RE: The Boston Celtics Mailing List -- Some History

["Chew, Freeland (Roanoke)" <FChew@ecpi.edu>]

-----Original Message-----
From: Celtics-Digest-Owner@igtc.com
[mailto:Celtics-Digest-Owner@igtc.com]
Sent: Wednesday, November 22, 2000 9:39 AM
To: Celtics-Digest@igtc.com
Subject: The Boston Celtics Mailing List Digest V7 #440


A historical view:


Having seen my first Celtic game in 1959 (a racehorse 144 to something
(124?) thumping of the Minneapolis Lakers with Russell hurt on the bench)
and having watched the Celtics fairly regularly since the early 1960's.  I
thought I might share my perceptions of what is wrong with the present Green
team.

First to rightfully frustrated list members:

Don't focus so much on personalities.  The "prideful family" relationship
that once characterized the Celtics was born of many years of winning and it
won't be back until we are winners again.  Everyone was furious in the late
1970's when team ownership changed, Hondo and Nelson were suddenly gone and
Cowens' desire burnt out playing with the sorry likes of Sidney Wicks and
Curtis Rowe.  Red got so dejected then that he almost went to the Knicks,
but a pleading fan on a city bus changed his mind.

A couple years later we had Bird, Max and Chris Ford and were on our way.
The situation was somewhat similar when Russell et all were gone after 1969
but soon Cowens had the fire, Jo Jo White ran the floor and Havlicek with a
resting heartbeat of 35 conducted 4th quarter track lessons.  The slots we
need to fill that are mention below must come from draft picks and personal
growth of Walker and Pierce.  No one will give us Bill Russell for Ed
MaCauley anymore.  Nor will Baily Howell come out of retirement because he
can smell a ring.  Nor will anyone sneak a draft pick like Bird by because
he has a year to go.  Nor are the Lakers likely to cut a Don Nelson again.

Good Celtics teams playing Celtic ball have always had the following:

1) A rebounding machine in addition to a post-up center because the fast
break often starts with an offensive rebound of a missed shot that good
defense caused - Luscy, Heinsohn and particularly Bailey Howell crashing the
boards gave Russell some room for his defensive artistry.  In the Cowens era
Paul Silas was a constant force on the boards.  And of course Birds'
rebounds triggered many layups.  There is currently no Celtic forward with
the muscle and attitude needed to get the ball and start the break.

2) A defensive stopper in the backcourt is a necessity for good team
defense.  I mean someone who LIKES defense, not someone the coach has to
prod.  Someone has to stop the ball night after night.  KC Jones, Don Chaney
and Dennis Johnson have all performed that role; and in that unhappy period
when the Lakers learned how to beat us, Michael Cooper was the key, not
Magic Johnson.  This Celtic teams also lacks such a player.

3) A player fiercely driven by an unbreakable will to win.  Russell, Cowens
and Bird jump to my mind.  Again there is no Celtic with such an attitude.
No one with an attitude like the three I just mentioned could possibly exist
on the current Celtics because such players won't even cash their paycheck
in an environment like the current one.  They would rather drive a cab,
which is exactly what Cowens did when his teammates did not want to win.

4) A center that runs the floor better than his opponent most nights but
still plays strong inside.  Chief, Cowens and Russell were the best running
centers of their era and it is a literal truth that Wilt never beat Russell
down the court.  Not even once.  Occasionally Wilt would not bother to come
back to play D and thus he was alone under the hoop when the 76's/Laker's
got the ball; but if he had played defense on any give play when he came
down court on offense Russell was always in position and waiting for him.
At 7 foot 1 and between 275 and 300 pounds Wilt was a giant by today's
standards, so he was an unprecedented behemoth in his own day.  But he could
not dominate Bill Russell and Chamberlain knew it

I am sure others on this list can add to this.  But the above is a
prerequisite to a world class Celtic team.  Until Celtics fans can
legitimately write a name into the categories defined above, neither Rick
Pitino, nor anyone else, will win regularly in Boston.

I realize that some might consider it unfair to compare some rich kids to a
list of all-time greats.  But if they seek to live up to the standards that
were set in Boston Garden this is what they will have to do.  And if they
continue to fail then fans who know better will continue to trash them.

Buddy

PS: Pitino has experience personnel clashes in the past.  I seem to recall
that he was thrown off the UMass team for fighting in the early 1970's.  I
am pretty sure the guy he fought with was only suspended.


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