THE BOX OUT PICK AND POPS 1. Yao Ming might be well-liked by his Rockets teammates, but obviously not well enough to run the offense through him and relinquish shot attempts. 2. Wally Szczerbiak, activated from the injured list Monday, is just days away from returning to the Timberwolves' lineup and sniping with Kevin Garnett again. QUOTE OF THE DAY “All right, man, you proved your point. Leave it alone. Stop.” —What Rashard Lewis said to Kobe Bryant during Bryant's record-setting run of 12 3-pointers in the Lakers' 119-98 win over the Sonics on Tuesday. NUMBER OF THE DAY 1 The number of starting lineups the Warriors have used this season with the regular five of Gilbert Arenas, Jason Richardson, Antawn Jamison, Troy Murphy and Erick Dampier. TRASH TALK You had your say. So here are the best comments: The biggest problem with the Celts right now is that they need a TRUE point guard to create open shots. Paul Pierce's shooting percentage has gone in the toilet since Kenny Anderson left. They should have kept him! And don't get me started on Vin Baker. Joe, Salem, N.H. I don't understand why people are blaming Boston's woes on the 3-point shot. Their defense has been horrendous the last two weeks and shameful to watch on nationally televised broadcasts. And if Boston's offense averaged the amount of assists their opponents did (in actuality, they average three less) you turn a 1-5 skid into a decent 4-2 mark. I am not even factoring in the four extra rebounds opponents get from Boston's lack of aggression. I wish all the Boston players would start sharing the ball (there are five players on the court, not two) instead of taking wild jumpshots and drives to the basket with 18 seconds left on the shot clock. I'm sure there are some AAU players that can play better team basketball for the Celtics right now. Michael Hartsough, Virginia Beach, Va. I feel the biggest problem of the C's is behind the scenes. His name is Chris Wallace. ... Am I really supposed to be excited with the signing of Mikki Moore? You raised ticket prices for this?! Jon Abel, New Britain, Conn. There are plenty of other duos out there who don't play D. Kobe and Shaq, for example. Shaq is not mobile and Kobe has never heard of team D. Look at the Celts' steal numbers and Pierce's catch-up blocks. Actually watch a game and then decide that Pierce and Walker don't try on D. Brandon Perry, Brunswick, Maine

It's not the 3s, people. It's the D.

Once again, a tailspin by the Boston Celtics has prompted critics to nitpick on the insane number of 3-pointers Jim O'Brien lets his guys hoist. No team, not even the run-and-gun Dallas Mavericks, shoot 3s as much as the C's, who launch a league-high 27 treys per game.

But Antoine Walker wants to set everyone straight: It's not the plethora of 3-pointers that's killing the Celtics of late, even though they shot only 8-for-32 from long range against the Wizards in Monday's 100-95 loss, Boston's second straight defeat, fifth in its last six games and seventh in its last 10.

It's the leaky D.

"It's just small things, as far as small rotation problems and just a true dedication," said Walker of Boston's specific problems on defense. "I think last year, what we did, we maybe couldn't outscore teams, but we were very stingy as far as letting teams get the ball to the basket. We just have to get back to defense is first and offense is second."

The numbers back up Walker's claim. Going into Wednesday's Celtics-Hornets game on ESPN, opponents were shooting a tad better this season against Boston, making 43.4 percent from the field compared to 42.5 percent last season. Teams are also scoring more against the Celtics, averaging 95.5 points per game (18th in the NBA), compared to 94.1 (10th) last season.

In leading Boston to its first Eastern Conference final since the days of Bird-McHale-Parish, O'Brien (along with assistant Dick Harter) was lauded for getting the Celtics to do what Rick Pitino failed to do -- D-up. Defense, of course, requires commitment and energy, something the Celtics might be lacking, particularly in Walker and Paul Pierce.

Once again, the two are among the league leaders in minutes played, with Walker logging the most at 42.2 a game. Even Pierce, who's tied for ninth at 40.8 minutes a game and coming off a summer with Team USA, admitted this week that he's feeling a little worn.

If Walker and Pierce are too gassed to play defense, they probably don't have the legs to shoot outside (OK, Walker shoots a set shot, but still). And if Walker and Pierce are opting for perimeter shots because they're too tired to drive into the teeth of a zone defense -- a task the departed Kenny Anderson used to do and not exactly the forte of Tony Delk and Shammond Williams -- and they aren't hitting those shots … well, you don't have to be Red Auerbach to figure out what happens.

"It's not a matter of just jacking up 3s," O'Brien clarified before the Celtics' Christmas Day massacre in New Jersey. "We want them to be quality and we want them to be part of our offense."

"If we get good 3s we'll be fine," Walker said. "With us, sometimes in games, we don't take good 3s. So if we can continue to take good 3s, wide-open 3s, and make the good shots, we'll be fine."

So, it's the quality, not the quantity, of the Celtics' 3-pointers. Problem is, Walker and friends would shoot a 3 even if the Patriots' Lawyer Milloy was running at them.

Those claims about too many 3s? Guilty as charged, says Walker. So live with it.

"We're a team that takes open looks from 3. We feel like we have good shooters and we feel like we can make those," Walker said. "There are going to be nights when those shots are not falling, and it's going to be important that we recognize that."

Joe Lago, NBA editor for ESPN.com and thought to be missing, is back writing the Morning Shootaround every Wednesday and Friday.