Invoking Celtic Memory: 1995 On (DDS:PB)

[Radii]

The Clippers being projected to still manage to end up with Olowokandi is hilarious.


grats on the coach of the year award as well!

[hoopsguy]

Yep, good work last year. Considering the injuries, I think your team maxed out.

[Izulde]

Radii: No kidding. And thanks

hoopsguy: Thanks I agree completely that we went as far as we could with those injuries. Of course, that only raises expectations for the upcoming season.

[Izulde]

OOC Note: My computer ate my post, so this is a truncated version WRT Summer League and FA

After workouts, we had a pretty good idea of who we wanted and thought we would do well to sit right where we were at 7 and 18.

1998 NBA Draft 1st Round
1. SG Paul Pierce - New Jersey Nets

I thought certain the Nets would go with Carter, but Pierce was the guy we had highest on our board, so it made sense.

2. PF Dirk Nowitzki - Toronto Raptors

We weren't happy to see Dirk go so early, because we really wanted him in a Celtics uniform, but at least he wouldn't go to Milwaukee now.

3. SG Bonzi Wells - Milwaukee Bucks

The arena roared with shocked disbelief at the pick. I was equally flabbergasted. Why in the world take Wells when Vince Carter was still on the board?

4. SG Vince Carter - Sacramento Kings

Huge, huge celebrations in Northern California when this pick was made. Arguably the #1 talent in the draft and he fell all the way to the fourth pick. Mitch Richmond, your replacement has been found, I murmured to myself.

5. PF Andrae Patterson - Philadelphia 76ers

I was tempted to move up to the #6 spot, but realized there were still a couple players I'd be happy to get, so sat tight.

6. SG Larry Hughes - New York Knicks*

Hughes was one of the players I was looking closely at, but he went to the Knicks, the first selection right by the mock drafts. That set up an argument in our war room over who to take. A lot of people were pushing for Robert "Tractor" Traylor as the mocks wanted us to and we certainly did need a big man. But there was another talent on the board who was far too good to pass up on.

7. PF Antawn Jamison - Boston Celtics

What won me over was Jamison's clutch ability. Given the struggles a lot of players had in the playoffs, we needed someone with that kind of quality to step up and be the man for us. He also appeared to have the type of versatile game to play either forward spot, which would be huge in any case.

8. PG Mike Bibby - Miami Heat

Without a doubt, the best point guard in the draft. A great pick by the Heat there.

9. SG Ricky Davis - Vancouver Grizzlies*
10. C Jerome James - Los Angeles Clippers

Pandemonium broke out and I was among the shouting, disbelieving crowd in our war room. A guy tabbed as a late first selection in every mock and he not only goes Top 10, but he's the first center taken? None of us could believe it, but there the evidence was staring us in the face.

11. PF Robert Traylor - Seattle Supersonics

Shawn Kemp wasn't turning out the superstar everyone thought he would be, so taking the Tractor here wasn't as suprising as you might think. Besides, Seattle was, like we'd done four picks earlier, taking the best player on their board.

12. C Jahidi White - Portland Trailblazers
13. C Raef LaFrentz - Orlando Magic

A LaFrentz-Shaq frontcourt would look pretty good and might finally reverse the Magic's underachievement was my opinion upon hearing the pick.

14. C Nazr Mohammed - Atlanta Hawks

A shocking pick, given that the Hawks had plenty of depth available at the center spot. I didn't even consider Mohammed the best player on the board.

15. SF Predrag Stojakovic - Atlanta Hawks*

I tried to move up to get the Greek League player, but the Hawks weren't interested in listening. It wasn't all bad though, as while Stoja had a stellar scoring mentality, his defense was extremely suspect.

16. SF Tyrone Nesby - Charlotte Hornets
17. PG Jason Williams - Houston Rockets

We absolutely had to come out of this draft with a center now that Stoja was off the board and of the guys we'd brought in, one of them stood literally head and shoulders above the rest.

18. C Michael Olowokandi - Boston Celtics

"The Kandiman comes to Boston!" announced one of the talking heads and the reaction was one of slight surprise. I didn't care. We needed a young center we could invest our future in the post in and Kandiman fit that bill.

19. PF Mirsad Turkcan - Dallas Mavericks*
20. PG Earl Boykins - Los Angeles Lakers
21. PF Rashard Lewis - Indiana Pacers
22. SF Matt Harpring - New York Knicks
23. C Keon Clark - Los Angeles Lakers
24. PF Kornel David - Philadelphia 76ers

Philly's continual stacking of forwards in their drafts surprised me, but the City of Brotherly Love apparently loved their forwards. Either that or they still hadn't gotten over the loss of Sir Charles Barkley.

25. C Vladimir Stepania - Orlando Magic

"Wow!" was the collective reaction as the Magic took yet -another- center and one who wasn't even close to being the best one available. I suspected there was going to be an opening in the Magic Kingdom very soon with boneheaded picks like these.

26. SG Felipe Lopez - San Antonio Spurs
27. SF Ruben Patterson - Los Angeles Clippers
28. PG Damon Jones - Utah Jazz

Excellent value pick by Utah, which didn't make me happy. Jones looked like a capable heir to John Stockton and given that we held the Jazz's pick the following year, that wasn't a good thing.

29. C Jelani McCoy - Chicago Bulls

In the second round, one of the interns thought it would be cute to run up a card for us and took Jeffrey Sheppard. I wasn't amused, but it turned out to be a boon, because the Phoenix Suns wanted him so much, they were willing to trade their 1999 1st round pick for him. Of course, it was also the Suns' fault for taking a 29 year old point guard with their first 2nd round pick in LaMark Baker.

Biggest Drop
SG Cuttino Mobley - Mock - 15th overall - Drafted - 34th overall (2nd round, 5th pick)
SG Toby Bailey - Mock - 25th overall - Drafted 51st overall (2nd round, 22nd pick)

Antawn Jamison looked disappointing post-draft, Michael "Kandiman" Olowokandi respectable.

Summer League
PF Chris Crawford
PF Antawn Jamison
C Michael Olowokandi

In summary, we finished with a winning record, but it was bad news for our rookies. Neither Jamison or Kandiman showed anything that inspired much confidence and it made me seriously think about trading them. Ed O'Bannon was our best player, in fact.

[b]Free Agency/b]

Lot of old, big names were available, like Michael "Air" Jordan, Karl Malone and Jeff Hornacek. Some young talents as well, most of whom re-signed with their original teams.

We re-signed Tom Gugliotta to a 6 year, $36 million deal. It was overpaying, I know, but he was in many ways our most important player and he deserved to be on a team that appreciated him after the Minnesota debacle.

Our attempts to steal Michael Jordan failed as he re-signed with the Bulls, as did Jeff Hornacek with the Jazz despite our offering him a million more. We als offered a contract to Ed O'Bannon, but he spurned us for our archrivals, the Washington Bullets. So we settled for re-signing Chris Dudley and rescuing Charles Oakley from the rebuilding project in New York.

Major Player Switches
Cedric Cellabos - Houston Rockets - 4 years, $14.7 million
Travis Best - Toronto Raptors - 4 years, $6.1 million
Marcus Brown - Los Angeles Lakers - 5 years, $16.3 million
Tony Delk - Toronto Raptors - 4 years, $10.9 million
Derrick Coleman - Chicago Bulls - 1 year, $3 million
Matt Maloney - Toronto Raptors - 4 years, $10.3 million
Othella Harrington - San Antonio Spurs - 4 years, $11.4 million

Patrick Ewing signed with Cleveland and Dikembe Mutombo got a two year deal from the Rockets.

Training Camp
A very discouraging camp saw Allen Iverson continue to make no gains, Antawn Jamison make minimal improvements and Michael Olowokandi actually regress. The only good thing that happened all camp was the suggestion by one of my assistants that we try a lineup of Iverson/Glen Rice/Tom Gugliotta/Jamison/Olowokandi.

That and the fact that Chauncey Billups continued to make gains and looked like he was going to be a possible star in time.

I explored some trade options, but while I was able to find takers for Kandiman, no one was willing to give us fair value for Jamison. Although it would hurt our center position, I made a deal.

Boston Celtics receive
SG Jalen Rose
Denver Nuggets 1999 1st round pick
Denver Nuggets 1999 2nd round pick

Denver Nuggets receive
C Michael Olowokandi
PF Bo Outlaw
PF Charles Oakley

What this means for the Celtics
GM/Head coach Bobby Troilus didn't like what he saw out of Kandiman in training camp, so he brings in Rose, a sweet-shooting, good-handling big guard able to play 1 through 3 with ease. The former Fab Five member could see the starting lineup or he could be an extremely versatile 6th man. With the Nuggets not expected to be much good, the first round pick, now Boston's fourth in the upcoming draft, could be a lottery selection.

What this means for the Nuggets
Kandiman gives Denver a 7', 269 lb big man that allows them to shift Antonio McDyess to his natural PF position. The rookie's got decent all-around skills, but nothing eye-popping. Outlaw, a defensive specialist, will struggle to find minutes while Oakley is regulated to the end of the bench.

Winner: Draw
This would be a victory for the Celtics, except that it means another year of Pervis Ellison starting at center and no answer in sight. On the other hand, Rose, at 26, is the heir apparent to Glen Rice and could replace him as soon as this season, should Rice be dealt midseason.

I signed 36 year old Kevin Willis to fill in as the third center and 12th man.

Season Preview

The Bulls were again favored to win it all for a threepeat, with Detroit and Orlando deemed the other two top contenders. Toronto, which in addition to all the guards they signed from other teams, retained Damon Stoudamire and looked like a playoff team. We were picked for 7th in the conference and 4th in the Atlantic behind Orlando, Philadelphia and New Jersey. I could see the Magic beating us, but not the other teams.

Fast-rising Dallas and old standby Houston were the favorites in the West along with Houston. I was pleased to see Utah considered a lottery team and Phoenix a mid-tier playoff team.

Of course, it was far too early to predict anything.

1998-99 Boston Celtics Opening Night Roster
PG Allen Iverson
SG Glen Rice
SF Tom Gugliotta
PF Antawn Jamison
C Pervis Ellison
6th Jalen Rose (SG/SF)
7th Chauncey Billups (PG/SG)
8th Chris Crawford (SF/PF)
9th Howard Eisley (PG/SG)
10th Chris Dudley (PF/C)
11th Dee Brown (SF/PF)
12th Kevin Willis (PF/C)
Inactive
Dana Barros

[Radii]

WOOHOO! Hopefully Jamison can develop into a strong player for you.

[Izulde]

Originally Posted by Radii

WOOHOO! Hopefully Jamison can develop into a strong player for you.

Umm... well...

[Izulde]

Although we were more deep and more talented overall than we were the year before, when we went 60-22, I still couldn't help but feel a sense of nervousness. At least I had a bride now to talk things over with, as Nicole and I had gotten married over the summer.

The fans got a real treat for our first game, a 126-123 thriller over the Milwaukee Bucks. Tom Gugliotta poured it on for 32 points and 12 rebounds and Glen Rice and Allen Iverson blossomed in their new roles, with 24 points and 29 points, 14 assists respectively. Chauncey Billups and Jalen Rose were excellent off the bench with 14 and 13 points. Antawn Jamison was just 1 of 2 for 4 points. Not a good start to his NBA career. For the Bucks, Vin Baker had 31 points and 10 rebounds, Don Maclean 15 points and 10 rebounds, Rick Brunson 25 points and Kobe Bryant 12 points and 10 assists. #3 overall pick Bonzi Wells played just 1 minute. Great drafting job by Milwaukee there.

We lost a close one, 95-92, in Chicago the next night. Jalen Rose's 12 bench points were our highlight, easily outdistanced by Tim Duncan's 26 points and Sam Cassell's 17 points and 10 assists.

Antawn Jamison was benched the next game and we obliterated the Suns 128-84 on Glen Rice's 28 points out of the small forward spot, Tom Gugliotta's 14 points and 10 rebounds as the power forward and Chauncey Billups and Dana Barros lighting up the bench with 24 and 11 points. We won all four quarters by at least 8 points. Suddenly I felt very good about having Phoenix's first.

We had to start Chris Dudley at center against the Magic and Shaquille O'Neal got him to foul out early as we had to play Kevin Willis most of the game thanks to Pervis Ellison's injury. Shaq ripped us for 32 points and 11 rebounds and Penny Hardaway scored 25 as Orlando made a fourth quarter surge to beat us 102-98. So much for Glen Rice's 23 points, Tom Gugliotta's 13 points and 14 rebounds, Allen Iverson's 12 points and 11 assists and Chauncey Billups's 12 bench points.

Utah came to town 2-5 and left 101-83 losers as we negated Karl Malone's 30 points with 27 point double-doubles from Tom Gugliotta and Allen Iverson, 12 rebounds and 11 assists the respective add-ons. This, too, greatly pleased me.

I took even greater pleasure in whipping Washington 114-94. Glen Rice was unconscious all game long with 29 points, 12 rebounds and 7 steals. Tom Gugliotta picked up 18 points and 14 rebounds as his partner in crime and Allen Iverson garnered 18 points and 16 assists. But what really made me smile was Jalen Rose breaking out for a blistering 31 point game to melt the Bullets.

What didn't make me smile was Chris Dudley straining his hamstring. I didn't want to start Kevin Willis, so before our next game the night after against the Bucks, I hit the phones.

Boston Celtics receive
C Alonzo Mourning

Miami Heat receive
PF Antawn Jamison
C Kevin Willis

What this means for the Celtics
Boston's had injury problems with their centers early this season and lacked depth. While Mourning has had injury problems himself, when healthy, the 28 year old is an All-Star quality center. He's a breathtaking defender and shotblocker and has a very accurate shot. Although the Celtics have yet to find their center of the future, Mourning instantly turns them into a title contender by taking over the middle.

What this means for the Heat
7th overall pick Jamison got in Bobby Troilus's doghouse early and never got out. That said, he has the potential to be a scoring star in this league and he could develop into an All-Star given the opportunity. He'll get the chance with the Heat as the starting PF. Willis is filler.

Winner: Draw
Although Jamison could be something special, the Celtics are loaded with first round picks and they need Mourning now. Meanwhile, Miami gives up an injury-prone player for a young, potential All-Star. Good fit for both squads.

I also signed Ervin Johnson that afternoon before the game.

Alonzo Mourning looked fatigued, having had to catch a flight from Miami to Milwaukee on the fly, if you'll pardon the pun, but we still beat the Bucks 97-86 thanks to Glen Rice exploding for 39 points. It was a good counter to Glenn "Big Dog" Robinson's 20 points and Vin Baker's 17 points and 10 rebounds.

A heartbreaking 103-102 loss versus Houston followed and it wasn't Jason Williams's 21 points or Cedric Cellabos's 22 points and 10 rebounds that depressed me. It was Stephon Marbury's 33 points, 16 assists and 8 rebounds. Sweet revenge game for Starbury it was, as he nixed Jalen Rose's 20 points and 10 assists, Tom Gugliotta's 18 points and 14 rebounds and Chauncey Billups's 21 bench points.

As if that wasn't enough, Alonzo Mourning strained his calf, but at least we had Pervis Ellison back to full health for our game in Charlotte. It didn't help as we lost 111-106. Ray Allen scored an unbelievable 50 points and combined with Cedric Henderson's 19 bench points, they overwhelmed us. Tough break for Glen Rice's 32 points, Jalen Rose's 21 points and Chris Crawford's 11 bench points. It felt like revenge of the former Celtics month.

The losing streak hit three as we fell apart in the fourth quarter of a hair-pulling 94-90 loss to Golden State. Latrell Sprewell scored 26 and Bryan Stith added 19 bench points and we couldn't keep pace, even with Allen Iverson's 22 points, Glen Rice's 21 points, Tom Gugliotta's 18 points and 10 rebounds and Chris Crawford's 15 bench points.

Although Ray Allen torched us for 27 points, we hosted the Hornets to a 107-80 smackdown on [b]Allen Iverson[b/]'s 22 points and Tom Gugliotta's 21. It was a victory we desperately needed, as our season was in danger of derailing.

The Pistons had a frightening 11-1 record when they came to Boston, but we didn't blink, topping them 101-87. Allen Iverson continued to play with renewed confidence with 26 points and Tom Gugliotta chipped in 19 points and 11 rebounds. Brian Evans had 15 bench points for Detroit and Tracy McGrady was their top starter with 12 points and 11 assists.

Tariq Abdul-Wahad and Jerald Honeycutt dropped 24 points a piece on us and Priest Lauderdale grabbed 16 points and 13 rebounds, but we still whipped New Jersey 119-97 on Allen Iverson's 43 points and 10 assists, Jalen Rose's 24 points, Glen Rice's 22 points and Tom Gugliotta's 10 points and 10 rebounds.

