Sporting News, The: Ainge likes change but needs O'Brien - NBA

It was strange timing for the Celtics, bringing in a new head honcho on May 9 last year. Boston's playoff hopes still were alive, though they were looking dim after falling behind 2-0 to the Nets in the East semifinals. The Celtics chose that day to announce that Danny Ainge (without front-office experience or qualifications) would be running the Celtics, following a line that started with Red Auerbach, but lately led to such dubious choices as M.L. Carr and Rick Pitino. The announcement was a bit of a shock to players who wondered why the news couldn't wait until after the playoffs. Predictably, Boston got drilled by the Nets that night and bowed out in a sweep three days later.

At the time, it was clear Ainge did not think highly of the roster as it stood. By showing that group of players the disrespect of hiring a new guy during the playoffs, the organization seemed to concur. The changes didn't stop in the offseason, when Ainge traded or released half the roster, including All-Star forward Antoine Walker. And the organization's penchant for strangely timed transactions--as well as Mnge's disdain for the roster--still was an issue in December, when a five-game winning streak was snapped thanks to the trade of Eric Williams, Tony Battie and Kedrick Brown to the Cavaliers.

The Celtics now have four holdovers from last year's team--Paul Pierce, Walter McCarty, Mark Blount and Vin Baker--and a roster full of Ainge-induced gambles.

* Ainge is gambling that Raef LaFrentz, out for the season after having knee surgery, will bounce back next season--though he has never played particularly well, even when healthy.

* He's gambling that either LaFrentz or Chris Mihm will live up to his potential and secure the starting power forward spot.

* He's gambling that Jiri Welsch will continue to excel on the wing. Welsch has established himself as the second-best all-around player on the team, a guy who scores, passes and defends.

* He's gambling that turnover-prone point guard Marcus Banks eventually will take over the starting job.

* He's gambling that Vin Baker, having relapsed in his recovery from alcoholism, either will return to usefulness or have his contract terminated, freeing up oodles of cash for free agents.

* Most of all, he's gambling that Ricky Davis can settle into a role of ace off the bench. So far, Davis has done that without complaint, but when the Boston offense bogs down, so could Davis' attitude.

In the meantime, Ainge has torpedoed this season. The organization willingly has put the team in flux. But an odd thing has happened--the Celtics were just about a .500 team before the trades. They have been just about .500 since. In fact, they were just about a .500 team last year, too. But they have been able to advance beyond the first round of the postseason in each of the past two years. They could do so again this year, not because of Ainge's dealings, but because they have one of the most underappreciated assets in the league: coach Jim O'Brien.

"There's a system in place, and they make sure everyone knows the system," Williams says. "If you don't, you don't play. Everybody in the league wants to play for that kind of coach. The more you know the system, the better everyone plays. I think if (Ainge) had left us all together for a while, we could have won the East and gotten to The Finals."

Williams also is quick to credit assistant coach Dick Harter, the architect of the Celtics' defense. That's where Boston has been tough in recent years, particularly in the playoffs. Harter dares opponents to shoot from the perimeter by having players sag off of them but still has perimeter defenders who can close out quickly and challenge shots. The Celtics' big men are well-schooled on interior rotations, meaning no penetration goes unchecked.

At least the big men were well-schooled in rotations, and the team did have good close-out defenders. Ainge's gambles have put those constants into jeopardy, much to the chagrin of O'Brien and Hatter. Take a peek at Davis half-heartedly challenging other guards or Mihm trying to figure out where he should be positioned down low, and it's hard to believe this is a defense-oriented team.

"When you make so many changes," Pierce says, "you need time to let things work out. We need more practice time, we need more time together, then see where we are."

Time might heal the Celtics' wounds. Pierce says he still believes the Celtics have a chance to win the East, but with a .500 record and a long road stretch in February looming, getting into the playoffs will be a challenge. If Ainge's moves prove shrewd next season, the Celtics could be one of the top five teams in the East. If not, O'Brien will have to use the same smoke-and-mirrors routine that has kept the team afloat this season. Not to worry; he is used to it, and he's not about to change.

"We've had a lot of change," O'Brien says. "But we're just going to continue to do the things we've always done."

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M@IL BONDING SEAN DEVENEY ANSWERS YOUR QUESTIONS

What happens when a player is traded from one conference to another during the voting period for the All-Star Game? Will Stephon Marbury bring his votes with him to the Eastern Conference?

