Kedrick...finally!

["Stephen Beauregard" <sb@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Brown: Quick change

His speed may be needed in series

By Shira Springer, Globe Staff, 5/5/2003

ALTHAM - After seeing only eight minutes of action in the first round against
the Pacers, second-year swingman Kedrick Brown had better be ready to play
against the Nets. His days of enjoying the best seat in the house soon may be
over. The Celtics certainly could use his speed and athleticism against the
Nets.



''Each team offers different challenges and opens up different opportunities
for different rotations,'' said coach Jim O'Brien. ''There's a chance that
Kedrick might be forced to play more of a key role than he did against the
Pacers because they're a team that's not going to trap and then make somebody
like Kedrick beat them from the 3-point line.

''If I would use Kedrick more, it would be because of his speed and
athleticism against a team that has speed and athleticism in abundance.''

Wrist not right

The last couple of games Antoine Walker has been bothered by a sore right
wrist. He slept on it before Game 5 against the Pacers and it hasn't felt
right since.

''I'm trying to get it back right,'' said Walker. ''It bothered me a little
bit the last two games of the series, but I was able to fight through it. It's
starting to feel a little bit better and, hopefully, as the series goes along,
it won't be a problem. [Trainer] Ed[ Lacerte] told me it's one of those things
that takes like a week to get rid of when you strain your ligaments like that.
I slept on my hand, slept on it for hours, and when I woke up it was killing
me.''

But Walker will not blame his poor free throw shooting in the first round (4
for 12) on his accidental injury.

''That's been an Achilles' heel of mine, my foul shooting this season,'' said
Walker. ''But I only got to the line 12 times. It's tough to get in a rhythm.
But [foul shooting] is not going to be a problem. I'm not going to allow it to
be a problem ... I've just got to get to the line. I need a game where I can
get there 10 times. Why don't you talk to the refs? So I can get into
rhythm.''

Kreskin he's not

Although O'Brien can tell when his team will play well, he was not about to
divulge any gut feelings or predictions to the media. ''I'm not telling you
what I see in our team, because then the media comes in and says, `Coach
O'Brien said this and that' and then all of a sudden it becomes a
distraction,'' said O'Brien. ''But I know when our basketball team is ready.''
... Walker was once again sporting a shaved head at practice, making one
wonder whether he has developed a new superstition about heading into playoff
series clean-shaven. Not exactly. He just doesn't trust any barbers in New
Jersey. ''I just don't feel like getting my hair cut on the road,'' said
Walker. ''Last year, we were flying back and forth so I could get a haircut. I
just cut it off, so I don't have to worry about it.''

Thanks,

Steve
sb@maine.rr.com

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