We finished the month on a happy note the next night, beating the Bullets 95-83. Chris Webber rampaged for 31 points, 15 rebounds and 6 blocks, but he was neutralized by the combined efforts of Glen Rice (27 points, 10 rebounds), Jalen Rose (22 points), Tom Gugliotta (13 points, 10 rebounds) and Chauncey Billups (16 bench points).

It added up to a 9-5 first month, putting us 3 games behind 13-3 Orlando in the Atlantic. Bad time for the Magic to get hot, when I'd promised our owner we'd repeat the division title. But at least we were in second place and not in the Central, where Detroit was 13-2 and Atlanta 12-4. Chicago was looking a very mortal 7-8.

11-5 and 12-4 gave Houston and Golden State the respective early leads in their divisions. Denver was doing much better than expected at 8-6, while Phoenix was 9-6. Utah was definitely a lower-tier team at 5-11, which gave me hope for the lottery.

Boston Celtics Leaders

Points
1. Glen Rice - 23.0
2. Allen Iverson - 18.9
3. Jalen Rose - 16.6

Assists
1. Allen Iverson - 8.5
2. Jalen Rose - 3.8
3. Glen Rice - 3.1

Rebounds
1. Tom Gugliotta - 9.6
2. Pervis Ellison - 8.6
3. Alonzo Mourning - 6.3

Blocks
1. Alonzo Mourning - 2.5
2. Pervis Ellison - 1.3
3. Jalen Rose - 1.2

Steals
1. Glen Rice - 1.8
2. Pervis Ellison - 1.7
3. Tom Gugliotta - 1.6

[Radii]

Originally Posted by Izulde

Umm... well...

go heat!

[Cap Ologist]

glad I added Rose before you did.

[Izulde]

Radii: I figured as much

Cap Ologist: Well-played! I'd completely forgotten you grabbed Rose. I just happened to be going through different trade scenarios and Jalen fit the type of SG I tend to like, so I got him.

[Izulde]

A record was set for earliest in-season trade on the first of November, which made fairly big headlines.

Cleveland Cavaliers receive
PF Etdrick Bohannon

Minnesota Timberwolves receive
Cleveland Cavaliers 1999 1st round pick

What this means for the Cavaliers
Bohannon, 26 and in his second season, is a poor shooter, but he's an exceptional rebounder and has a fair amount of upside as a defender, shotblocker and ballthief. At the very least, he's a better handler than Tyrone Hill and will split time at the PF spot with him.

What this means for the Timberwolves
The Cavaliers will make the playoffs again in all probability, so this is another likely late first. But considering Minnesota's overloaded on quality young bigs and they really need a young shooting guard to replace 34 year old Dell Curry next year, this isn't a bad move at all.

Winner: Draw
Both teams get some benefit out of it.

Los Angeles Lakers receive
PF Austin Croshere

New Jersey Nets receive
Los Angeles Lakers 1999 1st round pick

What this means for the Lakers
Second year man Croshere looks like a solid, balanced all-around forward, but the Purple and Gold already have Lawrence Funderburke and John Wallace, who are both young and starting at the forward spots. The only place for him is the 6th man role.

What this means for the Nets
With the Lakers projecting to again be one of the worst teams in the league, the Nets land themselves another whopper of a building block to go with all their other pieces. And to think Croshere was a #28 selection to boot.

Winner: New Jersey
It's sad to see Showtime continue to suffer from such outrageous neglect. A far cry from the restoration work Bobby Troilus has done in Boston.

I agreed with the sadness of the Lakers' sorry state. Although it sounds criminal for a Celtics fan, coach and general manager to say this, I didn't and still don't hate the Lakers. I didn't really hate any team. We had our rivalry with the Washington Bullets of course and I intensely disliked the Utah Jazz, but hate was far too strong a word.

Alonzo Mourning was back at full strength to face his former team and had his best game so far in a Celtics uniform with 20 points as we chilled the Heat 116-93. But it was Glen Rice's 34 points, Allen Iverson's 21 points and 12 assists and Chauncey Billups's 14 bench points that really iced Miami.

Things didn't get any better for the Heat on their own court as we trounced them 96-74. Jalen Rose scored 24, Alonzo Mourning put up 20 points and 12 rebounds and Chauncey Billups reprised his 14 bench points.

We kept right on rolling with a 114-103 road win in Philadelphia. Jerry Stackhouse's 21 points were topped by Tom Gugliotta's 23 points and 12 rebounds, Alonzo Mourning's 20 points and Chauncey Billups's 11 bench points.

A big game against the 14-5 Hawks came the night after, but we had no problems pulverizing them 110-98 in front of our home fans. Allen Iverson was sensational with 26 points, 12 assists and 6 rebounds, Jalen Rose matched the 26 and Chris Crawford was the one to come up with 11 bench points this time. That's not to take away from John Starks, who had a superlative 21 bench points for Atlanta.

We traveled to Toronto and routed the Raptors 104-86 on Glen Rice's 26 points, Allen Iverson's 22 points, Jalen Rose's 20 points and Tom Gugliotta's 13 points and 10 rebounds, easily negating Juwan Howard's 26 points.

Back to Boston we went, beating Jerry Stackhouse's 24 points and David Wesley's 12 bench points to knock off the 76ers 112-91. Allen Iverson led the way with 23 points and 12 assists, with support from Tom Gugliotta (12 points, 16 rebounds) and Chris Crawford (13 bench points).

Tom Gugliotta sprained his ankle, so I gave Pervis Ellison, who'd been complaining about playing time, the start at power forward. We promptly ravaged the Raptors 126-76. The benches got an early emptying, but that didn't stop Juwan Howard from getting 16 points and 10 rebounds or Glen Rice from scoring 37, including a perfect 7 of 7 from 3 point range. Toronto reserves Anthony Avent and Derrick Wells used the increased time for 12 points, 12 rebounds and 13 points respectively. On our bench, Howard Eisley scored 17, Chris Crawford 16 and Chauncey Billups 10 points.

The Bulls were barely treading water as they tried for their threepeat and Allen Iverson made sure they stayed that way, scoring 35 points in our 118-109 OT win. Sam Cassell scored 30, Michael Jordan doubled for 14 points and 11 rebounds and Tim Duncan looked dominant with 23 points and 12 rebounds as Chicago put up a heck of a fight, but in the end, AI, Alonzo Mourning's 27 points and Jalen Rose's 22 points got it done.

The Hornets always played us tough, but we eked out a 95-90 win in Charlotte, overcoming Ray Allen's 23 points with Allen Iverson's own 23, Jalen Rose's 20 points and 10 rebounds and Pervis Ellison's 12 points and 11 rebounds.

I feared Minnesota the next night, but home court advantage and Glen Rice's 30 points carried us to a 105-94 win. Kevin Garnett bullied his way to 20 points and 12 rebounds and Isiah Rider scored 26, but we threw Allen Iverson's 28 points and 11 assists and Jalen Rose's 26 points on top of Rice to eliminate the Timberwolf threat.

Tom Gugliotta came back to the starting lineup for our next game and broke his nose in an injury eerily similar to that of Glen Rice's last year. He was deemed out for a little over a month. To make matters worse, we lost 110-107 to end our win streak. Earl Boykins scored 23, Vlade Divac hauled in 10 points and 16 rebounds and Lawrence Funderburke scored 19 off the bench as seven Lakers scored 10+ points. And despite all the injuries and all the balance, we still almost won behind Jalen Rose's 33 points, Glen Rice's 20 points and Allen Iverson's 13 points and 12 assists.

Despite the significant double-loss, we dug in to beat the Traiblazers 97-83 the night after. Alonzo Mourning stepped up with 22 points, abetting Allen Iverson's 24 points and 11 assists and Chauncey Billups's 15 bench points. Chris Mills was the lone Portland star with 25 points.

Our four game West Coast road trip continued with a 108-89 loss to Seattle, Jalen Rose's 26 points and the double-doubles of Allen Iverson (16 points, 10 assists) and Alonzo Mourning (13 points, 12 rebounds) buried beneath Gary Payton's 26 points, Rick Fox's 21 ponts, Shawn Kemp's 17 points and 15 rebounds and Shandon Anderson's 17 bench points.

Fortunately, we snapped back the next evening for a 2-2 West Coast swing and 106-86 drubbing of the Grizzlies. It was a game decided by the benches, as Chris Crawford and Chauncey Billups combined for 16 and 10 points versus George Lynch's 12 points.

The book closed on calendar year 1998 with a 95-83 victory over Portland. Glen Rice and Alonzo Mourning combined for 24 and 22 points to erase Rod Strickland's 16 bench points.

Even though we had our holiday hiccups, at 22-7, we'd charged to take the Atlantic lead by a half-game over Orlando. We were also the #2 seed, with 26-4 Detroit owning a 5.5 game edge on Atlanta. The Bulls were 16-13, but appeared no more than an ordinary mid-playoff team rather than the two-time defending champions they actually were.

23-9 gave Houston the West's top seed, four games ahead of Denver of all teams, which didn't make me happy. Nor did Phoenix's Pacific leading 18-9 record, a half-game ahead of Golden State. Even Utah was managing not to be horrible at 12-19.

Boston Celtics Leaders

Points
1. Glen Rice - 20.9
2. Allen Iverson - 19.7
3. Jalen Rose - 18.4

Assists
1. Allen Iverson - 8.6
2. Jalen Rose - 4.2
3. Glen Rice - 3.1

Rebounds
1. Tom Gugliotta - 8.3
T2. Alonzo Mourning - 7.3
T2. Pervis Ellison - 7.3

Blocks
1. Alonzo Mourning - 2.6
2. Pervis Ellison - 1.7
3. Jalen Rose - 1.0

Steals
1. Glen Rice - 1.5
2. Pervis Ellison - 1.4
3. Allen Iverson - 1.3

Oh yes, I should also mention the Atlantic was a two-team race at that point, for the third place team was the 12-17 Bullets, already 10 games back.

[Izulde]

My first New Year's Day with my wife went much the same as my bachelor's days, at least as far as the morning goes. Nicole liked to sleep in late when she could, so I got up early for my traditional hot cider and rookie class reviews.

It looked to be a draft class of no real superstars, but several solid players. My scout liked Elton Brand the best of all the players and so did I, though Shawn Marion also greatly intrigued me. There were also a number of scoring point guards, led by Steve Francis. Unfortunately for our center quandary, the best player available appeared to be Todd MacCulloch, a University of Washington senior who had impressive size at 7', 280 lbs, but nothing else. So we'd have to hope that Alonzo Mourning stayed healthy.

A surprising number of trades happened in December, including a deja vu stunner.

Toronto Raptors receive
SG Drew Berry

Orlando Magic receive
Toronto Raptors 1999 1st round pick

What this means for the Raptors
This trade makes absolutely no sense for Toronto, which has Damon Stoudamire, Kerry Kittles, Matt Maloney, Tony Delk and Travis Best. While Barry has legitimate pass-first skills, he has little scoring talent and is 26 years old with no upside to speak of. What the Raptors really need is a big man upgrade, not a career D-leaguer.

What this means for the Magic
Orlando may or may not win the war for the Atlantic with Boston, but they've just landed themselves a possible lottery pick for a guy they took in the 2nd round (10th pick) last year. That's what we call a steal.

Winner: Orlando
Shades of Jamie Feick from Chicago to Denver here. And we all know what -that- turned into.

Atlanta Hawks receive
SG Bobby Phills

Miami Heat receive
Atlanta Hawks 1999 2nd round pick

What this means for the Hawks
The 29 year old Phills is an accurate shooter, but what he's best known for is his lockdown defender capability. He'll be the first swingman off Atlanta's bench and between him and Stacey Augmon, the Central-leading Hawks will be able to keep an elite defender at the 2 and 3 whenever more offensive-minded players Eric Williams and rookie Predrag Stojakovic need a rest.

What this means for the Heat
Miami will be lucky to even make the playoffs, so dealing Phills isn't a bad thing, even though the second round pick won't be worth much. The move also allows silky-passing Nick Van Exel to step back into the lineup.

Winner: Atlanta
The Hawks got a great fit for a very cheap price. That can't make the other teams in the East happy.

Vancouver Grizzlies receive
PF Roshown McLeod

Houston Rockets receive
Vancouver Grizzlies 1999 1st round pick

What this means for the Grizzlies
What do you call it when a team trades for a player that was taken with the 17th pick in the 2nd round this draft, who's shooting 27.8% and has never heard of defense and has no understanding of defense? You call it a stupid move and you call it outright insanity when it's a lottery pick. As much as we've loved the drafting Vancouver's made in the last few years (Keith Van Horn, Shareef Abdul-Rahim, Ricky Davis), we can't agree with this one at all.

What this means for the Rockets
Houston may not find a replacement for Hakeem Olajuwon in the upcoming draft, but they may very well find the heir apparent to Clyde "The Glide" Drexler or Cedric Ceballos thanks to this highway robbery.

Winner: Houston
What's going up in Canada, eh?

Indiana Pacers receive
SG Doug Christie

Toronto Raptors receive
Indiana Pacers 1999 2nd round pick

What this means for the Pacers
Indiana's getting long in the tooth with their backcourt and Christie allows them to get younger at 28 years old. He's not a great player except for one thing: He's an absolute gunner from 3 point range, shooting an electric 47% from downtown for his career. He'll be the first guard off the bench and also has some very good stealing instincts.

What this means for the Raptors
Toronto's glut of guards is eased somewhat by dealing Christie, but they could've gotten more than a playoff team's 2nd round pick.

Winner: Indiana
Great pickup for the Pacers, who are trying to stay relevant in a powerhouse East.

Washington Bullets receive
PF Jamie Feick

Denver Nuggets receive
Washington Bullets 1999 1st round pick

What this means for the Bullets
Apparently Washington didn't pay attention to the fact that the last time Feick was traded for a first, he turned into Tim Duncan. Admittedly the Bullets are in panic mode, as they're slated to go from playoffs to lottery, but this is a team that has Chris Webber and Rasheed Wallace both capable of playing the 4. What they -really- need is an upgrade in their backcourt or at center. Feick is a mid-bench player on this Bullets squad and for that he's worth a potential lottery pick?. We don't think so.

What this means for the Nuggets
Although this pick won't turn into a Duncan and it's still possible that the Bullets can regroup and make the playoffs, because they've got a good enough combo in Webber and Wallace to do it, they're still bound to get a better player than Feick.

Winner: Denver
And so Feick's curious career continues as he'll be known more as a trivia piece for who he turned into than his actual on-court performances.

New Jersey Nets receive
C Olden Polynice

Miami Heat receive
C Will Perdue

What this means for the Nets
Polynice can rebound a little and score a little and that's it from the 34 year old. He'll serve as a mentor to Priest Lauderdale and [b]Jelani McCoy[/b though.

What this means for the Heat
Perdue's a virtual clone of Polynice, except that he's an accurate shooter where Polynice isn't and is much bigger. He's also not as smart a mentor. Oh and he wants more playing time than he's likely to get in Miami.

Winner: New Jersey
In a swap of old centers nobody cares much about, the Nets get the better deal in a smarter center who won't wreck their team chemistry with complaints.

I couldn't believe myself some of the deals that were made. My only hope was that the trades would improve the likely lotto teams enough that they would supersede the Jazz, but it didn't look especially likely.

Patrick Ewing punished us for 26 points and 11 rebounds and Terrell Brandon scored 28 as the Cavaliers humiliated us 92-73. We shot just 37.1% and Chris Crawford was our only highlight with 12 bench points.

We continued to miss Tom Gugliotta, losing 89-83 to the Mavericks. Marcus Camby tore into us with 20 points, 12 rebounds, 6 blocks and 5 steals, Popeye Jones had 10 points and 16 rebounds, Jason Kidd 13 points and 10 assists. In contrast, we had 22 points from Glen Rice, 10 points and 10 rebounds from Pervis Ellison, and 11 points, 12 rebounds and 7 blocks from Alonzo Mourning.

Allen Iverson was really struggling with his shooting percentage operating out of the point guard spot, so I experimented with moving him back to SG and putting Jalen Rose at the point.

The move paid off as Allen Iverson had 27 points and 5 steals in our 99-79 lambasting of the Knicks. He was joined by Glen Rice (29 points, 10 rebounds) and Alonzo Mourning (18 points, 10 rebounds) in hammering the rebuilding team, whose best player was Larry Johnson with 17 points and 13 rebounds.

We obliterated the Kings 112-80 the next night, riding 21 points a piece from Glen Rice and Jalen Rose and Chauncey Billups's 17 bench points.

Glen Rice ripped through the Knicks for 38 points and 13 rebound as we won big again, 114-83. Allen Iverson, who'd rediscovered his shooting stroke since moving back to SG, scored 26, and Chris Crawford added 14 bench points. Tim Thomas was the most noteworthy player for New York with 13 bench points.

Another big matchup with the Hawks in Atlanta came the night after and we cruised to a 101-90 win on balanced offense led by Alonzo Mourning and Glen Rice with 24 and 21 points. Predrag Stojakovic scored 23 for the Hawks, while Nazr Mohammed picked up 11 points, 11 rebounds and 6 assists and newcomer Bobby Phills scored 12 bench points.

