SCOUT'S TAKE: PRESSING QUESTIONS
Are the Celtics in trouble?
They need help at center; Jermaine O'Neal's legs look gone. They have to sign someone or make a trade. [Free agent] Joel Pryzbilla would be a perfect fit if he is healthy. This year more than any other the team has become Rajon Rondo's (left), and it's going to take time for everyone to get comfortable with it. They need him to score more, something he doesn't want to do but will in the end. I really don't think they care about playoff seeding. They know they can win anywhere in the playoffs.
Now that Paul Westphal has been fired, which coach is on the hottest seat?
Flip Saunders. The Wizards are the Sacramento of the East. They don't seem organized. I see players talking back to him or blowing him off. It's not all his fault, but there is a bad vibe there. They need to clean house.
Is David West worth the $10 million a year the Pacers are paying him?
He's the perfect fit. The Pacers needed a consistent scoring and rebounding presence at power forward. And he looks completely recovered from the [torn ACL he suffered last March]. A team that young needs a strong veteran presence in the locker room, too. West isn't a rah-rah guy, but players respect him, and he won't let anyone lose focus.
FOLLOW @ChrisMannixSI
PHOTO
HEINZ KLUETMEIER
