CELTICS NOTEBOOK CAN TEAM DEFEND ITSELF?

January 25, 1980

The time has come for the Boston Celtics to demonstrate that they really are a team.

Dave Cowens is out of action with a foot injury, and the ramifications of that go deeper than the mere necessity to replace a starting center. Someone, for example, must back up the backup.

Everyone must realize that without Cowens the team's defensive concept changes completely. You simply don't play as well without the league's best defensive center - which Cowens, no doubt, is - as you do with him.

Life After David began on Wednesday evening in the Pontiac (Mich.) Silverdome with a 131-104 trouncing of the Pistons. Chapter Two will unfold tonight when the Washington Bullets, whom the Celtics have not seen in 82 days, enter the Garden to play the Celtics (Ch. 4, 7:30). Though the Bullets are still stumbling around with a sub-.500 record, they have experience and firepower, and they will pose new problems for this Cowensless Celtic team.

Specifically, can Rick Robey, who established personal season highs in scoring (24), rebounding (19) and assists (4) Wednesday against the Pistons, approximate those figures against wily old Westley Unseld? Moving Bob McAdoo out from underneath the hoop is one thing; moving the Prudential Building is something else.

Can Gerald Henderson, who has quietly averaged nine points a game while shooting 55 percent (32 for 58) in his last eight contests, play at a high level against a quick opponent like Larry Wright and a clever veteran like Jim Cleamons?

Given the imposing Washington front line of Unseld, Elvin Hayes, Bob Dandridge and Greg Ballard, this game will be an important test for Robey.

"He's playing very well," says Celtic coach Bill Fitch. "The best thing I can say about him is that I can't remember his last bad game. Three weeks ago, I couldn't have said that."

Robey recognizes the opportunity he now has to demonstrate his viability as a playoff performer.

"I'm just trying to play hard," he explains, "and I've been learning from one of the best in Dave. When someone asks me about this center or that center, I say that he's no better than the center I face every day in practice. Dave has prepared me for this job, and the coaches have, too."

As for Henderson, whom Chris Ford has nicknamed "Quick," he has been taking two steps forward for every one backward over the past month or so. The rookie with one of the league's most envied pair of legs has been playing with increasing confidence, and in his 16-point, 5-assist performance on Wednesday, he was able to do pretty much what he wanted to do against the Detroit guards.

"Gerald's end product should be a total guard," assesses Fitch. "We have four guards with specific skills now. We've got Tiny (Archibald), Chris (Ford), Duck (Don Chaney) and now Pete (Maravich). Gerry can learn something from each of them."

Another player who must show something is Eric Fernsten, who logged more time (10 minutes) on Wednesday than he has in any game since Oct. 31. Prior to the Piston affair, Fernsten had played 27 minutes in the preceding 13 games. Eric is very popular with his teammates, but he could make himself popular with his coach by doing a good job tonight.