The new backcourt continued to work like a charm, Jalen Rose and Allen Iverson combining for 27 and 20 points in our 93-79 squash of the Spurs in San Antonio. Alonzo Mourning and Glen Rice had identical 19 point, 11 rebound, 5 assist games to boot. Armon Gilliam had 18 points and 11 rebounds, but it wasn't close enough to enough.

And then a problem arose the day after. Howard Eisley came to my room in Houston, where we were scheduled to play the Rockets the next night, and demanded a trade. He said he was unhappy with the amount of playing time he was getting and didn't want to have to rely on an injury to one of our players to get more minutes.

We talked for some time and I told him that I would either trade him or find him a way to get more playing time. He accepted that and I spent all the rest of the day working the phones.

It took some work, but I was finally able to strike a deal that both made Howard happy and brought to Boston a player I'd been trying to get for quite some time.

Boston Celtics receive
SF Michael Finley
PG Trevor Ruffin
Phoenix Suns 2001 1st round pick
Phoenix Suns 2000 2nd round pick
Phoenix Suns 2001 2nd round pick

Phoenix Suns receive
SG Chauncey Billups
SG Dee Brown

What this means for the Celtics
The 25 year old Finley is a player Boston GM/head coach Bobby Troilus has long coveted and almost traded for a few times before and with good reason. Finley's capable of playing every position but center and boasts exceptional ballhandling, a very accurate shot, good defense and high discipline and basketball intelligence. The scary part is, he hasn't yet fulfilled his potential. The 2001 first round pick is too much a wild card at this point. Ruffin's an average all-around point guard, but he's a much better third point guard than Dana Barros. The C's also ditch Brown's pricey contract.

What this means for the Suns
Kevin Johnson is 32 and his health is always suspect. 22 year old Billups is able to play both guard spots with great scoring ability and passing talents. He forms an excellent backcourt of the future along with Derek Anderson, the Suns' first round pick last year, but for now, he'll be the explosive 6th man for Phoenix that he was in Boston. If there's one knock on him, however, it's that he's prone to being very inconsistent. Brown is 30 and the best thing to say about him is that he's disciplined. He'll see a lot more minutes in Phoenix, though and might actually earn some of his overpaid salary.

Winner: Boston
The Celtics had a glut of good guards and not only frees up more playing time for Troilus favorite Eisley, but it allows Boston to field a lineup of Jalen Rose/Allen Iverson/Finley/Glen Rice/Alonzo Mourning. That's more than enough cover until Tom Gugliotta gets back from injury, whereupon Finley can serve as the supersub and 6th man.

Eisley was ecstatic when he heard the news, because it meant he was the unquestioned 6th man and first guard off the bench until Gugliotta healed up and from there, we'd have to wait and see.

Judging from his stats, Michael Finley didn't have the most exceptional of debuts for us, but he still garnered 13 points, 8 rebounds, 6 assists and a steal, shooting 6 of 9 and limiting Cedric Ceballos to 15 points on 7 of 18 shooting. Incidentally, we beat the Rockets 102-87. Jalen Rose sparkled with 37 points and 10 rebounds as the shooting guard, Allen Iverson had 21 points and 12 assists as the point guard in a switch I hadn't realized I made until it was too late. But it obviously worked out. Alonzo Mourning added 14 points and 16 rebounds. Stephon Marbury starred with 22 points and 10 assists, but that was it for the Rockets.

We went back to the Rose/AI backcourt the next night and Allen Iverson responded with 28 points as a key part of our 119-96 mauling of the Mavericks. It was Glen Rice who really took off though, netting 35 points and 14 rebounds while Michael Finley broke out for 24 points. Pervis Ellison pulled down 15 bench boards. The Mavericks were led by 3 double-doubles: Marcus Camby (16 points, 16 rebounds), Jason Kidd (19 points, 10 assists) and Popeye Jones (18 points, 12 rebounds). Robert Pack was brilliant off the bench with 18 points, but it didn't help much.

Our road trip ended with a 123-95 reaming of the Raptors in Toronto. We overwhelmed Juwan Howard's 21 points and Tony Delk's 20 points with 7 Celtics in double-digit scoring. Alonzo Mourning had his best game in a green and white jersey with 32 points and 12 rebounds while Glen Rice stayed white-hot with 27 points and Howard Eisley and Chris Crawford spearheaded the reserves with 13 and 10 points.

We came home a few days later and blew out the Lakers 130-68. They had just two players in double-digit figures and John Wallace was their high with 14 points. In contrast, we had 3 players with 20+ points: Allen Iverson (24 points), Alonzo Mourning (23 points) and Glen Rice (23 points). Oh and Howard Eisley's 10 bench points.

The Pacers played us closer, but we still rolled 98-77. Alonzo Mourning scored 25, Jalen Rose just missed the double-double with 21 points and 9 assists and Glen Rice had 16 points, 10 rebounds and 6 assists. Indiana had a balanced attack, but when their star of the night was Rik Smits with 17 points, 10 rebounds and 6 assists, that just wasn't going to cut it.

A much-anticipated matchup against the Magic in Orlando resulted in a disappointing 112-103 loss, Allen Iverson's 33 points gone to waste along with Jalen Rose's 14 points and 11 assists and Glen Rice's 22 points. Penny Hardaway scored 29, but it was really Orlando's balance that beat us, best signified by Vladimir Stepania's 14 bench points.

We went home and took out our frustrations on the Grizzlies the next night. Our 106-85 win was keyed by Glen Rice's 30 points and Allen Iverson's 22 points, neutralizing Shareef Abdur-Rahim's 21 points and Ashraf Amaya's 11 points and 13 rebounds out of the center spot, for Bryant "Big Country" Reeves was out yet again, this time with a broken wrist.

As good as we'd looked after the trade, we were still definitely beatable by good teams. Orlando proved that and so did the Pacers as we lost 103-93 in Indiana. Reggie Miller led a three-pronged attack with 25 points and 11 assists and he was aided by Dale Davis's 21 points and 10 rebounds and Rik Smits's 20 points. Allen Iverson did well in our cause with 22 points and Alonzo Mourning snapped up 18 points and 17 rebounds.

Sadly, January ended as it began, with two straight losses. The Heat surprised 89-85 the night after in Miami, Rony Seikaly making us look silly with 20 points and 13 rebounds. Rookie Mike Bibby contributed 15 points and 10 assists as we flushed away Jalen Rose's 24 points, Glen Rice's 21 points and Alonzo Mourning's 13 points, 12 rebounds and 5 blocks.

So in short, we lost two in a row at the start of the month, then ended it by losing three of four games. Everything in between was golden, though and we needed it to be. At 33-12, we were fending off Orlando by half a game. It was still a two-horse competition in the division, as 19-27 Miami was 14.5 half back in third place. The Hawks had a terrible 6-10 month to drop to third in the Central and be replaced by a breathtakingly 38-5 Detroit, who enjoyed an 11.5 game edge on the newly resurgent Chicago Bulls.

The Rockets ruled the West at 33-14, 8 games ahead of the Spurs for the Midwest lead, while 27-16 Phoenix still held a game and a half edge on Golden State for the Pacific. Denver had slid to 22-22, while the Jazz were 17-27, fourth worst in the West and in the top 10 worst in the league.

Boston Celtics Leaders

Points
1. Glen Rice - 21.6
2. Allen Iverson - 19.5
3. Jalen Rose - 18.0

Assists
1. Allen Iverson - 7.2
2. Jalen Rose - 4.8
3. Michael Finley - 4.1

Rebounds
1. Tom Gugliotta - 8.3
2. Alonzo Mourning - 7.9
3. Pervis Ellison - 6.8

Blocks
1. Alonzo Mourning - 2.6
2. Pervis Ellison - 1.7
3. Jalen Rose - 0.9

Steals
1. Allen Iverson - 1.5
2. Glen Rice - 1.3
T3. Pervis Ellison - 1.2
T3. Tom Gugliotta - 1.2
T3. Michael Finley - 1.2

The best news: Tom Gugliotta would be back in time for our first game in February.

[DaddyTorgo]

You traded Chauncey. Booo

[Coffee Warlord]

Don't you mean...

Bah bah bah BOOOOO

[Izulde]

DaddyTorgo: Yeah I knew it was going to disappoint you and I hesitated myself. But in the end, Finley's versatility and actual ability to play perimeter D, something we don't really have, plus the future first were just too much to resist.

Coffee Warlord:

[DaddyTorgo]

that's true...that's true. i can't fault your decision-making there.

[Izulde]

Originally Posted by DaddyTorgo

that's true...that's true. i can't fault your decision-making there.

Indeed.

[Izulde]

Atlanta Hawks receive
PF Ray Owes

Detroit Pistons receive
Atlanta Hawks 1999 1st round pick

What this means for the Hawks
From the Pistons to the Spurs back to the Pistons and now to the Hawks the 26 year old Owes now goes. He's not only a mediocre player, he's a 6'4, 200 lb forward.

What this means for the Pistons
Owes finally started developing an accurate shot, but flipping a late 2nd drafted player who isn't worth much for a late first is always a wining situation.

Winner: Detroit
The fast track to sustained success just got a little more oil.

Vancouver Grizzlies receive
C Dikembe Mutombo

Houston Rockets receive
Vancouver Grizzlies 1999 2nd round pick

What this means for the Grizzlies
Vancouver's been in pick-trading mode, but this one actually makes sense. Even at 32, Mutombo has Defensive Player of the Year type ability; the only thing is, he's not starting when he should be. Just by himself he'd be worth more wins than Ashraf Amaya in the post.

What this means for the Rockets
Houston's been trying to unload Mutombo all year and given his age, a high 2nd is fair value. But if Hakeem "The Dream" Olajuwon goes down, watch out!

Winner: Vancouver
The Rockets put their center position in a precarious spot, because if Hakeem goes down, Sean Rooks scares no one.

Indiana Pacers receive
PG David Wesley

Philadelphia 76ers receive
SF Dickey Simpkins

What this means for the Pacers
Wesley's got a great long-range shot and he's disciplined, but that's all you can really say about him.

What this means for the 76ers
Simpkins is a raw, lazy 26 year old with no redeeming value to speak of, other than perhaps his alleged ability to play spots 1 to 3.

Winner: Indiana
A dull trade, but Wesley has some legitimate value. Simpkins has none.

Indiana Pacers receive
SG Eric Washington

Charlotte Hornets receive
Indiana Pacers 1999 1st round pick

What this means for the Pacers
Indiana's determined to keep making the playoff push, but the 24 year old Washington, who was a second round pick last year (19th selection in round), isn't the way to go about it. He can't shoot at all, can't pass and is only a mediocre defender.

What this means for the Hornets
A scrub second round youth for a mid-late first is always a winning combination and it's another move we see played out here.

Winner: Charlotte
Don't think Hornets fans have gotten over the Glen Rice/Larry Johnson deal though, because they haven't.

New York Knicks receive
SG Mitch Richmond

Chicago Bulls receive
New York Knicks 2nd round pick

What this means for the Knicks
Richmond's shooting ability fell off a cliff during last year's playoffs and still hasn't returned. That said, the 33 year old is still a good defender and, arguably most importantly, he's a disciplined, intelligent veteran who can serve as the team's 6th man and mentor the glut of young New York guards.

What this means for the Bulls
A high 2nd for an aging Richmond is decent value, but after Derrick Coleman tore his ACL and was lost for the year, the onus really gets put on Toni Kukoc and Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf to step up the bench scoring.

Winner: Draw
Both teams benefit about the same amount.

New Jersey Nets receive
C Jelani McCoy

Chicago Bulls receive
Los Angeles Lakers 1999 1st round pick

What this means for the Nets
McCoy is raw, but the 21 year old rookie, taken with the last pick in the first round, has potential to be a good all-around center. However, the Nets are in love with Samaki Walker as their 6th man, so McCoy's not going to get near the minutes he needs to in order to develop.

What this means for the Bulls
What is it about lottery teams overrating Bulls' players and giving Chicago lottery firsts? The Bulls get another gift here and while the player won't be another Tim Duncan, if the balls bounce right, they could end up with another Top 3 selection. That's if the Lakers don't implode and become even worse than they are now.

Winner: Chicago
It's a cliche, but unbelieva-bull is the only way to describe it. It's Jamie Feick all over again.

Phoenix Suns receive
SF Cedric Henderson

Charlotte Hornets receive
SG Jeffrey Sheppard

What this means for the Suns
The 24 year old Henderson may not have the glittering qualities that the recently traded Michael Finley does, but he's a good defender with some scoring pop off the bench and is versatile.

What this means for the Hornets
Sheppard's an out and out chucker and that's the most positive thing you can say about this young man. Absolutely worthless.

Winner: Phoenix
Nice steal by the Suns in getting a partial replacement for Finley by dealing a nobody.

I was absolutely thunderstruck by the Bulls' dealing of McCoy. Even if they didn't threepeat, between Tim Duncan and whoever they landed from the Nets' pick, they'd reload in a hurry.

Tom Gugliotta's return was a 19 point, 10 rebound success as we edged the Cavaliers 106-99 in OT. Alonzo Mourning drew praise for his 19 point, 10 rebound, 6 block showing, but Jalen Rose led us in scoring with 20 points and 10 assists and Glen Rice was all-around good with 13 points, 10 rebounds and 8 assists. Michael Finley was first off the bench with 11 points. Terrell Brandon had 21 points and 11 assists for the Cavs, but it was perhaps Kenny Anderson's 19 bench points and Tyrone Hill's 14 reserve rebounds that were most impressive. Brett Szabo also netted 13 points and 10 rebounds.

I couldn't believe the Spurs were only .500, so when we lost 102-99 the next night, I wasn't too perturbed. David Robinson and Sean Elliott torched us for 21 and 24 points, negating Glen Rice's 25 points and Tom Gugliotta's 16 points, 14 rebounds and 5 steals.

And then began our annual February road trip from hell.

We started off by smashing the Clippers 120-84 behind sensational 31 point performances by Glen Rice and Allen Iverson, with 16 rebounds, 6 assists and 11 rebounds, 7 assists besides. Alonzo Mourning doubled for 15 points and 10 rebounds.

And then Michael Finley's acquisition became all the more important, because Glen Rice tore his MCL towards the end of the game and was naturally gone for the year.

It was sobering news to receive as we traveled to Oakland the next night and played shell-shocked in losing 97-88 to the Warriors. Allen Iverson got it together for 17 points and 12 assists, but the rest of the team was awful. Joe Smith abused us for 20 points, 16 rebounds and 5 blocks and Latrell Sprewell added 22 points. Travis Knight piled it all on with 11 points and 18 rebounds.

What became readily apparent is that we needed a scorer off the bench.

And then a gift fell in our laps.

Boston Celtics receive
PG John Stockton

Utah Jazz receive
C Pervis Ellison
Denver Nuggets 1999 2nd round pick
Phoenix Suns 2000 2nd round pick
Phoenix Suns 2001 2nd round pick

What this means for the Celtics
We've seen this before, where Boston acquires an aging star where it didn't work out (see: Patrick Ewing), but something tells us the 36 year old Stockton will be different. He'll start at PG alongside Allen Iverson, allowing the Celtics to move the dynamite Jalen Rose to 6th man, where Rose can fulfill Chauncey Billups's old role in the wake of Glen Rice's torn MCL. For even at his age, Stockton's still a premiere passer and very good defender. Another possibility, and perhaps one more likely, is Stockton/Iverson/Rose/Tom Gugliotta/Alonzo Mourning[/b] with Michael Finley then the 6th man.

What this means for the Jazz
There's understandable outrage in Salt Lake City over the trading of an institution and the Stockton-to-Malone connection will be no more. But with the Jazz decaying and Karl "The Mailman" Malone out with a broken ankle, it's time to start rebuilding. Ellison at 31 obviously isn't part of the plan, but he's here only for salary purposes, even if he's a very good rebounder and shotblocker. This deal's about getting Utah the plethora of 2nds of unknown value to work with, giving rookie Damon Jones the starting job now rather than later and getting Stockton a shot at a ring before he retires. With just 18 wins on the season, it's time to acknowledge an era is over.

Winner: Draw
While this move may push the Celtics to a title, it also weakens their big man depth considerably, especially since Ellison worked so well with last year's squad. There's also a chance Stockton could be another Ewing in green, so it's a gamble. On the other hand, Utah has to face fan anger and open questioning as to if they got sufficient value for Stockton.

It was gutsy, but it had to be done. As it turned out, I decide to start with the Stockton/Iverson/Rose/Gugliotta/Mourning five with Finley off the bench.

While it wasn't exactly the best test of the new lineup, we dethroned the Kings 100-69. Jalen Rose adapted beautifully to the small forward spot if his 23 points were any indication. Allen Iverson bounded for 26 points and 10 rebounds and John Stockton had a nice Celtics debut with 12 points and 11 assists. Michael Finley showed signs of being that guy off the bench with 13 points. The Kings had all of 3 players who scored even so much as 5 points: Jason Caffey with 21 bench points, Brian Grant with 20 and Vince Carter with 9.

