defense with our offense, we can be a very good 
basketball team. 
Right now, we've got to work on the small things that are going to make us 
good 
defensively. We're not worried about offense. We feel like we can score with 
anybody.'' 
At Mohegan Sun Arena, O'Brien was seen flipping through box scores from 
exhibition
games around the league. The low shooting percentages were hard to miss. 
''Early in the season, defense is ahead of offense at every level,'' he said. 
''You're more 
aggressive defensively. You're not executing offensively as well as you would 
like. That 
has always been my feeling.'' 
The Celtics may be bucking the trend a bit. Boston's offense looked a lot 
more effective 
than their defense against Chicago, the Bulls racking up 104 points. Compared 
with the 
rest of the league, the Celtics are ahead of the curve when it comes to 
offensive efficiency 
in the exhibition season. Most teams are hovering in the low-40 percent 
range. The 
challenge for the Celtics is to sustain their productivity. 
''As long as we play a good team game on the offensive end and make the extra 
pass, 
we're going to hit the open shot,'' said Eric Williams. ''That's what we've 
done. We're 
getting out on the break. Guys are looking ahead, looking for guys that are 
open. We can
shoot the rock and it's a good feeling that we can score a lot of points.''