Reigning Champs Look Even Better

November 25, 1984

SO FAR, CELTICS LOOK NEW AND IMPROVED

Granted, it's only November and they've played a creampuff schedule, but at this juncture the Celtics have the appearance of being a better ballclub than the 1983-84 world championship edition.



Golden State Warriors coach John Bach said these Celtics are better than last year's Celtics after his team was thrashed by 44 points Wednesday. Some of the guys in green tend to agree.

"I agree," says head coach K.C. Jones. "We've gotten outstanding play from our guard corps. I think we're playing better, yeah. Each time we go out there, the other team wants to tear our heads off and we have to be up for that challenge. So far, we have been."

"It's too early to tell," cautions Larry Bird. "But we've got some guys playing better than they were last year. We're a team to watch. We're going to be awesome by the time the season is over."

How can the 1984-85 Celtics be better than last year's gang?

- Look at the starting guards. Going into last night's game in Kansas City, both Dennis Johnson (86 of 169, .508) and Danny Ainge (45 of 90, .500) were hitting half of their shots. They have taken a weapon from the opposition. Teams are still sagging on Boston's big men, but the guards are making them pay. DJ has been the NBA's best backcourtman thus far, and Ainge is finally playing with confidence. The subtraction of Gerald Henderson has served to define the backcourt roles for the first time in three years. Quinn Buckner knows he's the third guard.

- Larry Bird has somehow managed to start the season playing better than he did during his MVP season. Where is the limit?, we start to ask.

- Robert Parish is shooting from closer to the basket and making a stunning 61 percent of his attempts. Parish is playing his best ball since last January.

- Wiley vets Scott Wedman and M.L. Carr give the Celts strength and savvy off the bench without crying about minutes. Wedman has accepted his role with uncommon dignity and Carr is playing his best ball since his first season in Boston.

- K.C. Jones remains the perfect coach for this team. The Celts blew a 20- point lead against Washington Friday, let the Bullets tie the game, then won easily down the stretch. "Bill (Fitch) would have been going crazy," noted Cedric Maxwell. "Not Case." Jones is now 227-112 (.670) as an NBA coach. This can't be coincidence. Isn't it about time we started recognizing his startling success as an NBA head coach?

Sure, there are holes. An injury to one of the guards would resurrect the outrage that followed the Henderson trade. Parish and DJ are probably playing too many minutes, and the Celts still lack a legitimate backup center. You don't know who's going to be hot come playoff time, and the improved Philadelphia 76ers and Los Angeles Lakers still present formidable postseason obstacles.

But the Celtics are looking awfully good at the moment. They were 10-1 going into Kansas City last night and had outscored the opposition by an average of 14.1 points per game.