For the second straight game, we held our opponents to just 2 players in double-digit figures and under 70 points as we beat Denver 81-68. Allen Iverson and Jalen Rose each scored 21 and Alonzo Mourning doubled for 10 points and 11 rebounds. Dino Radja got some measure of revenge on me for 22 points and 11 rebounds, but that was all.

Defense continued to be our new calling card as we trekked to Salt Lake and met a conflicted crowd in our 96-76 muting of the Jazz. Damon Jones did his best Stockton impersonation with 17 points and 10 assists and Theo Ratliff scored 12 bench points. But even though John Stockton didn't have a great game, Alonzo Mourning and Tom Gugliotta stepped up with 25 points, 12 rebounds and 23 points respectively. Michael Finley chipped in 11 bench points. While we were 3-0 since the trade, the Jazz hadn't won a game yet.

We didn't send anyone to the Rookies/Sophomores game, but the second years destroyed the first years 112-87 on MVP Keith Van Horn's 33 points. And that was with Tim Duncan missing the game because of a foor injury.

The weariness of the road finally overtook us in Phoenix the next night and we blew it in the fourth quarter to fall 106-102. Sharone Wright shredded us for 29 points, Kevin Johnson added 20, Shawnelle Scott doubled for 10 points and 15 rebounds and Danny Manning and Chauncey Billups knocked in 12 and 11 points from the bench. Howard Eisley actually outdueled Billups with 15 bench points, but outside of him and Alonzo Mourning's 20 points, we were inconsistent with our shooting.

Allen Iverson was named the starting PG for the East, but had an awful 1 for 10 night, a key contributor to the West's 98-80 victory. Grant Hill was a deserving MVP for the losers though with 31 points, highest on the night by far.

East All-Stars
PG Allen Iverson
SG Kobe Bryant
SF Grant Hill
PF Chris Webber
C Shaquille O'Neal
Juwan Howard
Ray Allen
Terrell Brandon
Jermaine O'Neal
Vin Baker
Reggie Miller
Predrag Stojakovic

West All-Stars
PG Jason Kidd
SG Vince Carter
SF Jamal Mashburn
PF Kevin Garnett
C Marcus Camby
David Robinson
Cedric Ceballos
Antonio McDyess
Stephon Marbury
Latrell Sprewell
Hakeem Olajuwon
Kevin Johnson

Despite the close loss to the Suns and despite the sprained ankle Allen Iverson picked up in the All-Star game, I decided to sit quiet at the trade deadline. We still needed to let the new unit gel.

A few days rest and the Nets meant a 120-92 stroll in the Garden State. Alonzo Mourning hammered Jersey for 33 points, Tom Gugliotta wasn't far off with 28 points and John Stockton picked up 17 points and 13 assists. Priest Lauderdale had 23 points for the Nets, while Tariq Abdul-Wahad doubled for 16 points and 10 rebounds and Lindsey Hunter burst off the bench for 17 points.

The Pacers had really improved thanks to their wheeling and dealing and were 35-19 when we hosted them the next evening. I was wary and rightly so as they hung a 93-89 loss on us that wasn't as close as the final score appeared. Doug Christie went ballistic for 29 points as the starting SG and Reggie Miller chipped in 16 points and 11 assists. Even with Alonzo Mourning's 30 points and Michael Finley's 12 bench points, we couldn't do it. Our biggest rivals in the Central were just too good.

Ray Allen loved playing against us and he did it again with 40 points, but we still won over the Hornets 91-79 thanks to Jalen Rose (22 points, 14 rebounds), Tom Gugliotta (21 points, 13 rebounds) and Michael Finley's 13 bench points.

We coasted to a 96-83 win versus the Sonics in our next game. Shawn Kemp's 21 points and 12 rebounds and Steve Smith's 14 bench points were neutralized by Allen Iverson's 24 points, Alonzo Mourning's 19 points and 10 rebounds, Tom Gugliotta's 16 points and 12 rebounds and John Stockton's 12 points and 10 assists.

Hard-charging Chicago was our final game of February the next night on the Bulls' court. Like Indiana, I worried about this one. And indeed, the Bulls overran us 98-82 despite 25 points from Jalen Rose and 22 points from John Stockton. Michael "Air" Jordan had 23 points and 12 rebounds and Sam Cassell scored 20. But the big story of the night wasn't either of those two. It was trade deadline pickup Vin Baker's 21 points and 11 rebounds out of the center spot.

So I greeted March with mixed emotions. On the one hand, we were 41-17 and with a two game lead on the Magic. On the other hand, Detroit was 49-7 and the Pacers and Bulls were improved enough to make a serious run at our #2 spot along with Orlando. Glen Rice's absence was a major one, to be sure.

The Rockets still held the West at 40-18, an astounding 11 games ahead of the .500 Timberwolves and Spurs. Utah had managed to win a couple games, but were still bad at 20-36. Meanwhile, Seattle surged to the Pacific lead, 36-21 giving them a 1.5 game advantage on the Suns.

NBA Leaders

Points
1. Ray Allen (CHA) - 27.5
2. Chris Webber (WAS) - 24.3
3. Grant Hill (DET) - 24.0

Assists
1. Jason Kidd (DAL) - 12.1
2. Stephon Marbury (HOU) - 10.2
3. Kevin Johnson (PHO) - 9.3

Rebounds
1. Marcus Camby (DAL) - 12.2
2. Dennis Rodman (CHI) - 11.8
3. Chris Webber (WAS) - 10.8

Blocks
1. Marcus Camby (DAL) - 3.7
2. Jermaine O'Neal (DET) - 3.2
3. Shawn Bradley (PHI) - 3.1

Steals
1. Mookie Blaylock (ATL) - 2.4
2. Gary Payton (SEA) - 2.2
T3. Derek Anderson (PHO) - 2.1
T3. Bruce Bowen (IND) - 2.1
T3. Jason Kidd (DAL) - 2.1

Rookies Leaders

Points
T1. Vince Carter (SAC) - 19.5
T1. Predrag Stojakovic (ATL) - 19.5
3. Jason Williams (HOU) - 17.4

Assists
1. Mike Bibby (MIA) - 9.0
2. Earl Boykins (LAL) - 7.9
3. Jason Williams (HOU) - 5.5

Rebounds
1. Brad Miller (TOR) - 9.0
2. Nazr Mohammed (ATL) - 8.8
3. Michael Doleac (SEA) - 6.2

Blocks
1. Raef LaFrentz (ORL) - 2.2
2. Brad Miller (TOR) - 2.1
3. Jerome James (LAC) - 1.2

Steals
1. Jason Williams (HOU) - 1.8
T2. Ruben Patterson (LAC) - 1.5
T2. Predrag Stojakovic (ATL) - 1.5

Boston Celtics Leaders

Points
1. Glen Rice - 21.7*
2. Allen Iverson - 19.0
3. Jalen Rose - 17.9

Assists
1. John Stockton - 8.4
2. Allen Iverson - 6.8
3. Jalen Rose - 4.8

Rebounds
1. Tom Gugliotta - 8.7
2. Alonzo Mourning - 8.2
3. Glen Rice - 6.5*

Blocks
1. Alonzo Mourning - 2.6
2. Jalen Rose - 0.9
3. Tom Gugliotta - 0.7

Steals
1. Allen Iverson - 1.6
2. Tom Gugliotta - 1.5
3. Glen Rice - 1.3*

Our lead scorer, third-leading rebounder and third-leading stealer all out in the form of Rice. Granted, we'd had to deal with that hardship before in last year's playoffs, but it was tough going without him nonetheless.

[Izulde]

I know you're eager to hear about how the Bulls acquired Vin Baker, but there were other deals, of course.

Detroit Pistons receive
PF Kornel David

Philadelphia 76ers receive
Detroit Pistons 1999 1st round pick

What this means for the Pistons
David, 27, is an old rookie who chucks up a lot of shots and that's pretty much the only thing he does, as he's terrible in everything else. A puzzling addition for the league's best team.

What this means for the 76ers
It's not likely to yield a star at #29 and Philadelphia already has just 3 players age 30 or older on the team, but any player they get is bound to better than David, who was a mistake at #24.

Winner: Philadelphia
A player as overrated as David could destroy Detroit's dreams of championship glory.

Seattle Supersonics receive
PF Kurt Thomas

Miami Heat receive
Seattle Supersonics 1999 1st round pick

What this means for the Supersonics
Thomas, 26, may not take many shots, but when he does pop off with a jumper, he usually converts. He's also a fantastic rebounder, even if he's a turnover machine and poorly disciplined. He'll step in as the starting small forward for Seattle as they try to break through and get to the Finals.

What this means for the Heat
It's a late first, but the pick isn't the real reason Miami made this move. Instead, dealing Thomas allows them to start rookie Antawn Jamison full-time at PF, a spot held down by Thomas since the beginning of the season. The Heat's going nowhere this season, so developing Jamison, who has All-Star potential, is their best move.

Winner: Miami
Developing Jamison + a first = winner.

Orlando Magic receive
PF Karl Malone

Utah Jazz receive
Orlando Magic 1999 1st round pick

What this means for the Magic
Orlando saw a huge opportunity when John Stockton went to the Celtics a few days ago and they took advantage, acquiring the Mailman for their first. Malone hasn't lost a single step in his age 35 season, still averaging 22+ points with 53%+ shooting. The Magic have just made a huge push towards the championship, as the Mailman, Shaquille O'Neal and Penny Hardaway are a deadly trio.

What this means for the Jazz
A late first for a 35 year old half-season rental is pretty darn good, even if it's one of the greats. On the one hand, you have to admire Utah's determination in committing themselves to rebuilding. On the other hand, you can't help but feel they should've gotten more than they did for Stockton and Malone, especially with how angry their fans are right now.

Winner: Orlando
This could very well mean a trophy in Florida. Bonus points in that Stockton and Malone are now playing for division foes.

Chicago Bulls receive
PF Vin Baker

Milwaukee Bucks receive
PG Ron Harper
Los Angeles Lakers 1999 1st round pick

What this means for the Bulls
When Chicago struggled in November, most people wrote the Bulls off. Then they came charging back and they've capped off with a stunning grab in Baker, who's averaging 21 points a game on 55% shooting. An extremely disciplined, smart player, he may be average outside his scoring and shooting ability, but the 27 year old All-Star is the best player the Bulls have put up at center in years and that includes Dennis "The Worm" Rodman.

What this means for the Bucks
The Lakers pick is a surefire lottery selection and likely a high lottery pick at that in a pretty nice draft class. Kobe Bryant and Bonzi Wells are 20 and 22 respectively and while Bryant's having a breakthrough year in his third season, the best is ahead for both of them. Glenn "Big Dog" Robinson is still just 26, so with their pick and the Lakers' first, Milwaukee could put together their future in a hurry. Harper's a $5.2 million expiring contract, a million more than Baker's.

Winner: Draw
As incredible as it sounds, this is a fantastic and equal move for both squads, as it fits in perfectly with their plans. Chicago would have the edge if Baker was signed for more than a year, but the Bulls will have to try and retain him in free agency.

Houston Rockets receive
C Dean Garrett

New York Knicks receive
Houston Rockets 1999 2nd round pick

What this means for the Rockets
Exceptional rebounder? Check. Great defender? Check. Great shotblocker? Check. Fills a gaping void? Double-plus check. Houston was in serious trouble if Hakeem "The Dream" Olajuwon got hurt, but in the 32 year old Garrett, they got a very capable ill-in and a huge upgrade at backup center. Although he's not a good shooter, he showed in Boston that he's capable of being a fifth starter.

What this means for the Knicks
Garrett may be in his third season, but he's too old to be in the Knicks' plans. It's a late second that will probably never make New York's roster, so the only real benefit is more time for Tim Thomas and Lorenzen Wright.

Winner: Houston
Although the development time is useful, Garrett helps the Rockets immensely.

I was aghast when I heard about the Malone and Baker trades, the Malone deal especially. We were already in a dogfight for the Atlantic and the Magic's cunning steal of a player who'd given us problems in the past only added to the difficulty.

But we resolved to press on, because that was the only thing we could do.

The Bucks paid for their dealing of Baker with a 114-100 loss. Allen Iverson scored 21, Alonzo Mourning 20 and John Stockton had 14 points and 13 assists. Michael Finley added in 18 bench points, though he was bested by Steve Kerr's 19 bench points for the Bucks and Corliss Williamson ensured Milwaukee's reserves won that battle with 13 points of his own.

Our starters scored all but 4 of our points in a 118-96 crushing of the Clippers. Alonzo Mourning led the parade with 29 points, Tom Gugliotta followed with 23 points and 16 rebounds, Allen Iverson matched Gugliotta's 23 points, Jalen Rose scored 20 and John Stockton just missed all five starters with 20+ points as he netted 19 points and 17 assists. Loy Vaught's 12 points and 11 rebounds and Danny Ferry's 16 bench points were nothing in the face of that onslaught.

It's not often a team gets blown out when one of their players scores 36 points, but as the only player on his team to score more than 7 points, that's exactly what happened to Terrell Brandon and his Cavaliers. We locked them down 106-69, our offensive fireworks provided by Allen Iverson's 31 points, Tom Gugliotta's 20 points and 10 rebounds and John Stockton's 14 points and 10 assists.

We went to Milwaukee a couple nights later and beat up the Bucks 116-90. Tom Gugliotta hammered them for 24 points and 14 rebounds, Allen Iverson racked up 25 points, Jalen Rose scored 21 and John Stockton handed out 13 points and 16 assists. Glenn "Big Dog" Robinson scored 21, while Corliss Williamson picked up 14 bench points.

Alonzo Mourning finished off Philadelphia with 27 points in our 94-78 win, aided by Michael Finley's 13 bench points. Jerry Stackhouse scored 20 for the 76ers and former Celtic Brian Shaw added 12 bench points, but we still won comfortably.

We went to Cleveland the next night and I smelled a classic trap game. We won, but it required a second half comeback on the wings of Allen Iverson's 31 points and Tom Gugliotta's 19 points and 10 rebounds. The 90-83 margin was close, even if the Cavs' most statistically noteworthy showing was Etdrick Bohannon's 10 points and 10 rebounds.

And then we got back to routing form with a devastating 113-60 win over the Nets. I'll let the box score speak for itself:



It was one of my finest coaching moments, even given how terrible the Nets were that year.

Our biggest game of the month came next, a highly anticipated showdown with the Orlando Magic for the first time with Karl "The Mailman" Malone on their roster. And I'm happy to report we won easily, 104-89. Yes, Shaquille O'Neal got 22 points and 19 rebounds and Karl Malone scored 20, but we had 3 players with 20+ points. Allen Iverson led all scorers with 28 points, Tom Gugliotta bulldozed his way to 22 points and 14 rebounds and Jalen Rose hit 20 on the nose. John Stockton put the icing on the cake, beating his old teammate's new team with 11 points and 13 assists.

I feared a letdown after that sweet win and sure enough, the Nuggets beat us 99-95 a couple nights later, which also hurt our draft position. Jalen Rose's 26 points were undone by 20 points from Anthony Parker, Scot Pollard's 14 points and 10 rebounds and, in the biggest shocker, Vitaly Potapenko's 22 bench points on a blazing 10 for 12 night. Disappointing to say the least.

But we shrugged the misstep off to chill the Heat 107-78. Alonzo Mourning was in a foul mood after the Denver loss and abused his old team for 26 points and 8 blocks that went neatly with Allen Iverson's 21 points and John Stockton's 11 points and 14 assists.

I always hated playing Indiana in those years and so was quite happy to beat the Pacers 96-81 on their home court. As impressive as Allen Iverson's 33 points and Tom Gugliotta's 17 points and 18 rebounds were, Alonzo Mourning blew them both out of the water with a 23 point, 14 rebound, 8 block performance. Again, we kept the opposing team from any highlight players.

But Kevin Garnett wasn't going to be stopped the next night in Minneapolis. He had a beautiful game with 29 points, 10 rebounds and 7 assists. Unfortunately for him, none of the other Timberwolves showed up and we won 100-82. Jalen Rose scored 23 and he was supported by a couple of double-doubles from Alonzo Mourning (18 points, 11 rebounds) and Allen Iverson (18 points, 10 rebounds. Mourning only got 3 blocks that game, by the way, ending his mini 8-block game streak. Michael Finley led the reserves with 11 points.

Off we went to Philadelphia, where Jerry Stackhouse's 24 points were blown by in our 118-72 romp. Allen Iverson and Jalen Rose each scored 25 and Tom Gugliotta and Alonzo Mourning double-doubled with 16 points, 10 rebounds and 15 points, 13 rebounds respectively.

