Thomas: Kidney Stone or Watching Yhe Celtics?

[Way Of The Ray <wayray@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

http://www.southcoasttoday.com/daily/04-03/04-10-03/b01sp100.htm

Watching Celts a painful pastime

 I don't know what's more painful -- passing a kidney stone or watching
the Boston Celtics?
 But, since I've never (thankfully) experienced the former, I can only
guess it's the latter because I've seen plenty of Celtics games and my
digestive tract is killing me. In fact, after sitting through Sunday's
one-point loss to Michael Jordan and the Wizards, I can't stomach
watching that team any longer.
 What's to watch?
 The game plan never changes. Run early. Unleash a barrage of 3-point
shots. Look for Paul Pierce and Antoine Walker down the stretch.
 With no inside presence, I can almost understand the need to run and
for that same reason, I guess I can accept the penchant for the 3-point
shot. But why Pierce and Walker all the time down the stretch?
 If I know one or the other is going to get the ball in the closing
minutes of a close game, what makes head coach Jim O'Brien think the
opposition doesn't know it? We're not talking about Kobe Bryant, Tracy
McGrady, Kevin Garnett or Allen Iverson taking over. We're talking
Pierce and Walker, a couple of tough scorers in the early going who tend
to disappear when the going gets tough.
 Have any two so-called superstars on the same team ever turned the ball
over, missed so many crucial free throws or clanked so many shots off
the rim in the final minutes of a close game than these two guys? More
importantly, will that trend ever change?
 As long as the Celtics are Pierce and Walker's team, Boston is never
likely to see a 17th World Championship banner hoisted to the roof of
the FleetCenter. Why? Because championships are won by clutch
performers, a tag that neither member of the Boston tandem has or is
likely to earn as long as they remain teammates.
 In Minnesota, the Timberwolves know who to go to in a close game and
Garnett is creative enough to usually make good things happen.
 In Philly, it's give the ball to Iverson down the stretch and watch
A.I. weave his magic.
 Kobe is the go-to guy in Los Angeles because the Lakers' superstar is
talented and smart enough to create his own shot or get the ball inside
to Shaquille O'Neal.
 In Boston its merely a matter of which player -- Pierce or Walker --
receives the first pass beyond the midcourt stripe and its
one-on-one-two or three from there. If it's Pierce, he'll dribble left
or right, spin in the opposite direction and bull his way down the lane
in an effort to draw a foul. If successful, he'll convert one of two
shots from the line to tie the score or leave his team a point behind.
 Walker simply loads, cocks and fires, more often than not clanging a
3-point attempt off the back or side of the rim.
 Teams have figured out the Boston Celtics. Stop the 3s and pressure
Pierce and Walker down the stretch. It's as simple as that and it will
continue to be that simple until GM Chris Wallace agrees to a face lift.
And he can start by trading one of the two -- preferably Walker.
 Think about that. No Antoine Walker?
 Geez, things are looking better already.

Buddy Thomas' column appears Thursday in The Standard-Times.