No KO for 1-2 punch

["Stephen Beauregard" <sb@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

No KO for 1-2 punch
By Mark Murphy
Tuesday, November 25, 2003

On the surface it's the sort of combination that should bring the house down.

     But as Vin Baker attempts to follow Paul Pierce [news]'s lead and develop
a two-man game that can take charge down the stretch, the house is instead
coming down with the Celtics still inside.

     On the surface they were a solid pair last night - Pierce with a
16-point, 10-rebound double-double and Baker with a 16-point, 12-rebound
double-double.

     But it wasn't enough to counter the Knicks' in a 94-88 loss.

     ``Another disappointing third quarter ends up another disappointing
loss,'' Baker said, shaking his head slowly.

     ``It seems like the same mistake, happening over and over. Obviously the
third quarter is a problem.''

     And ultimately, the offensive work of Pierce and Baker - or especially
Baker during those harrowing stretches when Pierce isn't on the floor - is
going to go a long way toward solving the problem.

     But Baker, one of the most optimistic men in the NBA, believes that his
growing collaboration with Pierce is not even close to what it will eventually
become.

     ``I've played with Gary Payton and Glenn Robinson, so I know how to play
off of others,'' he said. ``I got to the point where I knew where the passes
were going to come from, and where I had to be.

     ``But I definitely can get better in the way I play with Paul. It's not
exactly like playing with (Payton and Robinson), but I'm getting to the point
where I know what he'll do.''

     Part of the challenge has to come in the development of the entire
rotation - something that is still in the experimental stage.

     ``The guys who come in are basically the same type of player - they can
all shoot from the perimeter,'' Baker said. ``I want to say that we're all
still in the process of learning about each other, but we should still get a
better result than this.

     ``I think everyone understands their roles. But we have to pick it up
even more. Everyone has to look at themselves and see what more they can do.
And when Paul's not on the floor, as a team we have to step up and make our
shots.''
Thanks,

Steve
sb@xxxxxxxxxxxx