The home and away against the Hawks finished off March and we won the first leg, 89-73 on Alonzo Mourning's 23 points, Allen Iverson's 13 points and 10 rebounds and Chris Dudley's 10 bench points in 7 minutes. Predrag Stojakovic scored a game-high 26 points and Allen Henderson banged his way to 12 points and 11 rebounds. I admired the rookie Stoja a great deal and really wanted him on our team, but I knew such dreams would have to wait.

Although Mookie Blaylock scored 25, the game in Atlanta went much easier. Just two Hawks scored in double-digit figures and we strung them up 97-71. Allen Iverson took high scorer honors with 27, Alonzo Mourning netted 22 points and John Stockton doubled for 11 points and 12 assists.

Just one loss away from reprising our undefeated 15-0 March of the year before. One letdown game against the Nuggets from a repeat 15-0.

It was tough to swallow, but we contented ourselves with our clinched third straight Atlantic title at 55-18. Orlando had problems adjusting to their new lineup and had unexpectedly struggled with chemistry issues. As a result, they were 10.5 back at 44-28. We didn't have much chance of catching the 61-10 Pistons, but on the other hand, we ourselves looked pretty secure with the #2 seed ahead of 50-21 Chicago, who didn't have any difficulty absorbing their All-Star deadline pickup.

Houston looked to be in good shape to have the West's top seed at 50-22 and already clinched the Midwest. 44-28 Phoenix and Seattle were deadlocked atop the Pacific. Denver had unexpectedly tanked and were 30-42 and a likely lottery team, while Utah was 25-47, also lotto-bound.

It was a great position to be in, all in all. The Pistons would have pressure on them to live up to their exalted regular season record and the Bulls had the weight of the threepeat chase hanging over their heads.

On the other hand, despite our probable #2 seed, nobody was giving us much opportunity to win the title. Chicago, Detroit and Orlando were too strong, everyone said. All the Magic needed was more time to envelope the Mailman more completely into their system and the Pistons and Bulls were two of the hottest things going.

It was an underdog role I secretly relished.

Celtics Leaders

Points
1. Glen Rice - 21.7*
2. Allen Iverson - 19.8
3. Jalen Rose - 17.7
4. Alonzo Mourning - 15.7

Assists
1. John Stockton - 9.1
2. Allen Iverson - 6.2
3. Jalen Rose - 4.5

Rebounds
1. Tom Gugliotta - 9.1
2. Alonzo Mourning - 8.1
3. Glen Rice - 6.5*
4. Jalen Rose - 5.4

Blocks
1. Alonzo Mourning - 2.7
T2. Tom Gugliotta - 0.8
T2. Jalen Rose - 0.8

Steals
T1. Allen Iverson - 1.6
T1. Tom Gugliotta - 1.6
T3. Glen Rice - 1.3*
T3. John Stockton - 1.3

[Izulde]

With but a handful or so of games to play and our position relatively assured, we wanted to avoid two things: complete implosion and another crippling injury a la Glen Rice.

That's not to say the final set was devoid of interesting contests. For one, we started off with a matchup against the Magic. They beat us 104-97 as we couldn't come back from an 18 point halftime deficit. Shaquille O'Neal grabbed 24 points and 11 rebounds, Nick Anderson scored 20 and Penny Hardaway made it 3 20+ with 20 points of his own. In this way, Allen Iverson's 25 points, Tom Gugliotta's 21 points and 10 rebounds and Alonzo Mourning's 12 points and 11 rebounds were inconsequential.

And yet, we managed to stifle dominating Detroit 107-80. Allen Iverson elevated for 27 points, Jalen Rose scored 24, and Tom Gugliotta was a rebounding machine with 18 points and 21 rebounds. Alonzo Mourning repeated his prior 12 point, 11 rebound showing and Michael Finley scored 12 bench points. For the Pistons, Eddie Jones surpassed Finley by 1 with 13 bench points, Grant Hill netted 20 points and 10 rebounds and Jermaine O'Neal found his way to 13 points and 10 rebounds.

Outside of Larry Johnson's 21 points, the Knicks posed no threat and went down 111-67. Allen Iverson led the way with 30 points and 4 steals, Jalen Rose scored 22, Tom Gugliotta picked up a poor man's double of 10 points, 10 rebounds and Michael Finley scored 15 off the bench.

Our rivalry with the Bullets certainly appeared short lived as we stopped them 116-94 the next evening. Rasheed Wallace's 36 points were reversed by balanced offense highlighted by 21 points from Allen Iverson and Jalen Rose, 14 points and 10 assists from John Stockton and Michael Finley's 16 bench points.

Points came in profusion as we pulverized Toronto 130-95. Jalen Rose (29), Alonzo Mourning (22) and Allen Iverson (20) each broke the 20 point barrier, while Michael Finley tacked on 14 bench points. Chris Antsey had 13 points and 11 rebounds for the Raptors, but it was an insignificant line, all in all.

The Pistons were hungry to avenge themselves on us, but we calmly went to Auburn Hills and beat them by 10, 106-96 courtesy of a 33-17 come from behind fourth quarter. Allen Iverson poured on 32 points, Alonzo Mourning banged inside for 16 points, 12 rebounds and 5 blocks and Michael Finley tapped in 14 bench points. No doubt frustrating for Detroit, who had Grant Hill's 24 points and 14 rebounds, Jermaine O'Neal's 12 points and 11 rebounds and Eddie Jones's 18 bench points to show for their efforts.

We again proved Bullet-proof, winning 107-91 on a superior frontline performance. Jalen Rose scored 29 and Tom Gugliotta and Alonzo Mourning each scored 20 as half of a double-double, 16 and 10 rebounds respectively the other half. Howard Eisley commanded the reserves with 11 points. Tough luck for Chalbert Cheaney's 25 points and Pat Garrity's 18 bench points.

Complacency set in against the Nets and we barely escaped with a one point win over one of the league's worst teams, 96-95. Tariq Abdul-Wahad sprung 20 points on us and Priest Lauderdale hauled in 17 points and 10 rebounds. We were bailed out only by Allen Iverson's 29 points, Tom Gugliotta's 12 points and 11 rebounds and Michael Finley's 10 bench points.

Our final game of the regular season was a pedestrian 95-84 win over the Knicks, Mitch Richmond's 18 bench points overrun by Jalen Rose's 25 points and 12 rebounds and Tom Gugliotta's 14 points and 14 rebounds.

We improved over last year's 60 win season with a 63-19 mark, but repeated our #2 seed. On the other hand, by sweeping the Pistons in the last two games, we spoiled their bid for 70 wins, forcing them to settle for a heartbreaking 69-13.

East Conference Seedings
1. Detroit Pistons (69-13)
2. Boston Celtics (63-19)
3. Chicago Bulls (59-23)
4. Orlando Magic (52-30)
5. Indiana Pacers (51-31)
6. Atlanta Hawks (49-33)
7. Charlotte Hornets (44-38)
8. Toronto Raptors (40-42)

West Conference Seedings
1. Houston Rockets (58-24)
2. Phoenix Suns (50-32)
3. Seattle Supersonics (49-33)
4. Portland Trailblazers (46-36)
5. Minnesota Timberwolves (43-39)
6. San Antonio Spurs (42-40)
7. Golden State Warriors (42-40)
8. Dallas Mavericks (40-42)

Glen Rice was extremely disappointed about not being able to play against his old team, but it was how it was. We would just have to bear up and find a way to beat the Hornets without him.

NBA Leaders

Points
1. Ray Allen (CHA) - 26.6
2. Chris Webber (WAS) - 24.3
3. Grant Hill (DET) - 23.1

Assists
1. Jason Kidd (DAL) - 12.0
2. Stephon Marbury (HOU) - 10.2
3. John Stockton (BOS) - 9.3

Rebounds
1. Marcus Camby (DAL) - 12.1
2. Chris Webber (WAS) - 11.0
T3. Kevin Garnett (MIN) - 10.5
T3. Dennis Rodman (CHI) - 10.5

Blocks
T1. Marcus Camby (DAL) - 3.5
T1. Jermaine O'Neal (DET) - 3.5
3. Shawn Bradley (PHI) - 3.1

Steals
1. Gary Payton (SEA) - 2.3
2. Mookie Blaylock (ATL) - 2.2
T3. Derek Anderson (PHO) - 2.0
T3. Karl Malone (ORL) - 2.0
T3. Rick Brunson (MIL) - 2.0
T3. Michael Jordan (CHI) - 2.0
T3. Bruce Bowen (IND) - 2.0

Rookies

Points
1. Predrag Stojakovic (ATL) - 20.0
2. Vince Carter (SAC) - 19.9
3. Jason Williams (HOU) - 16.2

Assists
1. Mike Bibby (MIA) - 8.1
2. Earl Boykins (LAL) - 7.8
3. Jason Williams (HOU) 5.7

Rebounds
1. Nazr Mohammed (ATL) - 8.5
2. Brad Miller (TOR) - 8.2
3. Raef LaFrentz (ORL) - 5.8

Blocks
1. Raef LaFrentz (ORL) - 2.2
2. Brad Miller (TOR) - 2.1
3. Jerome James (LAC) - 1.3

Steals
1. Jason Williams (HOU) - 1.9
2. Ruben Patterson (LAC) - 1.7
3. Predrag Stojakovic (ATL) - 1.5

[hoopsguy]

Wow, the East is awfully rugged this year. Even with Rice I'm not sure you would be a favorite against those teams.

[Izulde]

Originally Posted by hoopsguy

Wow, the East is awfully rugged this year. Even with Rice I'm not sure you would be a favorite against those teams.

FWIW, I agree with you.

The Pistons, despite their sexy record, don't scare me.

It's the Bulls, Magic and Pacers that are the teams to watch in this playoffs, because of the pickups of Vin Baker and Karl Malone in the case of Chi-town and Orlando and because they just match up really well against us in the case of Indiana.

[Izulde]

In Search of Stockton's Ring

Utah Jazz legend John Stockton has been quietly efficient since coming to Boston at the deadline

John Stockton harbors no anger to the Jazz.

"Yes, it was disappointing to leave the team and Karl (Malone), but like Coach (Jerry) Sloan told me, it was my opportunity to win a ring before I retired", the 36 year old point guard said.

After star forward Glen Rice went down for the year with a torn MCL, the Boston Celtics needed to bring in another player to move a strong 6th man to the bench. That player turned out to be Stockton, who stepped in at point guard, allowing Jalen Rose to move to small forward and the versatile Michael Finley to shift to the 6th man spot.

Stockton's paid off great dividends for Boston in the short time he's been here. Since acquiring him at the trade deadline, the Celtics have been on a tear, aided greatly by his defense and playmaking ability.

Talk of a championship ring may sound premature, especially considering an East loaded with powerhouse teams who also made deadline moves like the two-time defending champion Chicago Bulls and the newly resurgent Orlando Magic, but Boston's definitely in the conversation, even without Rice, their leading scorer.

The second-seed Celtics' quest begins with a first round matchup against the Charlotte Hornets.

Point Guard
John Stockton vs. Brevin Knight
Don't let his age fool you. This isn't Patrick Ewing all over again. Stockton's an extremely intelligent, accurate shooter with unequalled passing ability. Plus, being on a good team allowed his assist per game total to jump up 1.1 per game after the move to Boston, allowing him to finish with regular season numbers of 10.8 points, 9.3 assists and 1.3 steals. He's the best perimeter defender the Celtics have had at the point in the Bobby Troilus era to boot.

The 23 year old Knight is an exceptional passer in his own right and an even better defender than Stockton, averaging 9.8 points, 7.8 assists and 1.4 steals. On the other hand, he's nowhere near as accurate a shooter or as intelligent a player.

Advantage: Draw

Shooting Guard
Allen Iverson vs. Ray Allen
Last year's marquee first round matchup reprises itself here. Iverson really stepped up his game after Rice went down and averaged 20.2 points, 4.9 rebounds, 6 assists and 1.6 steals on the year, the first 20+ point per game season of his young career. A good, but not overpowering defender, there's few weaknesses in his game.

Allen won his second straight scoring title this season, with 26.6 points, 4.8 rebounds, 5.6 assists and 1.5 steals. Not bad for a 14th overall pick in his third season. In many ways, he's a 5 inch taller version of AI, save for the fact that he's only a mediocre defender.

Advantage: Draw

Small Forward
Jalen Rose vs. Tyrone Nesby
Rose, an offseason acquisition from Denver, displayed great versatility as he started at PG, SG and SF during the regular season and shot 50.8% while compiling 18.1 points, 5.5 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 1.2 steals. A very gifted player, he can shoot, pass and rebound and is one of the most disciplined players in the league. The one knock on him is that, like Allen, he's not a great defender.

The rookie Nesby, taken with the 16th overall pick, averaged 13 points and 1.2 steals, but he only shot 38.9% and developed a bit of a chucker reputation. Still very much a raw player with no outstanding attributes other than his scoring instincts, which doesn't bode well for him against the more experienced Rose.

Advantage: Celtics

Power Forward
Tom Gugliotta vs. Christian Laettner
The big question surrounding the Celtics' richest man: Can he stay healthy? His injuries in last year's playoffs and his broken nose earlier this season had a significant impact on Boston's fortunes. When healthy, Gugliotta's the perfect glue man: 14.1 points, 9.5 rebounds and 1.6 steals. A smart player with beautiful shooting stroke, deadly rebounding instincts and underrated defense, his one flaw is a tendency to be turnover-prone.

Laettner's a carbon copy of Gugliotta except that he's more durable, but also more inconsistent. Still, he averaged 16.1 points, 7.1 rebounds, a block and 1.2 steals and he's eager to atone for his 34.7% first round ugliness last year against this same Boston team. Overall, though, he gives the impression of being a dilution of Gugliotta rather than being his true equal.

Advantage: Celtics

Center
Alonzo Mourning vs. Roy Rogers
Finally the Celtics found an answer at center in Mourning, a dynamite defender and shotblocker with good passing skills for a big man and a fairly accurate shot good for 15.8 points, 8.3 rebounds, 2.8 blocks and a steal per game. Not an exceptional rebounder, though he does get his share and he's also notoriously injury-prone and in fact has a sprained wrist right now.

Rogers, a first round pick of Troilus's, has never relinquished the starting center spot since he entered the league. He's a poor shooter for a big, but he's a pretty good rebounder and defender and one of the top shotblockers in the league, posting 8.3 points, 9 rebounds and 3 blocks a game in the regular season. He'll have a rough time of it against Mourning, though.

Advantage: Celtics

Bench
The only reason Michael Finley is on the bench is because he can play 4 positions all extremely well and is one of those players who's good at all areas of the game, but master of none. He still averaged 11.4 points and a steal per game between Phoenix and Boston, starting just 38 games and making himself a strong 6th Man of the Year candidate. It'll be interesting to see if Chris Crawford can reprise his rookie postseason success, but by and large, this looks like a typically weak Boston bench.

Kendall Gill may only play 1-3, but he's Charlotte's answer to Finley, averaging 10.3 points, 4.6 rebounds and 1.3 steals. Not a great ballhandler and only an average shooter, but he'll find a way to get his points. Grant Long is the textbook definition of average all-around player, though he does boast good defense to go with his 5.5 points per game. But overall, the Hornets' reserves look suspect, too.

Advantage: Draw

Final Thoughts
There just isn't an area where the Hornets can legitimately say they beat Boston. If Charlotte so much as wants to avoid a sweep, they'll need Ray Allen to go gangbusters on Allen Iverson and hope they can contain Boston's plethora of scoring options. A timely injury would help, too.
Prediction: Boston in 4

I wasn't sure about a sweep, but I'll admit, the matchup did look good for us on paper.

Game One
Ray Allen did cut loose for 23 points, but we held the Hornets to 33.3% shooting on the night and when Allen Iverson's firing for 27 points, Tom Gugliotta's hauling in 18 points and 16 rebounds, Alonzo Mourning 15 points and 16 rebounds, and John Stockton's seeing his way to 11 points and 12 assists, you know this was just an out and out blowout.
Final - Charlotte 66 Boston 91

Game Two
I didn't think all the games would be a repeat of Game 1 and the Hornets were furious after their opening humiliation. Ray Allen broke out for 31 points, Christian Laettner scorched us for 24 points, Roy Rogers put up 10 points, 16 rebounds and 5 blocks and Kendall Gill came off the bench for a huge 16 points. We responded with 21 points from Jalen Rose and 20 points and 10 rebounds from Tom Gugliotta, but it wasn't enough to prevent the five point upset to tie the series.
Final - Charlotte 97 Boston 92

Game Three
The firefight between the star shooting guards continued and in the first Charlotte game, Allen Iverson scored 31 to outpoint Ray Allen's 26. The Hornets won the bench battle, though, as Michael Finley's 14 points were countered and passed by Kendall Gill's 13 points and Grant Long's 10 points. It was with the other starters that the game was ultimately decided and Tom Gugliotta and Alonzo Mourning's matching 16 point, 11 rebound double-doubles paired with John Stockton's 11 points and 10 assists to carry us to an easy victory to seize back the momentum.
Final - Boston 109 Charlotte 91

Game Four
The Hornets knew if they lost here, they were done for. It didn't help when we jumped out to a 33-20 first quarter leader and Allen Iverson shut down Ray Allen all night, holding him to a 2 for 10 evening. Iverson led all scorers on top of it with 28 points. Jalen Rose chipped in 21 points and Alonzo Mourning's 12 points and 12 rebounds helped ensure that Charlotte's balance went all for nothing as we shoved the Hornets to the edge in a game that wasn't really as close as the score indicated.
Final - Boston 91 Charlotte 82

The Pistons earned some rest by sweeping the Raptors, but all other series played on.

