Ainge Thinks Coach Jim Doing A "Fantastic Job"

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Celtics need to rediscover Magic: Orlando may help recovery
By Mark Murphy
Boston Herald
Wednesday, January 7, 2004


Frustration in the home locker room on Causeway Street may now be
leaking more than a faulty pipe.

You can see it on Jim O'Brien's face when the Celtics coach talks
about his team's defense.

You can hear it lower Paul Pierce [news]'s voice when the subject
turns to the Celtics' sorry home record.

Pierce sounded a tad desperate following Monday's loss to Detroit
when he said, ``It's about time we started rounding out as a team, and
seeing where we are.''

That process wasn't helped with the announcement yesterday that
power forward Vin Baker received a fine and was suspended for three
games for noncompliance with his aftercare program for alcoholism.

Danny Ainge understands that time might be growing a bit short.
But the Celtics director of operations, whose moves have drastically
changed the makeup of this team twice since the start of the season, is
now the voice of restraint.

In time, he said yesterday. In time this varied collection of new
pieces will start to connect, hopefully starting tonight when Orlando,
the team with the worst record in the league, laces up.

``I want to win each game as badly as everyone else,'' Ainge said
yesterday. ``But it's going to take time.

``I think Jim O'Brien is doing a fantastic job, and things are
moving along. I think it's up to the players to step up - and I mean
that this applies to the entire team.''

Ainge is referring to everyone whose name isn't Paul Pierce.

After watching the offensive ugliness inherent in the loss to
Detroit, Ainge came away with the impression that the rest of the
lineup had fallen back on an old crutch.

``(Monday) night I thought we tried way too hard to get the ball
to Paul at the end of the game,'' Ainge said. ``We have to remember
that Mike James[news] has won us games, and the same with Walter
McCarty [news] and Jiri Welsch.

``We play at our best when Mike James and Jiri Welsch play
aggressively, and Mark Blount and Chris Mihm rebound, and everyone does
their thing.''

Perhaps then this team's odd manner of play at home will start to
right itself.

``I think it's been a pattern here for the last couple of years,''
Ainge said. ``It's definitely been more of a concern than just this
year. But we've also played some of our best ball at home. We just
haven't been able to finish games. We clearly come ready to play, so
that's not the problem.''

Maintaining focus, however, may be another matter. Pierce's plea
for his team to develop an identity may not find a quick resolution.

``Ideally that happens coming out of training camp, but it has to
happen at some point,'' Ainge said. ``At the same time you have to
figure these things out.

``Things can change very quickly, but I honestly think that things
are going to be fine,'' he said.

According to Ainge, it comes back to his point about players
getting the most of their individual roles, and not looking for Pierce
to bear the burden down the stretch every night.

``The players have to focus on their jobs, and what they can do to
help us win,'' Ainge said. ``A lot of things can happen over the course
of a season.''