Celtics paint new picture: Post-Walker era begins with rout

["Stephen Beauregard" <sb@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Celtics paint new picture: Post-Walker era begins with rout
By Mark Murphy
Thursday, October 23, 2003

If you're a Celtic, then life without Antoine is a lot like a blank canvas.

     The man who was always your background, as well as one of your two main
characters, has been wiped off the surface. What new form does your team's
personality take?

     ``I just can't envision it,'' said Eric Williams. ``I know the show will
go on, but I just can't envision it. Man, this is definitely a work in
progress.''

     That blank canvas took its first brush strokes last night and, as
expected, the image was heavy on Paul Pierce [news].

     The Celtics captain, now asked to literally do everything on a higher
scale, sprung for 14 points, nine assists and eight rebounds in short (29)
minutes during last night's 96-80 exhibition win over the Minnesota
Timberwolves.

     The near-triple double says much about the new urgency Pierce, more than
ever, feels to shoulder the load for this team.

     But for all of the get-happy reactions to last night's run, Pierce pulled
in the postgame reins.

     ``It's only one game - you can't make a judgment off one game,'' he said,
while also wagging a cautionary finger at those who now expect him to tear
through a triple-double season. ``I'm just trying to make my teammates better.

     ``Some nights that means that I'm going to pick up the scoring load,''
Pierce added. ``Some nights that won't be the case.''

     On every night, however, there won't be that glare from Walker's
flamboyant style.

     Instead, during the good games, the result could quite possibly look like
this: Pick-and-rolls that are more common than off-balance treys. Point guards
who push the ball and forwards who fill the lanes.

     Last night, in the fleeting moment of an exhibition game, it all made
sense.

     Vin Baker started at power forward, matched up for a long stretch against
Kevin Garnett, and was the recipient of a lot of early looks - especially off
back-cuts and pick and rolls. He finished with eight points on 4-of-6 shooting
and 11 tough rebounds.

     Kedrick Brown [news] continued his preseason assault on the box score
with an 11-point, four-rebound run out of the starting small forward slot.
Raef LaFrentz, counted on to put his master stroke to major use, got the most
out of 19 minutes with nine points and five rebounds.

     And though Williams may be curious about the offense's new flow, he had
nothing to worry about last night, after scoring 16 of his 18 points in the
second half.

     Above all, and coincidentally or not, the Celtics also ran more last
night - with Pierce and Brown blazing down the wings - than they have all
preseason.

     It was the new-look Timberwolves, with Latrell Sprewell on the perimeter,
who looked unsure of themselves.

     And defense - forever the core of coach Jim O'Brien's system - didn't
suffer from all of the transition opportunities.

     ``That was a pretty darn good defensive effort for four quarters,'' he
said. ``And that is going to be very important to our basketball team.''

     At this stage, what do all of these alterations and new additions mean?
How do the Celtics break from their leader of the last seven seasons?

     ``It's really too early,'' said O'Brien. ``I'm trying to get a feel for
things at the point guard spot, at the center spot - a lot of things are just
in flux right now.''

     For players like Williams, the fun may very well be in the process.

     ``It's going to be a totally different tweak,'' Williams said of how the
offense will re-emerge. ``I don't even know that this is going to be like. We
just have to go out there and find out. We have to play a newer type of game
with the old conventional `whoever is hot - he gets the rock.' And that's no
matter what.''
Thanks,

Steve
sb@xxxxxxxxxxxx