Re:

[JB <jimmetz@xxxxxxx>]

	Sounds grim, Joe.
	I was finally able to watch a game myself last night and I didn't 
think it was so bad.  Antoine's hot shooting was balanced by his nine 
turnovers.
	Portland is a very good team and so deep, it's hard for the C's to 
think of beating them without Battie, or Pierce shooting better than 
4-14, but we almost did.
	We have no answer for Sabonis, or even Randolph, underneath and they 
all shot lights out in the first period. I'm not willing to concede 
that our defense  was so bad. some times a good team works the ball for 
good shots and doesn't miss, even when they are contested.
	I was pleased, a bit, by the general offensive flow, especially liked 
the two Pierce assists ( to Baker and Brown)to get us back in the game, 
but both he and Antoine lost the ball a few times down the stretch, by 
bulling their way into traffic. If this doesn't stop we will need to 
trade one of them  and get a true point guard and I believe O'Brien now 
knows it.
	The team could go either way at this point. Paul and  Antoine either 
trust their teammates and look to pass, for the whole game, or we will 
continue this slide right out of playoff contention, but I took this 
game as a step in the right direction, compared to most of the last 
nine.
	JB

	Unchain My Heart !

On Saturday, January 4, 2003, at 12:46  AM, hironaka@nomade.fr wrote:

> I hate the Celtics. Watching them play like fairies and
> girlie-men on defense for three quarters and deservedly
> blow this game showed me a lot about their questionable
> character.
>
> There were again redeeming qualities in the clockwork-
> like disgraceful ESPN/ABC performances by the Celtics. We
> are a team that relies entirely on lucky if indefatigable
> Antoine play merely to stay within 7 to 10 points of
> ultimately going nowhere opponents, that still being all
> that prevented us tonight from getting torched by a
> sickening thirty points as per usual in front of live
> national audiences.
>
> I can put midseason slumps in perspective, but calling
> the 3-6 Celtics "overrated" gives us too much credit. Its
> a matter of heart. We completely wasted several uncommon
> offensive performances again with team defense so
> disgusting even Pitino's career .470 FG% allowed would be
> a massive upgrade. I'd take that in a NY minute over how
> we are playing now. Its been a terrible month and I'm
> glad I missed seeing most of this actual horseshit live
> on TV. I shouldn't take it personally, but seeing it even
> once in awhile makes me sick to my stomach. Everything
> bad about the NBA, we personify it.
>
> The only positive in this game was a slight intimation
> that Kedrick Brown will be a regular crunch-time 4Q
> player for some team, despite his flaws and possibly
> insurmountable inexperience in terms of court sense. He
> has the distinctive body balance stance as well as
> defensive explosiveness of a Sonics-era Dennis Johnson.
> When he was in there, I felt the Celtics closed within
> range of maximum defensive credentials, which also tends
> to translate into greater confidence and explosive team
> output on the other end. The kid finally showed a bit of
> presence out there.
>
> Both McCarty and Kedrick are capable of igniting team
> momentum off the defensive end or else disappointing the
> team with their cluelessness on both ends, and it is Obie
> Kenobe's job to figure out who deserves to play in the 4Q
> of games. They have rare skills as well as painful
> stupidity and fallibility. In general, all our players
> including the captains are fallible and flawed.
>
> Portland, now 9-1 in the last ten games, showed what 53
> million more in payroll can do for you when trouncing NBA
> minnows.
>
> I'd like to leave it at that, but it hurts to watch the
> Celtics play like sissies in this 3-6 run. I call them
> sissies because I don't want to admit that they are
> vastly disappointing and playing over their heads. If you
> allow 50% shooting over a ten game stretch or so, you
> deserve a worse fate. Luck has actually been on our side.
>
> The first time I was old enough to follow the Celtics in
> minute notebook-filling detail was in a 29-win year
> built around Cornbread Maxwell, Jeff Judkins and McAdoo-
> doo. So if they suck that bad again not a thing will
> falter in terms of my interest in the team, as the last
> decade proves for everyone on this list. But I hate the
> Celtics right now for tonight's performance. I haven't
> seen the numbers crunched, but they may be the worst
> defensive team in the NBA right now during this stretch.
> To state the obvious, no amount of offensive heroics will
> save this team from losing consistently. They better
> realize this. Or else realize it is hopeless talent-wise
> on defense and give up on making the playoffs and a
> certain first round elimination right now. This was a
> game I wanted so badly for the Celtics to walk home. I'm
> now able to accept that we suck, if that has to be the
> case.
>
>
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