Game Five
The Bulls and Hawks was a 3-1 series at this point, so I really wanted to close out in Boston. We did just that, ripping apart the Hornets with all five of our starters scoring 13 points or more, led by Jalen Rose's 26 points and Alonzo Mourning's 14 points and 10 rebounds. Tyrone Nesby's breakout 22 points came far too little, far too late, as did Kendall Gill's 14 bench points.
Winner - Charlotte 74 Boston 101

It was an important win, because it not only gave us the chance to heal up the minor nicks to Alonzo Mourning and Michael Finley while avoiding other serious injury, it also ensured we'd have the same amount of rest as the Bulls, who knocked out the Hawks in five.

The other first round series to end in 5 was Portland with what I thought was an upset over Minnesota.

All the other series were done in six games. Houston eliminated Dallas, Seattle punched out San Antonio and Phoenix brushed aside Golden State. And the Orlando Magic showed the importance of Karl "The Mailman" Malone by besting the Pacers.

It was going to be some great basketball in the East in the second round. 69-13 Detroit versus the beastly Magic in one half of the bracket and a repeat of last year's East Conference Finals in the other half between us and Chicago.

Did we have it in us to knock off the two-time defending NBA champion Bulls and destroy their threepeat dreams?

The only thing I knew is that it was going to be one hell of a challenge.

[Coffee Warlord]

Same rule as last year.

GO BULLS!

[Neuqua]

Originally Posted by Coffee Warlord

Same rule as last year.

GO BULLS!

[rjolley]

Sorry Iz, but Go BULLS!!!

Team loyalty is thicker than dynasty loyalty.

[Autumn]

Oh man, I've got to pipe up again.

GO CELTICS

[Izulde]

Well, we'll just see how it goes.

Fact, I think I'll sim it now.

[Izulde]

Baker Best Bull

Vin Baker has been the catalyst and leading scorer for the Bulls this postseason and arguably their best acquisition

December 19th was a dark day in Chicago, for it was on that day that Derrick Coleman, the prize free agent signing and starting power forward for the Chicago Bulls, ended his season prematurely with a torn ACL.

The Bulls succeeded without him, however, and even went on to find a more than adequate replacement in Vin Baker at the trade deadline in a blockbuster deal with the Milwaukee Bucks.

Baker was the MVP of Chicago's opening round series against the Atlanta Hawks and he'll need to have another big outing if the Bulls hope to beat the high-octane offense of the Boston Celtics.

Like the Bulls, the Celtics lost a premiere starter when Glen Rice tore his MCL in mid-February and like Chicago, Boston found a capable replacement, although theirs was much earlier, as offseason trade pickup Jalen Rose filled Rice's big shoes, especially in the playoff opener against the Hornets.

Now these two dealing titans meet up again in a rematch of last year's East Conference Finals and it will take everything Boston has to stop the running of the Bulls to a threepeat.

Point Guard
John Stockton vs. Sam Cassell
Stockton hasn't exactly lit up the scoreboard so far in the playoffs, but he hasn't needed to. And when he does take his shots, he's been more hit than miss at 52.8%. 10.8 points, 10 assists and a steal per game is exactly what head coach/GM Bobby Troilus wanted out of him and the Celtics will rely on Stockton's fine perimeter defense to shut down Cassell.

Cassell proved last year you don't need an elite passer to win a championship and he's doing the same this season, averaging 16.8 points, 6.8 assists and 1.4 steals. The important thing is, even if he doesn't rack up the assists, he also doesn't turn over the ball. Disciplined and intelligent, he's unfortunately also not much of a defender. But against Stockton, that won't matter much.

Advantage: Draw

Shooting Guard
Allen Iverson vs. Michael Jordan
Iverson averaged a magnificent 24.6 points, 5.4 rebounds, 4.2 assists and an incredible 3 steals per game in the opening round. Last year's playoff shooting woes are behind him as he converted at a 47.3% clip. He finally started making the strides he's capable of this season and he'll be a handful for His Airness.

But on the other hand, even at 35, Air Jordan has no weakness in his game. More importantly, he's deferring to his teammates as evidenced by his 17.8 points, 5.2 rebounds and 1.6 steals so far. This matchup is going to be one of the most pivotal battles of the series, a titanic fight between a rising young star and the greatest player ever to play the game now in his twilight years.

Advantage: Draw

Small Forward
Jalen Rose vs. Scottie Pippen
Rose stepped up bigtime in the first round, shooting 49.4% for 18.8 points, 6.8 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 1.8 blocks. In short, he's been precisely the kind of versatile, well-rounded player that the Celtics hope Michael Finley will be should he ever get promoted to the starting lineup. Rose also did an admirable job of containing Tyrone Nesby.

Pippen's completely lost his shooting stroke, as he struggled to hit 40% for the season and is 37% in the playoffs. He's also hampered by a strained knee. On the other hand, he's still a great defender at 33, making his 9.8 points, 2.2 steals and 1.2 blocks more valuable than first appears. There's a reason he's starting and that's to try and shut down Rose.

Advantage: Celtics

Power Forward
Tom Gugliotta vs. Tim Duncan
Gugliotta's been doing it again, averaging 16.2 points, 10.8 rebounds and 2.4 steals. The rise of Rose has allowed Gugliotta to take more of a secondary role, one where he can concentrate on contributing in as many areas of the game as possible.

Unfortunately, he's got a tough draw in Duncan. Last year's #1 pick hasn't exactly scored a ton of points this year, either in the regular season or the postseason, but as his 16 points, 10.4 rebounds and 3.4 blocks illustrate, he's been as well-rounded as Gugliotta. His height and superior defense give him the edge here, though.

Advantage: Bulls

Center
Alonzo Mourning vs. Vin Baker
As celebrated as Rose has been, it's on Mourning's shoulders that the Celtics' ultimate destiny might rest. 12.8 points, 11.2 rebounds and 2.6 blocks in the first round, but it's his superlative defense on Baker that's going to be all-important for Boston's advancement hopes.

And then there's Baker himself. 21.6 points, 7 rebounds, 1.4 steals and 1.4 blocks. As electric a scorer as Mourning is a defender, he sets up the classic battle of unstoppable force vs immovable object. Smart and disciplined to boot. But he has his weaknesses as well. He's not a great rebounder and, perhaps most dangerously, he's only an average defender. That could prove fatal against the underrated offense of Mourning.

Advantage: Draw

Bench
It's been pretty much all Michael Finley with 6.8 points, 4.2 rebounds and 1.2 steals, though Howard Eisley's 4.4 points and 3.4 assists have been comparatively impressive, considering them come in at just under 12 minutes per game. But Mourning -has- to stay healthy, because an ancient Chris Dudley is the top backup at center.

Toni Kukoc is the top scorer at 5 points a game off the bench, but he's struggled with his shot this year and he faces a top matchup against the defensively good Finley. Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf, despite his 4.6 points a game, has been even more poor a shooter. Dennis Rodman's now just a 4.2 rebounds per game reserve and nothing else, but at least Chicago has some big depth with The Worm and Adonal Foyle.

Advantage: Draw

Final Thoughts
Age is starting to catch up with the Bulls, even with their masterstroke and lucky additions of Duncan and Baker. The Celtics have simultaneously improved and frankly, this looks like a very difficult series to call on paper. Boston has to hope for a short series, though, because one injury to Mourning and they're done. In the end, it doesn't seem like they'll quite have enough against Chicago, but the C's should be back in it next year.
Prediction: Bulls in 6

I felt like we could win, but it was going to be a war.

Game One
One of the reasons I felt optimistic was because unlike last season, we had the homecourt advantage that year. That still didn't stop Tim Duncan from breaking out for 26 points or Vin Baker from putting up 22 points and 16 rebounds. Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf scored 10 bench points and Dennis Rodman snagged 10 bench rebounds. But then Allen Iverson held His Airness to a 2 for 13 night, giving us hope. Jalen Rose scored 21 and Michael Finley rose off the bench for 18 points. However, victory was not secured until Alonzo Mourning abused Baker's porous defense for 42 points, 9 rebounds and 6 blocks in the standout performance of the playoffs for us so far. And so we went box to wire, never looking back from a 30-19 1st quarter lead.
Winner - Chicago 91 Boston 105

Game Two
I knew the Bulls weren't going to take the Game 1 loss lying down and Sam Cassell broke loose for 34 points. Tim Duncan stayed hot with 27 points and Vin Baker chipped in 12 points and 12 rebounds. Allen Iverson had a splendid 33 points and 10 rebounds and Michael Finley scored 10 bench points, but Scottie Pippen earned his defensive rep by holding Jalen Rose to a 2 for 11 night and that was the differencemaker. The Bulls won by 5 to even up the series.
Winner - Chicago 94 Boston 89

Game Three
If we could just get a win in Chicago, I'd rest a lot easier. The Bulls owned the first quarter, however and were led in the game by Scottie Pippen's surprise 23 points and Tim Duncan's 17 points, 11 rebounds and 5 blocks. Unfortunately for the Bulls, Air Jordan was just 1 of 12 and Allen Iverson compounded the difficulties with 21 points. Tom Gugliotta snapped out of his funk for 22 points, 10 rebounds and 4 steals and Alonzo Mourning posted 14 points, 13 rebounds and 4 blocks as we swept all the remaining quarters and won quite handily to go up 2-1.
Winner - Boston 94 Chicago 81

John Stockton's back locked up with spasms during Game 3, so against my better judgement, I started Howard Eisley at point guard. It was risking a blowup performance from Sam Cassell, but with a series lead, I felt we could gamble for a game.

Game Four
A ferocious defensive brawl played out this game and my fears of Sam Cassell playing great were unfounded, as he went 2 for 10. But Tim Duncan just missed a triple double with 9 points, 11 rebounds and 10 blocks, Vin Baker just missed 20 points with 19 and Dennis "The Worm" Rodman had a staggering 18 bench boards. The combined efforts were just enough to beat Tom Gugliotta's 22 points and 14 rebounds and Chris Crawford's 13 bench points. And so we went back to Boston tied at 2.
Final - Boston 77 Chicago 81

No sweeps this round, which surprised me a little as I thought Houston would punch out Portland early.

Game Five
It goes without saying that this was regarded as the pivotal contest of the series and the Bulls played like it, with 4 Chicago players scoring 20+ points. Sam Cassell popped up with 26 points, as Howard Eisley was still starting, Vin Baker grabbed 24 points and 13 rebounds, Michael Jordan scored 22 and Tim Duncan 21 to go with his 6 blocks. We answered with Jalen Rose's 23 points, Alonzo Mourning's 21 points and 11 rebounds, Tom Gugliotta's 12 points and 15 rebounds and 10 bench points each from Michael Finley and John Stockton. In the end, it was Scottie Pippen's goose egg that felled the Bulls, handing us a 10 point win and the crucial 3-2 driver's seat.
Winner - Chicago 97 Boston 107

Houston eliminated Portland in 5, which was no surprise, but I was stunned when I heard that Detroit sent Orlando home in just five games. Evidently The Mailman still didn't deliver and the Pistons were better than most people gave them credit for.

Game Six
Winning in Chicago to close out would be great, but I knew a far more realistic scenario was a Game 7 in Boston. Vin Baker posted 21 points and 13 rebounds, Sam Cassell scored 27 and Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf netted 12 bench points. Tom Gugliotta fired back with 28 points, Allen Iverson just missed the 20 point mark with 19 and Michael Finley chipped in with 11 bench points. It came down to a fierce fourth quarter rally on our parts and in the end, the 33-19 final 12 minute period gave us the comeback and the four point stunner over the two-time defending champion Chicago Bulls!!!!
Final - Boston 101 Chicago 97

It was deathly silent in the arena while we celebrated so joyously on the court. And I understand the fans' pain even as I was so happy for ourselves and our fans. Michael "Air" Jordan had looked very much an ordinary man this series and this might finally be his swan song.

I remember thinking at the time that there might never again be a modern-day dynasty like what we witnessed with those 90's Bulls. Of course, I hoped that we might be able to replicate it in terms of rings, but in terms of personality, of charisma and story, we likely wouldn't be able to.

Love them, hate them, the Bulls of that decade captured the attention and hearts of a nation. Even I, the Celtics fan, felt a love for those Bulls (of course, it was helped by the fact that my mother was a diehard Jordan fan and it was something that we bonded over).

But we were the ones to end it all that night in Chicago.

His Airness spoke to me during the post-game handshake and his words still ring in my ears to this day.

"Win this one for me. If I have to lose, let me lose to the champions."

I vowed aloud and silently to fulfill his wish.

Oh yes, that reminds me. The Suns beat the Sonics in six as well.

[Radii]

congrats!!!! Its sad seeing Jordan perform so badly though.

[Neuqua]

[Izulde]

Radii: Thanks. And I agree. Happy to have won, sad to see Jordan struggle.

Neuqua: Sorry.

[Izulde]

Paradoxical Underdog Top Seeds To Face Off For East Crown

Grant Hill has been absolutely masterful for his Pistons this postseason

It isn't often that the #1 and #2 seeds in a tournament are the decided underdogs, but that's been precisely the case for the Detroit Pistons and the Boston Celtics in the East Conference playoffs.

In spite of a stunning 69-13 record for Detroit and a third straight season of improved win totals in Boston, the heavy money was on the two-time defending champion Chicago Bulls, who picked up Vin Baker at the trade deadline and the Orlando Magic, who pulled off a stunner in getting Karl "The Mailman" Malone around the same time.

But here the Pistons and Celtics are, having legitimatized their regular season success by meeting up for the East Conference title and a trip to the Finlas for a shot at it all.

There's a chip on Detroit's shoulder, for it was their two losses to the Celtics in the final nine games of the regular season that cost the Pistons their shot at a record-breaking 70 wins and they'll be eager to beat Boston in revenge.

In counterpoint, Boston returns to the conference finals after losing in 6 to the eventual champion Bulls last year and are determined to break through this season as a validation of their decision to trade for John Stockton at the deadline and to prove their triumph over Michael Jordan's Bulls in the second round was no fluke.

It promises to be a tense, exciting series.

Point Guard
Howard Eisley/John Stockton vs. Tracy McGrady
Stockton's still bothered by back spasms, so Eisley of the 5.4 points and 4.7 assists will start the first two games. No matter which of them is on the court, however, the Celtics are guaranteed to have a supreme pass-first floor general, as Stockton garnered 8.6 points, 8.9 assists and 1.1 steals despite missing 3 starts. Stockton's defense will be key once he returns to full health.

At 19, McGrady is still raw, but he showed great strides in his second season, particularly in the playoffs, where he's averaging 15.9 points, 6.8 assists, 1.6 steals and 1.3 blocks. A 6'8, 210 PG is a scary thing and while McGrady's best suited to play the 2,3, or even 4, his sparkling shooting ability means he can play anywhere 1-4. He's pretty good in all areas now, but if and when he fills out his potential, he'll be truly great and a legitimate franchise player. Boston can only be thankful that he's still in the developing stage.

Advantage: Draw

Shooting Guard
Allen Iverson vs. Allan Houston
Iverson famously made Michael "Air" Jordan look old and ordinary in the last round while still showing great all-around flare with 21.4 points, 5.8 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 2.3 steals. This postseason has truly been his coming out party and he's eager to prove it even more in this series.

Houston's got talent on the offensive end, but he's notorious for freezing up in the playoffs, which doesn't bode well against Iverson. He'd actually be a better fit with his passing and handling skills to run the point than McGrady. Has some rebounding ability as evidenced by his postseason averages of 12.4 points and 5 rebounds. But he's only an average defender and can't make the highlight defensive play. If he can't contain Iverson or at least find his regular season accuracy levels, this series could go the wrong way for the Pistons.

Advantage: Celtics

Small Forward
Jalen Rose vs. Grant Hill
Despite facing a defensive beast in Scottie Pippen the last round, Rose is still averaging 15.5 points, 5 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 1.1 blocks a game in the playoffs in keeping with his multi-faceted game. Unfortunately, he also allowed a couple of 20+ point games from the offensively anemic Pippen, which spells trouble.

