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Re: new Hoopsworld column

Josh Ozersky wrote:

How are the Pacers and Pistons more talented than the Celtics? It amazes me to
hear Ainge say this, and Bob Ryan second it. First of all, neither team has
beaten the Celtics in a playoff series: we punched both teams' tickets the
last two years.

Yes, before Detroit had Billups, Campbell, Okur, Prince, and now, Darko waiting for his turn. And Indiana last year was coached by a guy who made Obie look like Red Auerbach.

New Jersey is probably more talented; but what is so great
about the current rosters of Indiana and Detroit? The Pacers' only all-star
caliber player, Jermaine O'Neal, is an unproven marshmallow that can't score
in the crunch, and their second-best player, Ron Artest, is a suspension
waiting to happen.

Well, if averaging 20/10 and 3 blocks, making the All-Star and Team USA several times makes one an "unproven marshmallow", then I guess you're right. Artest is the best defensive player in the NBA at the swing positions and pretty darn good on offense (18 ppg).

The Pacers are playing Kenny Anderson major minutes! Can
there be any more obvious sign of desperation?

Kenny is still a better PG than either Mike James or Banks.

As for the Pistons, they (like 
the Celtics) are a deep and cohesive team, but they also lack a go-to player,
and their best players are all spare parts. Darko Milic may pan out in the
long run, but right now Chauncey Billups and Ben Wallace are their best
players: a point guard who can't pass, and a power forward who can't score.
This is the mountain the Celtics have to climb?

I bring all this up not to put down our rivals.

Sure sounded like a putdown to me.

Rosters don't win games; teams 
do, and it's all settled in the post-season, as Ainge should know. But the
Celtics have a very good, very deep team which their poor play and the
received wisdom about the Eastern Conference has obscured. They, in fact, have
more talent than is currently being shown: in the big win against the Sonics,
Walter McCarty played more minutes than Jumaine Jones and Marcus Banks
combined. Meanwhile, Kendrick Perkins and Brandon Hunter haven't even appeared
on the court yet.

Isn't funny that, in your reckoning of talent, Kendrick and Hunter are already counted on as potential contributors this season, even though they haven't played a minute yet, but Darko, a much more highly regarded prospect, is of no consequence for Detroit?

Let's look at players that would be in the rotation for the playoffs:
Detroit has a very solid, veteran backourt in backcourt in Billups and Hamilton, a rising star in Prince at SF, and a tough frontcourt in Wallace and Campbell. They also have the very talented big man Okur and solid veteran Williamson off the bench. And they have one of the best coaches in the NBA.

We have a superstar in Pierce, an efficient but soft low-post scorer in Baker, and Welsch, whose offensive explosion has lasted but three games so far. Lafrentz is talented but injured, Williams is a good bench player, and Banks is very raw. The rest are spare parts right now. I'd like to believe that Mike James can keep shooting like he has been, and that Jiri can sustain his high level of play, but they're far from proven players at this point.

Maybe you're right and the Celtics will keep playing like they have the last 3 games and end up winning the EC, but, as much as I would like to believe it, it's unlikely.

Kestas