Brice Kuhl, Palo Alto, Calif.

Brice: That's exactly what happens. Marbury's votes now are in the East, and though he has no chance of being voted into the game, his movement to New York will create a roster logjam.

The East guards will be Allen Iverson and Tracy McGrady, if the voting holds. After those guys, I think you must have Paul Pierce, Jason Kidd and Baron Davis in the game as the East's reserve guards.

But how many other guards can make it? Probably only one at the most, which will leave just three slots for reserve forwards and centers. There are three deserving players for that one guard spot: Marbury, LeBron James and Michael Redd. But unless there are injuries, only one of those guys, at most, will make it.

E-mail: sdeveney@sportingnews.com.

SPEED READS

* Despite reports, the Mavericks were not seriously considering bringing in Pat Riley, at least not this season. But the fact coach Don Nelson once again had to go through the process of defending his job--the same thing came up last season when Nelson was in the final year of his contract--is ridiculous. Dallas is struggling, but Nelson is dealing with new players he did not want, players who are not fitting together well.

* The Trail Blazers have nothing to lose in the Rasheed Wallace dealings, and G.M. John Nash is handling the situation the right way. If he's dying to deal Wallace, he sure is not tipping his hand. The Blazers don't want to get nothing for something, and they are not desperate to make a deal. That is driving up Wallace's value.

* It has been a career year for T-wolves point guard Sam Cassell, and he gives credit to Kevin Garnett. But if Cassell does not make the All-Star team this year, then, heck, the All-Star Game is not worth watching.

INSIDE DISH By SEAN DEVENEY

Less than a week before he was handed the Knicks coaching job, Lenny Wilkens was in Oakland for a legends night. He told the Oakland Tribune, "If I did coach again, it would have to be in the West. I don't want to go back East anymore" That highlights the problem with how the Knicks' coaching change was handled--it was a sloppy, hurried affair that did not do justice to the players. Old coach Don Chaney was hung out to dry before the team was to play Orlando. Chaney ran the team's shoot around that morning, though word already had leaked that he was being fired. Chaney said he felt "disrespected" by G.M. Isiah Thomas, and rightfully so. As for Wilkens, Thomas committed to him, essentially, because Wilkens said yes. Actually, the new coach told a reporter that when Thomas asked him to take the job, Wilkens asked, "Are you sure?" Thomas owed Chaney a better chance and more respect, and the Knicks owed their players a more thorough, professional coaching search....The Bulls will copy the Clippers in dealing with their two young big men, C Eddy Curry and PF Tyson Chandler: They'll skip the third-year contract extensions this summer and see what offers the two get as restricted free agents in 2005. Curry and Chandler have been among the most disappointing players in the league, but strong second halves and good seasons next year could land both max-contract status. Chandler has played only 10 games because of a back problem (is he the second coming of C Marcus Camby?), and new coach Scott Skiles was so perturbed by Curry's lack of conditioning that Curry was moved to the bench. "It's about time," says one former Bulls teammate. "They've babied those guys for too long." ... In a way, the Jazz is hamstrung by its early success when it comes to the knee injury that will sideline SF Matt Harpring for the rest of the season. The team won't make a move, beyond the acquisition of PF Michael Ruffin, because there's no one to move. The Jazz did a terrific job filling out its roster this summer, so that even end-of-the-benchers such as C Ben Handlogten and PG Mo Williams have shown coach Jerry Sloan enough to make them worth keeping. Ruffin has joined the starting lineup--with PF Andrei Kirilenke shuffling to small forward--but his minutes are limited. SG/SF Aleksandar Pavlovic has done the most while filling in for Harpring.... Kudos to Kings reserve C Jabari Smith, who had one field goal, one assist and one rebound in a game last week, then said, "That's a triple-single. Triple-singles are hard to get. I'm going to try to lead the league in triple-singles this year." ... With SG Kobe Bryant (shoulder) out, SG Kareem Rush is showing why the Lakers once thought enough of him to trade for him on draft day in 2002. Rush has been aggressive going to the hoop and accurate from the perimeter and is playing the best defense of his two-year career. He scored a career-high 30 points against the Kings last week.

SEAN DEVENEY

sdeveney@sportingnews.com