For Hill is averaging a breathtaking 24.7 points, 9.6 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 1.3 steals in the playoffs. For a small forward to be averaging double-digit boards, you know that he's one of the most instinctual rebounders this side of The Worm and he's also a splendid passer and extremely intelligent, to say nothing of his incredible scoring gifts. He's also learned to be more patient with his shots, resulting in much higher accuracy. In short, there's not a flaw in his game.

Advantage: Pistons

Power Forward
Tom Gugliotta vs. Gheorghe Muresan
Celtics GM/head coach Bobby Troilus has been heard to remark that Gugliotta is Boston's most valuable player. And indeed, he brings the kind of great all-around game that's made him a multi-time All-NBA selection, evidenced in the playoffs by his 16.1 points, 10.5 rebounds and 1.9 steals per game. But it might more be the case that the Celtics lack depth behind him that makes him so valuable.

Detroit's hoping Muresan's 7'7 height is going to be enough to contain Gugliotta and limit his rebounding abilities. A careful shooter, who converts over 60% of his field goal attempts, Muresan has 10.8 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.8 blocks in the postseason, with just 6 starts. He can bang it inside, rebound and shotblock, but he's extremely undisciplined and isn't a good defender in spite of his blocking talents. His effectiveness may prove quite limited.

Advantage: Celtics

Center
Alonzo Mourning vs. Jermaine O'Neal
Mourning's defense has really carried the Celtics this playoffs and he's even 100% from downtown after a nailing a three-point shot in Game 6 versus the Bulls. 16 points, 10.5 rebounds, 1.1 steals and 3.2 blocks in the postseason only start to tell the story of just how much his shutdown presence has been critical to Boston's success. He contained Chicago star Vin Baker last round and he'll be asked to do the same to youngster O'Neal here.

It may be unfair that a 20 year old has been hounded for his poor shot selection, but that's exactly what O'Neal's faced in his third season after being drafted 10th overall in the 1996 draft. Fortunately for the Pistons, he's found some shooting accuracy this postseason and is putting up 16.6 points, 12 rebounds and 3.3 blocks a game. He's nowhere near as good a defender as Mourning, but he's pretty good in his own right and he's just as dynamic a blocker, in addition to being a better rebounder. This is going to be an exciting matchup and the winner of this position fight might well win the series.

Advantage: Draw

Bench
Boston relies almost exclusively on Michael Finley's versatility and 8.9 points per game in the playoffs, with support from either Eisley or Stockton at the point. They're certain to look for an upgrade bench big man with one of their four first round picks in the upcoming draft.

Eddie Jones may not be a great passer, but he's a career 50.7% 3-point playoff shooter, who's averaging 12 points, 4.3 assists and 1.7 steals this go-round. He's also an underrated defender with thieving skills that are almost without equal. Brian Evans is a chucker, which explains how he manages to average 8 points, 4.1 rebounds and 1.4 steals per game despite being the very definition of mediocre. Both teams only really go two-deep in quality on their bench, though.

Advantage: Draw

Final Thoughts
If Glen Rice was healthy, we'd still be calling this a close series. This is quite simply just a tough one to call, maybe even more difficult than the Celtics/Bulls series last round. In the end, though, we see homecourt advantage deciding it in a thrilling, all-out, 7 game full-limit epic.
Prediction: Detroit in 7

I couldn't fault them that and of course, there was always the worry of injury.

Game One
It was a capacity crowd and then some in Auburn Hills, the fans there excited beyond all measure to be playing us for the chance at the Finals and revenge. The noise was deafening at times and it definitely affected our players. Jalen Rose scored 20 and Tom Gugliotta picked up 16 points and 16 rebounds, but Grant Hill tore into us for 32 points and 10 rebounds and Jermaine O'Neal put up a masterful 20 points and 20 rebounds in a powerful rejection of all the pre-series press. We were never really in this one.
Final - Boston 88 Detroit 100

Game Two
Game 2 was damned frustrating. We had a 7 point halftime lead and pissed it all away. Grant Hill led a second half surge with 24 points, followed closely by Gheorghe Muresan's 23 points to combat Jalen Rose's 25 points and Tom Gugliotta's 24 points. Our fate was sealed by Jermaine O'Neal's 18 points and 10 rebounds, Tracy McGrady's 15 points and 10 assists and Eddie Jones's 11 bench points. Finding ourselves in an 0-2 hole was not a good way to start the series.
Final - Boston 98 Detroit 107

Game Three
I hoped the combined factors of being at home and having John Stockton back in the starting lineup would allow us to get back in the series. A close game followed in which Jermaine O'Neal thundered for 24 points, 17 rebounds and 6 blocks, Gheorghe Muresan scored 25 and Grant Hill netted 12 points and 12 rebounds. Alonzo Mourning showed up for 15 points, 10 rebounds and 5 assists and Tom Gugliotta got the weak man's double of 10 points, 10 rebounds. It looked quite grim, especially since Allen Iverson shot 4 for 20, until Jalen Rose turned on the afterburners for 36 points to give us the win. It was only by 5 points, but it was a victory we needed more than anything. Oh yes, Michael Finley also had 10 bench boards. But the important thing was, we were back in it.
Final - Detroit 99 Boston 104

Game Four
Detroit was furious to be denied the sweep and they came out with guns blazing. Gheorge Muresan continued to show that size does matter in scoring 21 points, Grant Hill added 20, Jermaine O'Neal got 10 points and 15 rebounds and the Pistons' bench piped up for 11 and 10 points from Brian Evans and Eddie Jones. But we fired back with 3 players in 20+ points, Jalen Rose with 27, Allen Iverson with 22 and in the most unlikely performance of all, 27 points and 9 assists from 36 year old John Stockton. it was a beautiful thing to see and he was mobbed after the surprisingly easy win that tied the series at 2 and officially announced to the world that it was a whole new ballgame.
Final - Detroit 97 Boston 110

Both conference finals were turning out as action-packed as people expected, because the West was also tied at two after four games.

Game Five
Game 5s are, in general, the momentum games if they get that far and I felt this one was no exception. The bad news for us was that it was in Detroit and the Pistons weren't about to take us lightly, not after we fought back in Boston. Grant Hill rained for 34 points, Tracy McGrady sprung free of the Stockton trap for 20 points, Jermaine O'Neal doubled for 14 points and 16 rebounds and Eddie Jones and George McCloud of all people poured in 17 and 10 bench points. Against that onslaught, Allen Iverson's 21 points, Tom Gugliotta's 14 points and 14 rebounds and Michael Finley's pleasant 20 bench points looked like so much nothing.
Final - Boston 94 Detroit 118

Game Six
Of course, down 3-2, this game in Boston was a must-win. And we avenged ourselves for Game 5 quite beautifully, holding the Pistons to Tracy McGrady's 23 points and 11 rebounds and Eddie Jones's 17 bench points. Meanwhile, Tom Gugliotta roared for 27 points and 18 rebounds, Allen Iverson scored 22 and John Stockton had a gorgeous double of 19 points and 17 assists as we blew them out to force a Game 7 in Auburn Hills.
Final - Detroit 93 Boston 115

Both conference championships not only featured a 1 vs 2 seed pairing, but both of them went to Game 7, as the Rockets and Suns were knotted up as well after six. That 1998-99 postseason was certainly one of the more riveting in recent memory, at least the conference finals round.

Game Seven
And so it all came down to this. The 69-13 Pistons in their packed home arena, eager to take their revenge at the lost 70th win in the form of the East conference crown we longed for. The odds didn't look good, as Detroit was dominant at home and we'd not shown we could hang with them for four quarters yet this series. All the heavy money lay on the Pistons and rightly so. And then Allen Iverson said Hell no to that, bursting for 33 points to pair with Jalen Rose's 22 points. But Detroit replied with Jermaine O'Neal's 30 points and 11 rebounds and Tracy McGrady's 26 points. What really doomed us, however, was John Stockton's 0 for 8 night. It was a bitter, total defeat. Once again, we'd come close to the East crown, only to lose it.
Final - Boston 96 Detroit 115

Making the matter even more bittersweet, the Phoenix Suns upset the Houston Rockets in Game 7.

Detroit went on to take a 3-0 Finals lead and continue the East's run of titles, winning 4-1.

At least there was that small consolation of having nearly won the NBA's toughest conference. The West certainly had an inferiority complex in the second half of the '90s, even though they could point to the Rockets' wins in the two years prior to my GMship as signs they weren't completely irrelevant.

But in the end, it wasn't the coming close that mattered. It was the trophies. And we'd come up just short two years in a row in our bid to make the NBA Finals.

[Izulde]

We held the 11th and 7th picks to start in the lottery. Not good odds, to be sure, but better than nothing.

NBA Lottery
13. Minnesota Timberwolves
12. Denver Nuggets
11. Boston Celtics

It was as I expected, so I merely smiled and shrugged as it came up.

10. Houston Rockets
9. Milwaukee Bucks
8. Boston Celtics (-1)

Bad luck to drop a spot, especially since it meant Miami, who was just behind us, had launched into the top 3.

7. Los Angeles Clippers (-1)
6. Philadelphia 76ers (-1)
5. Milwaukee Bucks (-3)

I'll confess to great glee upon seeing the Bucks drop three slots. Milwaukee was a team I detested for some of their moves and I particularly disliked their often lottery luck.

4. New York Knicks (-3)
3. New Jersey Nets (+1)
2. Sacramento Kings (+1)
1. Miami Heat (+7)

And so it was the Heat that Lady Luck smiled on that year. On the other hand, as I've said before, there was no number one consensus pick.

NBA Awards

MVP
David Robinson - San Antonio Spurs - 22.5 PPG 10.1 RPG 2.5 APG 3.0 BPG 1.7 SPG
Defensive Player of the Year
Marcus Camby - Dallas Mavericks - 16.1 PPG 12.1 RPG 2.3 APG 3.5 BPG 1.6 SPG
Rookie of the Year
Vince Carter - Sacramento Kings - 19.9 PPG 4.2 RPG 3.5 APG 1.1 BPG 1.3 SPG
6th Man of the Year
Ashraf Amaya - Vancouver Grizzlies - 12.4 PPG 7.5 RPG 1.3 APG 0.5 BPG 1.3 SPG
Coach of the Year
M.L. Carr - Detroit Pistons

Yes, that's unfortunately correct. The man I'd fired as our head coach had just won Coach of the Year and a title with the Pistons. It's something I didn't bring up before because it still galls me to think of it.

I also thought Predrag Stojakovic was unfairly robbed of the Rookie of the Year award, though it was a close vote.

All-NBA 1st Team
PG Kevin Johnson - Phoenix Suns
SG Ray Allen - Charlotte Hornets
SF Grant Hill - Detroit Pistons
PF Chris Webber - Washington Bullets
C David Robinson - San Antonio Spurs

All-NBA 2nd Team
PG Stephon Marbury - Houston Rockets
SG Kobe Bryant - Milwaukee Bucks
SF Cedric Cellabos - Houston Rockets
PF Kevin Garnett - Minnesota Timberwolves
C Marcus Camby - Dallas Mavericks

All-NBA 3rd Team
PG Jason Kidd - Dallas Mavericks
SG Reggie Miller - Indiana Pacers
SF Glenn Robinson - Milwaukee Bucks
PF Vin Baker - Chicago Bulls
C Hakeem Olajuwon - Houston Rockets

I couldn't believe Allen Iverson was so wrongfully snubbed. He deserved it over Bryant and Miller and the former Celtic retribution continued with Starbury's being named to the 2nd team.

All-Defense 1st Team
PG Gary Payton - Seattle Supersonics
SG Rick Brunson - Milwaukee Bucks
SF Scottie Pippen - Chicago Bulls
PF Kevin Garnett - Minnesota Timberwolves
C Marcus Camby - Dallas Mavericks

All-Defense 2nd Team
PG Mookie Blaylock - Atlanta Hawks
SG Latrell Sprewell - Golden State Warriors
SF Bruce Bowen - Indiana Pacers
PF Tim Duncan - Chicago Bulls
C David Robinson - San Antonio Spurs

All-Rookie 1st Team
PG Earl Boykins - Los Angeles Lakers
SG Vince Carter - Sacramento Kings
SF Predrag Stojakovic - Atlanta Hawks
PF Dirk Nowitzki - Toronto Raptors
C Raef LaFrentz - Orlando Magic

All-Rookie 2nd Team
PG Mike Bibby - Miami Heat
SG Paul Pierce - New Jersey Nets
SF Ruben Patterson - Los Angeles Clippers
PF Pat Garrity - Washington Bullets
C Brad Miller - Toronto Raptors

Cliff Gross was fine with the promise of another Atlantic title and even authorized us to spend $10-15 million over the cap it it would give us a shot at finally getting to the Finals.

Mock Draft
Although I told you it was an even year that year and to a great extent it was, as the draft drew closer and closer, it became more apparent that Duke big man Elton Brand was the clear-cut #1 choice and the likely top pick by the Miami Heat, despite their acquiring Antawn Jamison from us the year before.

After that, it was anybody's guess, so I'll give you the mock draft I usually looked at.

Projected Mock Draft First Round
1. PF Elton Brand - Miami Heat
2. SF Shawn Marion - Sacramento Kings
3. PF Lamar Odom - New Jersey Nets
4. SG Steve Francis - New York Knicks
5. PG Andre Miller - Milwaukee Bucks
6. SF Ron Artest - Philadelphia 76ers
7. SF Corey Magette - Los Angels Clippers
8. PG Baron Davis - Boston Celtics
9. SG Richard Hamilton - Milwaukee Bucks
10. PG Jason Terry - Houston Rockets
11. C Todd McCulloch - Boston Celtics
12. PG Chucky Atkins - Denver Nuggets
13. PG Anthony Carter - Minnesota Timberwolves
14. SG Eddie Robinson - Dallas Mavericks
15. SF Dedric Willoughby - Utah Jazz
16. PG Rafer Alston - San Antonio Spurs
17. SF Adrian Griffin - Golden State Warriors
18. SF Wally Szczerbiak - Minnesota Timberwolves
19. C Calvin Booth - Charlotte Hornets
20. SF James Posey - Portland Trailblazers
21. C Jeff Foster - Miami Heat
22. PG William Avery - Detroit Pistons
23. PF Scott Padgett - Boston Celtics
24. PF Obinna Ekezie - Charlotte Hornets
25. SG Milt Palacio - Orlando Magic
26. SG Derrick Dial - Houston Rockets
27. C Cal Bowdier - Chicago Bulls
28. SG Vonteego Cummings - Boston Celtics
29. PG Chris Herren - Philadelphia 76ers

While I couldn't fault the position selections for our picks and I was quite impressed with Davis and Cummings for their areas in the drat, McCulloch and Padgett didn't impress me one whit.

Besides, there were other players I had a keener eye on.

[Radii]

hahah, the year that duke was no longer immune to players leaving early, as it seems like their entire team fucked over coach K. A true thing of beauty.

I'm interested to see what Elton Brand can do not saddled down by the horror that is the Clippers franchise.

Also, it seems like there's a lot of pretty good, but really nothing great in this draft class.

[law90026]

Damn, 4 1st round draft picks. No chance of parlaying that into a higher pick?

[Izulde]

Radii: Now watch, Brand'll slip all the way to the Clips. FWIW, I agree with you. It's a pretty deep class, but no real exclamation point players.

law90026: It's possible. It's just a question of how much I want to do that and whether or not the AI is going to be anal-retentive about it.

[Izulde]

We had a definite shortlist in hand after bringing players in for workouts. For the 8th pick, however, it only ran a few players deep, so we would try and move up at some point.

1999 NBA Draft First Round
1. SF Shawn Marion - Miami Heat

A fairly unbelievable pick to judge from the roars in the crowd. I was stunned myself until I considered that Marion's purported versatility would serve the Heat fairly well. But to pass on Brand in favor of Marion made no sense.

2. PF Elton Brand - Sacramento Kings

First they got a gift of Vince Carter the year before. Then the Kings lucked out by getting the best player in the draft in Brand. Impressive.

3. PF Lamar Odom - New Jersey Nets*

Odom struck me as a lighter version of Marion in many respects and perhaps even more versatile. Still, I wasn't impressed with him at all.

4. SG Steve Francis - New York Knicks*

Everybody in the building knew Stevie Franchise was headed to New York if he was still there and sure enough, that's where he went.

5. C Todd McCulloch - Milwaukee Bucks

A second shocker, one even bigger than the Marion at first selection. There was no way he was worth a Top 5 pick, even as the best center in an extremely weak draft. His selection made that we would be guaranteed at least one of our top two targets, as I was determined to trade up into the 7th spot.

I'd tried getting into slots 5 and 6, but neither the Bucks nor the 76ers were listening.

6. SF Corey Maggette - Philadelphia 76ers

Nobody could believe their ears when they heard this pick and neither could I. Maggette struck me as extremely overrated, made overly shiny by the Duke name. Even more puzzling when you consider they already had Darvin Ham.

Off #8 and our 2001 2nd went to the Clippers for #7 and the player we wanted most.

