Pierce tries to deal with growing pains

["Stephen Beauregard" <sb@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Pierce tries to deal with growing pains
By Steve Bulpett/Celtics Notebook
Thursday, November 20, 2003

He might not have been having the discussion if the Celtics had been able to
get between their opponents and a few more rebounds this season, but with a
5-6 record, Paul Pierce [news] was talking about Antoine Walker [news]'s
absence.

     ``You play with a guy so long and then all of a sudden you're not with
your right-hand man,'' he said after going for 23 points in a nasty 81-73 loss
to New Orleans last night. ``It's like everything seemed like it turned into a
360-degree twirl. A lot of the focus is definitely on me. I'm going through my
growing pains, just learning how can I make this team better. That's just
something I'm still learning. I haven't quite figured it out yet, but I think
in time it'll come.

     ``Teams are pretty much saying they're not going to let me beat them,''
he said of the extra attention that has come his way. ``They're saying if they
lose, it's not going to be because of me. They're going to try to make other
guys beat (them). I just have to start giving the other guys confidence to
step up.

     ``The only way I'm going to be able to have big offensive nights is when
I get other guys involved and open myself up. Teams understand that Antoine's
not out there, so teams are coming at us like, `Paul's the only major threat,'
when that's not true. But until the other guys earn that type of respect, it's
going to be difficult for me night in and night out to try to have big scoring
games.''

     O'Brien casts votes

     Standing in a building where the Democrats will be doing some heavy
selling several months hence, Jim O'Brien did a little campaigning of his own
last night. The coach sounded perhaps the first public charge for Vin Baker as
a write-in candidate for the Eastern Conference All-Stars and added that if
Eric Williams keeps his game in gear he'll be a none too shabby choice for the
Sixth Man award.

     Baker, who had 12 points and five boards last night, didn't even make it
onto the ballot that will decide the starters for next February's All-Star
Game in Los Angeles. Then again, the list was selected by a panel during the
offseason - a time when odds weren't strong among outsiders that Baker would
even be playing this season.

     ``I'm not surprised that it didn't include him because they based it on
what happened last year,'' said O'Brien, ``but I would certainly hope he gets
a number of write-in votes. And (when the coaches fill out the non-starters on
the roster) if he continues to play the way he's playing, I hope he would get
consideration.

     ``He's playing well enough to be on the ballot, without question.''

     As for Williams, who went for 17 points in the two games previous before
getting nine last night, O'Brien said his offense was one of the keys to the
Celts making the trade that sent Antoine Walker to Dallas.

     ``That was one of the elements that we talked quite a bit about, that we
had Eric from a leadership standpoint and also a low-post presence,'' the
coach said.

     And nothing should be read into the fact that Williams isn't a starter.

     ``If I didn't like him coming off the bench I'd start him,'' O'Brien
said. ``I think he's worthy of starting, and I think he should be a candidate
for Sixth Man of the Year as this year pans out if he continues to do what
he's doing.''

     Speaking of starters, the Celts changed back to their opening night group
last evening, putting Mark Blount at center for Tony Battie and Kedrick Brown
[news] at small forward for Jumaine Jones, who has come along slowly since
returning from sore hamstrings.

     Welsch hurtin'

     Jiri Welsch suffered a sprained left thumb during yesterday morning's
workout, but he still went 13 minutes (four points, two assists) while wearing
a splint. . . .

     Speaking about the C's trying to integrate new players into a new
offensive plan, Hornets star Baron Davis said, ``It's not so much a problem. I
mean, it'll work out well. It takes time to jell, especially in this league
because you have so many different personalities and so many guys that are
used to playing a certain way. You have two new guards in here, and it'll take
them a little bit more time to really learn . . . where Paul (Pierce) and Raef
(LaFrentz) and Eric Williams want the ball.''

Thanks,

Steve
sb@xxxxxxxxxxxx