IT'S A BIT EARLY TO BE TAKING SHOTS AT WILKINS

November 5, 1994

IT'S A BIT EARLY TO BE TAKING SHOTS AT WILKINS

They are already whispering about it. One game, one loss, and the whispers are here, because it happened just the way the naysayers said it would: Dominique Wilkins would take 20 shots, and score 20 points, and the Celtics would lose. Every night.

Every night? No, the coach has a problem with that theory. Chris Ford watched his team get thumped by the New York Knicks, 120-107, in the season opener, but he was a lot more concerned about the absence of interior defense than the fact Wilkins shot 7 for 20 from the floor.

Yet the whispers have surfaced already, albeit ever so softly, because this town is thirsty for success, parched from the dismal showing last year, and the fans were certain that Wilkins was a superstar who would pull them out of this drought, and would do it immediately, in the very first game of his Boston career.

Seven for 20 wasn't what they had in mind.

"Listen," said Ford, "we got Dominique to take shots. He had a lot of opportunities that were near misses. I don't think he should worry about that, and I don't think we should worry about that. I want Dominique to shoot because I know Dominique can score."

Wilkins walked off with a game-high 25 points. He shot 9 for 11 from the line, adding 6 assists and 6 boards. He also added a technical when his frustration boiled over in the final quarter as he recognized that his debut in Celtics green was not going to pan out the way he had planned.

"I was up at 7 o'clock this morning," Wilkins said. "I mean, I was jacked up. I was waiting all week for this game. Unfortunately, this wasn't what I had in mind."

He has never opened a season anywhere except in the blood-red uniform of the Atlanta Hawks. He is adjusting to the shamrock, to the number 12, to the creaky Garden, to a fleet of new teammates, but nobody wants to hear of the difficulties of those changes.

When Celtics fans woke up this morning, they wanted to know two things: Did the team win, and how did Dominique do?

"Maybe I was too hyped up," he said. "I missed three layups tonight, which I can't even believe, because that's not me. And some of those shots, I was wide open, but I just rushed it . . . "

There were some vintage offensive moves, moves that were so fluid and so silky smooth they forced you to recognize that this is a man with a knack for scoring. There was 'Nique in the post, receiving the pass, hesitating and waiting, then turning quickly into three defenders. What did it matter? He shot over them all.

Looking for high-percentage shooting? Try somewhere else. Dominique Wilkins' career mark from the floor is .467. That's reality. Boston will live with that and, on occasion, die with it.

"You can't expect me to come in here, take 10-12 shots a night and win every game," Wilkins said. "That's not going to happen. We have a lot of young guys on this team. Once they learn what needs to go on, it will be easier on me."

In preseason, Ford took exception to Wilkins' comments that he was a slow starter and publicly challenged his prize forward to accelerate his agenda. The message was clear: We need you now. Ford also called for Wilkins to be a more assertive team leader.

"I think he's responded since then," Ford said. "He's an old veteran, and I didn't want him to sit back and wait. I know he's still got it. He got on one of those rolls tonight, and it gets you excited about what he can do for us this year."

One game means nothing in the big picture. Numbers, good or bad, are meaningless if you win a basketball game. Wilkins understands. They will applaud him here for 20 shots and 20 points if the Celtics come out on top. They will whisper about him if he does the same thing and they lose.

That is, and always will be, the curse of the Boston superstar.

"This is put-up-or-shut-up time," Wilkins said. "I'm ready to accept that challenge. I love the game and I love to play.

"My game is here. You will see that."

They are whispering that it better be here. They are whispering that it better be here soon.