7. SF Ron Artest - Boston Celtics

The talking heads loved the pick, as he should have been taken by Philly if they were going to take a SF. They also speculated that this meant of the end of Glen Rice in Boston. They were right.

8. SG Eddie Robinson - Los Angeles Clippers

I didn't rate Robinson at all, so I loved the pick.

I tried to move up to #9, but the Bucks weren't interested.

9. SG Milt Palacio - Milwaukee Bucks

It was a draft of shocking picks and a 5'5 guard going 9th overall made no sense. Especially one who had no point guard skills.

The Rockets knew our reputation for moving up and wouldn't let us move in to the 10 spot no matter what we offered them.

10. PG Jason Terry - Houston Rockets*

I'd wanted either Terry or the player I thought about taking at #8 if Artest would've been off the board and the one I preferred somehow fell to me, which floored me.

I wasted no time in rushing the pick in.

11. PG Baron Davis - Boston Celtics

The Baron at 11 was an out and out steal and I loved the cheers from the Celtics fans in attendance and basked in the praise of the announcers, who called it the best pick of the draft so far. Never did I imagine he'd fall to 11.

12. PG Andre Miller - Denver Nuggets

The Nuggets were equally ecstatic to land Miller at 12. Projected 5th overall in the mock draft, he experienced a real tumble.

13. PF Scott Padgett - Minnesota Timberwolves

This pick was another brow-raiser. Without question, this was going to go down as one of the most unexpected drafts in history.

14. SF James Posey - Dallas Mavericks
15. SG Richard Hamilton - Utah Jazz
16. SG Vonteego Cummings - San Antonio Spurs

As much as I admired Cummings, 16 was far too early for him. But then, as old as the Spurs were, any youth was good.

17. SF Dedric Willoughby - Golden State Warriors
18. C Calvin Booth - Minnesota Timberwolves
19. SG Derrick Dial - Charlotte Hornets

I saw a major opportunity with a player falling, so I dealt #23 and #36 to the Portland Trailblazers for #20 and their 2000 and 2001 2nd round picks.

20. SF Wally Szczerbiak - Boston Celtics

I loved watching Wally World at the Miami University of Ohio and for a player of his scoring talents, there was no good reason why he should still be there at 20. This overpadded our small forward situation, but he made a perfect 6th man in my opinion.

21. SF Adrian Griffin - Miami Heat
22. PG Chucky Atkins - Detroit Pistons

At 26, his age is what brought Atkins down. Otherwise, he was a very talented player.

23. PG Anthony Carter - Portland Trailblazers
24. PF Obinna Ekeze - Charlotte Hornets
25. SG Jermaine Jackson - Orlando Magic
26. SG Dion Glover - Houston Rockets
27. C Jeff Foster - Chicago Bulls

The Bulls continued their run of taking players with late firsts and in doing so, they drafted the center I'd intended on grabbing.

So I took a flier on a player.

28. C Cal Bowdler - Boston Celtics

Nobody much liked the pick, but I didn't care. In Artest, Baron and Wally World we had a dream draft. I couldn't take another year of Chris Dudley as our best backup center.

29. SF Jumaine Jones - Philadelphia 76ers

Our first look after the draft revealed just how much of a jackpot we'd hit. Baron Davis looked absolutely godly at point guard, able to pass, defend and score all magnificiently. He should've really been a top 3-5 selection, not fallen all the way down to 11. Of course, he did have a ways to go, especially in discipline and basketball awareness.

Ron Artest had shoot from anywhere capability and lockdown defense possibility. I saw him as a possible heir apparent to Tom Gugliotta at power forward. He would be fighting it out with Michael Finley for the starting small forward spot.

Wally Szczerbiak looked a lot like Predrag Stojakovic last year and he looked like a clear-cut case of 6th man. On the other hand, it was possible he could fall later in the depth chart.

Cal Bowdler appeared to have a little upside and was quite an ordinary, acceptable backup center at first glance, which was fine for pick #28.

With Artest, Wally World, Gugliotta, Finley and Jalen Rose, coupled with the fact of his injury, I had no choice but to sadly renounce Glen Rice's contract. Once I did that, it was simple enough to renounce everyone's contract, leaving us $1.47 million in cap space and 10 players under contract without the forthcoming expected cap raising. I of course intended to bring back Howard Eisley and likely Chris Crawford as well.

Summer League
PG Baron Davis
SF Ron Artest
SF Wally Szczerbiak
C Cal Bowdler

Expectations were high for the Four Leaf Clovers, as the Boston press had taken to calling them and so the summer league was much anticipated. We won the first game 107-95 over Orlando, but it was reserve Dejaun Wheat's 28 bench points that stole the show. Wally Szczerbiak scored 24 off the bench. Wheat was an interesting study. Once projected as a mid-first round pick, he'd fallen to the 2nd round (3rd pick - Vancouver - 1997 draft) and had a couple decent, if unspectacular seasons as a starter with the Grizzlies. My guess was he'd go back to Vancouver, but on the other hand, he play better defense than Howard Eisley.

We lost 104-91 to the Nets, despite Dejuan Wheat's 26 points and Wally Szczerbiak's 12 points off the bench. Far more worrisome than anything was Ron Mercer's teeing off on us for 41 points.

Finally somebody other than Wally Szczerbiak (29 bench points) started showing something in our 83-65 win over the 76ers. Cal Bowdler broke out for 17 points and 14 rebounds.

The Knicks nipped us 108-107, despite 28 and 27 points from usual suspects Dejuan Wheat and Wally Szczerbiak respectively. I was shocked we hadn't seen anything from our higher picks yet.

An annoying 84-81 loss to the Heat followed, but when Dejuan Wheat was our lead scorer with 13 points, but it was to be expected.

Ron Artest finally showed scoring touch with 20 points, even though he was trumped by Dejuan Wheat's 33 points as we snapped the streak and won 103-91 in Washington to finish the summer league.

Our disappointing summer showing had me worried about our chances in the upcoming season, in particular with Baron Davis's flameout.

There was a lot of thinking to do before free agency.

[Autumn]

Wow, great draft, looks like we'll be seeing a new look in Boston these coming seasons.

[Izulde]

Originally Posted by Autumn

Wow, great draft, looks like we'll be seeing a new look in Boston these coming seasons.

On paper it looks good, but Baron's surprising lack of summer league production worries me. Especially since he was getting torched on defense.

But we'll see.

[Izulde]

Free Agency

With a windfall of $4 million in salary cap increase, we were $5.468 million under the cap and so had room to bring a quality player. Then again, everybody had cap room except the Chicago Bulls.

A lot of the old, big names who'd signed one year deals before were available of course, along with Vin Baker, who was arguably the hottest name on the market. There was also such players as Jamal Mashburn, who despite injury concerns had played all 82 games all 4 seasons I'd been GM and who was a 3-time All-Star to boot. A pity we were already overloaded at his position group, as I always liked him.

It was a tough outing. We offered all of our cap space to Sir Charles Barkley on a year deal and he took $500,000 less to stay in Phoenix. That same day, a lot of the top names went off the market, including quite a few changing teams.

Major Changes
Derrick Coleman - Houston Rockets - 4 years, $21.1 million (Despite a torn ACL that would have him miss the first part of the season)
Danny Fortson - Utah Jazz - 5 years, $20.2 million
Scot Pollard - Sacramento Kings - 5 years, $20.6 million
Dejuan Wheat - New Jersey Nets - 5 years, $17.7 million

It was a crushing blow to lose Barkley, Wheat and Pollard all on the same day, as I had Pollard as a backup possibility. Oh yes, Vin Baker also re-signed with Chicago and Karl Malone with the Magic that day.

A couple days later, Ron Mercer cashed in his 41 point summer league game against us for a 4 year, $13 million contract with Minnesota and Glen Rice jumped ship to, of all teams, the Bulls, for 2 years, $8 million.

We made headlines the next day when we signed Dennis "The Worm" Rodman to a 1 year deal for all the rest of our cap space, which was $3.468 million after our offers to the players we wanted to return. Yes, he was 38 years old and a one note rebounder, but I always enjoyed The Worm's antics and thought maybe he could be the lucky piece we needed. Howard Eisley returned with a 3 year, $3 million contract in hand as well.

Also on The Day of the Worm, the Suns took care of any point guard issues if Kevin Johnson went down by stealing Mookie Blaylock from the Hawks at 5 years, $19.9 million.

Atlanta struck by signing John Stockton to a one year, $2.61 million deal the day after and Chris Crawford got a comparatively fat paycheck of $6.23 million for 3 years from the 76ers. I couldn't blame Chris for taking the deal. It was over double what we were offering him and who knew what kind of playing time he'd get with us anyway.

We finished our free agency by bringing back old friend Bo Outlaw to a 2 year, $2 million deal, giving us 13 players and zeroing out our cap space.

Training Camp

Ron Artest appeared to have an even higher ceiling than we thought, but Wally Szczerbiak and Cal Bowdler were what we thought they were. Bowdler did show a little more upside than we figured, but Wally was strictly a scorer and nothing more, with no room for growth.

But the biggest blow was that my fears about Baron Davis were correct. He was nowhere near as talented as I thought he was and his drop appeared justified. Although he still had it in him to be a quality starting point guard, all signs indicated to his being a chucker with overrated defense.

Season Preview

We were picked to finish 6th in the East, 4th in the Atlantic behind New Jersey, Orlando and New York. It was a crock, really, because the Nets were overrated, even if they did sign Jeff Hornacek in free agency, Shaquille O'Neal was out the entire season with a torn Achilles, which negated the Magic's chances and the Knicks were simply still too young.

Detroit was favored to repeat, with the Bulls their closest challengers, which made perfect sense to me in both cases. The Nets at number three I've already dismissed.

The Rockets were the understandable top pick in the West, followed by the perpetually underachieving Timberwolves and the starter-strong, bench-weak Mavericks. In a sign of just how far the Jazz had fallen, they were picked for last in the conference and deservedly so. Damon Jones was their best young talent and he couldn't play defense, while Danny Fortson, their prize ree agent signing and top player, was out almost two months with a torn knee tendon.

Oh and Glen Rice would only miss a week and a half with the Bulls before suiting up for Chicago. Our battles were certainly going to be epic.

1999-00 Boston Celtics Opening Day Roster
PG Jalen Rose
SG Allen Iverson
SF Ron Artest
PF Tom Gugliotta
C Alonzo Mourning
6th Baron Davis (PG/SG)
7th Wally Szczerbiak (SG/SF)
8th Michael Finley (SG/SF/PF)
9th Cal Bowdler (PF/C)
10th Dennis Rodman (SF/PF/C)
11th Howard Eisley (PG)
12th Bo Outlaw (PF/C)
Inactive
Dana Barros

[Izulde]

The first game of the season on Halloween night always fills me with a certain amount of eagerness and excitement and the 1999 opener was no exception. We would be relying quite heavily on our rookies, which is always a dicey proposition.

Fortunately, we played another youth dependent team in the Bucks and blew them 107-72 in an opener that saw every Celtic player get at least 4 minutes of playing time, resulting in Ron Artest as our lead scorer with 18 points. Cal Bowdler and Baron Davis had 6 and 4 points respectively in their own pro debuts. Milwaukee got a double-double of 11 points, 13 rebounds from Rick Brunson but that was it.

I was thankful Glen Rice was still out when we went to Chicago the night after or our 104-84 whipping at the hands of the Bulls would've been even worse. Tim Duncan thundered for 30 points, 13 rebounds, 4 assists, 8 blocks and 5 steals and Vin Baker dropped in 16 points and 11 rebounds. With just 3 Boston players in double-digit scoring, led by Alonzo Mourning's 19 points and 18 rebounds and Jalen Rose's 21 points and 13 assists, it's little wonder we lost as badly as we did.

A frustrating 106-101 loss to the Suns followed. [b]Chauncey Billups[/b torched us for 28 points and Shawnelle Scott piled on 20 points and 13 rebounds. Thus did we waste Allen Iverson's 23 points and 3 bench players with 10+ points: Wally Szczerbiak's 18 points and 12 points each from Michael Finley and Cal Bowdler.

We righted the ship with a 116-87 hammering of the Magic. Ron Artest led all scorers with 24 points, Alonzo Mourning took advantage of Shaquille O'Neal's absence for 22 points, Allen Iverson netted 20 points and Wally Szczerbiak added 10 bench points. Orlando's best outing came courtesy of Horace Grant's 11 points and 12 rebounds off the bench.

Lowly Utah was so terrible in our 117-72 sweeping of them that they had no highlights. Meanwhile Jalen Rose blitzed them for 23 points, 12 assists and 6 rebounds and Ron Artest and Alono Mourning scored 22 each.

Even though Randy Livingston and Rasheed Wallace combined for 25 and 20 points, we still bit down the Bullets 110-89. Alonzo Mourning was unstoppable with 30 points and 11 rebounds, but Tom Gugliotta also woke up for the first time in the young season with 22 points and 15 rebounds. Jalen Rose was showing off surprising passing skills with 10 points and 12 assists and Wally Szczerbiak continued to be the bench sparkplug with 12 points.

The Bucks gave us a tough fight the next night, but we still won 96-91 on Tom Gugliotta's 30 points and 10 rebounds. Just two Bucks players had 10+ points, but they were major gamers, with 26 points from Glenn "Big Dog" Robinson and 23 points from Bonzi Wells. Allen Iverson aided Gugliotta's efforts with 25 points and Alonzo Mourning tipped in 17 points and 10 rebounds.

I felt good after beating the Rockets 105-95, Stephon "Starbury" Marbury's 12 points and 10 assists topped by Allen Iverson's 30 points and Wally Szczerbiak's 13 bench points. We needed to prove we could win over a good team and that victory gave us that confidence.

Despite Ray Allen's 31 points, the Hornets posed no problem in a 110-87 stinging. Alonzo Mourning tore into them for 27 points and 12 rebounds, Tom Gugliotta scored 21, Allen Iverson 20 and Baron Davis made his first worthwhile contribution with 11 bench points.

We blunted the Warriors 108-77 on Tom Gugliotta's 28 points and Allen Iverson's 20 points. i was very pleased with how we'd turned things around after our 2-2 roughshod start.

The Hornets came buzzing to Boston for revenge, but we swatted them 112-83. Christian Laettner and Roy Rogers had inspired performances of 26 points and 15 points, 15 rebounds respectively, but they were more than answered by Tom Gugliotta's 24 points and 11 rebounds, Allen Iverson's 22 points and Jalen Rose's 19 points and 10 assists.

A hotly hyped showdown with Detroit came next and we won 95-85, even though we had just two players in double-digit scoring. Tracy McGrady hit us for 23 points and Jermaine O'Neal doubled for 12 points and 16 rebounds to put us on the ropes. But then Jalen Rose came through with a 30 point, 9 rebound, 7 assist outing, Allen Iverson scored 22 and Alonzo Mourning had an all-around game of 9 points, 12 rebounds, 6 assists and 6 blocks to get us the victory.

It was sweet to absolutely obliterate overrated New Jersey 123-85, Jerald Honeycutt's 12 bench points brushed aside by Allen Iverson's 28 points, Tom Gugliotta's 20 points and 14 rebounds, Jalen Rose's 20 points and 10 assists and last, but not least, Michael Finley's monster 20 bench points.

Don't let the 104-101 final fool you. It was only a furiously fought fourth quarter that brought the Bullets even that close to us the next night. As you might expect from that, it was their bench players that powered Washington. Pat Garrity scored 21 and much-maligned Jamie Feick scored 17 to go with Chris Webber's astounding 22 points, 17 rebounds, 7 assists and 7 blocks. Fortunately, Allen Iverson was there to explode for 33 points. Alonzo Mourning tacked on a pair of 13s in points and rebounds and Jalen Rose picked up 18 points and 10 assists.

And so we were 12-2, riding an 11 game winning streak. That gave us a 4 game early lead on the Magic, who despite missing Shaq, were still 9-7. But our accomplishment was dwarfed by the 12-1 Pacers and 13-2 Bulls and Pistons. It was a truly top-heavy East that first month.

9-5 Dallas had a half-game lead on San Antonio in the Midwest, but 11-4 Phoenix was better still and a game and a half in front of Sacramento and Seattle besides.

Celtics Leaders

Scoring
1. Allen Iverson - 22.0
2. Jalen Rose - 16.7
3. Alonzo Mourning -16.5
4. Tom Gugliotta - 16.4

Assists
1. Jalen Rose - 8.6
2. Allen Iverson - 5.0
3. Ron Artest - 3.6

Rebounds
1. Tom Gugliotta - 8.6
2. Alonzo Mourning - 8.2
3. Jalen Rose - 5.6
4. Ron Artest - 5.5

Blocks
1. Alonzo Mourning - 2.4
2. Tom Gugliotta - 0.8
T3. Jalen Rose - 0.5
T3. Ron Artest - 0.5

Steals
1. Ron Artest - 1.8
2. Allen Iverson - 1.6
3. Tom Gugliotta - 1.4