The Pacers are coached by Rick Carlisle, who was drafted by the Celtics in 1984 and played for Boston's last championship team in '86. The Pacers have a president of basketball operations named Larry Bird. The Pacers have a veteran shooting guard named Reggie Miller (18 points last night) who used to get into gunslinging battles with Bird. The Pacers have a TV guy named Quinn Buckner who won a ring here in 1984.
Oh, and the Pacers also have a veteran guard named Kenny Anderson, who was point man on the Celtics' Eastern Conference finalists just a little more than a year and a half ago.
In the cold, dry, colorless Celtic winter of 2003-04, we speak of the golden days of 2002 as if they were part of the Bird-Parish-McHale era. The mere sight of Anderson practically kindles memories of Sam Jones and Frank Ramsey.
The Celtics of 2002 are all gone except for Paul Pierce, Walter McCarty, and Mark Blount. That's right. In the name of progress -- moving back so you can move forward -- the Celtics have been blown up since they came within two wins of making it to the NBA Finals.
Now a visitor, Anderson went across the hall to commiserate with Pierce before last night's game.
"Me and Paul were laughing about it," said Anderson. "Paul's upbeat and everything, but the players he came in with are all gone. That's the profession. You just never know in this league. We were a close-knit team, that bunch, but four or five guys can be gone real quick. New people come in and, you know, they're going to make changes.
"But are you crazy? I didn't think they had the [guts] to trade Antoine."
Celtic fans are adjusting to life without Antoine Walker. They're getting used to Jiri Welsch, Chris Mihm, and Ricky Davis. But many of them still long for the group that made it to the NBA's Final Four less than two years ago.
Carlisle's Detroit Pistons were the first playoff victims of that Celtic team.
"They kicked the crap out of us," said Carlisle. "They'd made great trades to get Rodney Rogers and Tony Delk. That put them in position to get to the conference finals. But those of us who've been around the league, we've all seen it. A team's vision can change. There are financial considerations."
