Chauncy Billups

["dan.p" <dan.p@MCI2000.com>]

>	And, with about 5 minutes to go in the game, Rick took Edney
>(who had been doing a solid job) out of the game in favor of Billups,
>who had not played well.  Billups responded with a series of poor
>shots, fouls and turnovers, that came close to letting the Nets back
>into the game (he also got tangled up with Cassell, and they both got
>called for a double foul, which got Cassell out of the game: but I
>doubt it was intentional).  Finally Pitino had to get Billups back out
>of their and put Edney back in.

I noticed this too.  The Celtics are almost doing too well.  They are close
or ahead of other teams at the end of games and you want to see the players
that are getting the job done out on the floor.  I'd have to say Edney is
beating out Billups in this regard.  At least in a twenty point blowout you
can leave Billups out there and not feel like your costing the team the
game.  It bothered me that the team's best stretches of play in last
night's game came when Billups was on the bench.

On a more positive note, I think Chauncy has some great skills, and I
optimistically hope he will follow the path Gary Payton took.  I don't
think he'll ever be a classic point guard, but that's not necessarily a bad
thing.  His ballhandling skills are starting to shine (the first couple of
games he didn't look like he could run and dribble at the same time -
everything was half-speed) and he has good range although his shot
selection could use some work.  He protects the ball well.  He stills seems
to be feeling out his role which might be why he looks so lost out there
sometimes.

Dan