Baker starting over -- starting tonight

["Stephen Beauregard" <sb@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Baker starting over -- starting tonight
By Shira Springer, Globe Staff, 10/29/2003

WALTHAM -- The Moment came in an exhibition game Jim O'Brien first called
"irrelevant" and later characterized as "a farce." He was right, except for
two telling seconds in the fourth quarter. The Moment came in Manchester,
N.H., at an arena unaccustomed to hosting NBA games, on a Saturday night when
most sports fans were watching the first game of the World Series. Not many
saw The Moment, and even fewer recognized it. But it should be duly noted
because it was the first time since coming to Boston that Vin Baker felt like
his old NBA self. With 8 minutes 17 seconds remaining in a game against the
Indiana Pacers, Baker received a bounce pass from Walter McCarty just left of
the paint. Baker spun right around defender Jeff Foster, then, in one fluid,
dominant motion, slammed down a right-handed dunk in the face of Carl English.
A power move with a powerful finish. Baker received congratulations from his
teammates, but he acted as if he had dunked like that a thousand times. And he
probably had, but never was such a move so meaningful.

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"All my bad habits I've developed the last three or four years left me on that
move," said Baker. "It was all instinct. It felt like how it was when my
instincts used to take over in a game and I would just do things."

It did not matter that The Moment came during an exhibition game, not after
Baker spent the offseason reconditioning his body and continuing his recovery
from alcoholism. When he arrived for training camp Oct. 2, Baker did not know
how his body would respond to the rigors of the NBA game or how his mind would
deal with the pressures of the NBA lifestyle as he tested his sobriety.

Baker never imagined that in the season opener -- which is tonight against
Miami at the FleetCenter -- he would be the Celtics' starting power forward
and arguably the most positive story to come out of the 2003 NBA preseason.

For all the candor Baker showed in discussing his alcoholism with the Globe in
September, he held back on the one aspect of his comeback that made him most
apprehensive: Returning to the FleetCenter and hearing the reaction of Boston
fans in person.

When Baker received a warm welcome that included standing ovations at the
final two exhibition games, he figured the first stage of his comeback was
complete. Stage 2 starts tonight. But Baker's guiding philosophy, the one he
learned through rehabilitation at Silver Hill Hospital in New Canaan, Conn.,
remains the same.

"I haven't forgotten where I was nine months ago," said Baker. "We have a
saying at Silver Hill: Keep it in the day. And I keep it in the day. As much
as starting for the Boston Celtics is huge, I'm still a recovering alcoholic.
I don't look at tomorrow or the whole season ahead. I just concentrate on
getting better at the gym. I concentrate on being sober and keeping my
sobriety every day. If you can do that, it's a wonderful journey. Everything
hasn't been so overwhelming for me because I keep it very much in the day.

"That's taken the statistics, the pressure away from me. I know where I can be
today. I can be better. I can't control what happens [opening night]. I can't
control what happens until the All-Star break, but I can control the day. If
you can keep that mind-set and not worry about tomorrow, that's how you
improve. If I have a bad day, most likely it's because I'm thinking about too
many things or I'm thinking about [opening night] or I'm gearing myself up for
the FleetCenter game and not worrying about practice."

So far, there have not been many days when Baker played poorly. The
6-foot-11-inch forward/center got reacclimated to the NBA game with surprising
speed, though he believes he's at only "45 percent" of where he needs to be.

There remains obvious room for improvement on defense, though Baker averaged a
team-high 5.6 rebounds per game during the exhibition season. He can do a
better job of scoring in the low post and getting to the foul line. He needs
to look for his shot more than look to pass. He can add a little weight to
assist his game. (A revised diet with more red meat should take care of that.)
He would like to play with more consistency and get into better synch with the
rhythm of NBA competition.

Leadership role Every practice and game brings Baker closer to the form that
made him a four-time All-Star. But don't expect Baker to remember that far
back, just as he does not look too far ahead. His comeback is about more than
accolades and statistics. He concerns himself with team goals. As for
statistics, he will say only that his will be better than the 5.2 points and
3.8 rebounds he averaged in 52 contests last season.

Asked how confident he felt with Baker on the court, O'Brien said, "Very. He's
in really good condition. He's hungry. He can score in the low post. He's
having fun out there. In my estimation, he's a very young 31-year-old. His
ability to sprint the court offensively and defensively is phenomenal. He's as
strong a defender as we have up front. Every phase of the game, I feel good
about what he's doing."

But the biggest and best measure of Baker's progress has nothing to do with
numbers. It has to do with how people perceive him, the context into which
they place his story. Locally, his story has become about much more than his
recovery from alcoholism.

Baker regularly weighs in on a variety of basketball topics, commenting about
the state of the team, the changes made to the offense, the new acquisitions.
His opinion matters not because of what he went through, but because of what
he now means to the team. Following the last practice of the preseason
yesterday, O'Brien said he would like Baker to become a more vocal leader.
Baker believes, in time, he will assume that role.

Alcoholism will always be part of his story, but Baker seems comfortable with
that. He sees an opportunity for another kind of leadership -- as a sober role
model who can offer encouragement to others suffering from addiction.

"When I have a decent game and I come home and I'm sober, it's tremendous to
wake up feeling good about something," said Baker. "Those two things combined,
what I'm doing off the court and how I'm growing on the court, is just a great
feeling. I look forward to tomorrow. I'm laying down like I can't wait till
tomorrow."

Baker credits his teammates for giving him unconditional support. They, too,
have made concessions. According to Baker, alcohol is no longer available on
the team plane. Last season, Baker was always quick to leave the practice
facility. Now, he stays longer, hanging out with his teammates.

"It's easier to come to the gym and work on things and feel comfortable about
it," said Baker. "Because I'm so comfortable with everything else that's
happened in my personal life, now I don't have a problem with saying my
basketball level needs to get here. I'm having fun coming to the gym every day
and seeing how I can get better. It's just fun for me."

Thanks,

Steve
sb@xxxxxxxxxxxx