Re: pitino + bird

[lamphier@m.u-tokyo.ac.jp (Marc Lamphier)]

At  5:08 PM 97.4.5 -0800, damekmo@teleport.com wrote:
>A couple thoughts about Caleb's post because for the most part, I think
>he's right on the money. I just have a couple thoughts. Carr?...he's gone.
>I agree...the second Larry went public Carr was history. Bird wants full
>control. There's no way that Gaston is going to sacrifice Bird for Carr.
>It's going to be the other way around. I actually believe that Gaston and
>Auerbach have bought into the McHale "Reach high, aim low," rebuild through
>the draft theory, that they made promises to ML about his tenure as coach,
>that Larry knew of Gaston's intention / promise to keep ML around to let
>him finish the job, and, because Larry thinks ML is an idiot he started
>pressuring Gaston to fire him. Gaston had no intention of doing this, so
>Larry went public. The quote from Bird last week about him believing that
>ML deserves another year?...a pile of crap. He's contacted Pitino, Brown,
>and God knows who else...and to be honest, I bet he did it all without the
>ok from Gaston. This whole thing is Larry's move. 


Stepping out on a limb here Paul. I think basically though you are right --
there seems to be some sort of power play going on here. Otherwise there
would be no reason for LB to go public at all on any of this (and perhaps
the same for Pitino). 

I am surprised no one picked up on the comments by Pitino about how Larry
feels that the current Celtics are "not all on the same page, the way they
were in Auerbach's day" (my paraphrase). This also indicates to me that
there is some rift here, perhaps between LB and Carr, but maybe deeper than
that. 

It seems to me that Larry does not view ML Carr as simply a good soldier
falling on his sword for the good of the organization so that it can
rebuild. Although he was kind enough to say that he felt Carr deserved to
be there when the Celts turn things around, he is apparently also very
frustrated at the current direction the Celts are going (if we take
Pitino's comments at face value). This suggests to me that he thinks Carr
has done a poor job, and that the "tanking it" strategy may be more a
adaptation to failure than an intended one, i.e. the Celts failed in spite
of Carr's best efforts. Indeed, much of this year's demise was due to
circumstances beyond Carr's control, e.g. injuries. 


I'm not sure what I think of this -- it seems early on Carr was determined
to get good players, etc. but he was sort of like a kid at the wheel of a
new car; draft pick to talk to Jordan, throwing money at a big name star
past his prime, splashing younger players with money that perhaps didn't
deserve it. Later as things started to turn for the worse he seems to have
converted to the "reach high, aim low" theory -- all of the moves over the
past year or two reflect this; 1-year contracts to journeymen players,
extended sick time for semi-damaged players, and hiring himself as coach
(?!)

Your Opie/Aunt Bea parable was too convoluted for me and I couldn't follow
it. Where, for example was Barney Fife? All I can say is that the more I
hear of what Larry Bird says, and what others say he says, the more
impressed I am with his intelligence and determination. Larry Bird is not a
dummy, despite the way he talks. He has often surprised me in live
interviews by his quick mind and sharp way of putting things. He seems to
me, as Tommy Heinsohn once put it, "dumb like a fox". This is not much to
go on, but I think Larry is more than simply a character out of an old
sitcom.  What would concern me more is his ego and somewhat abrasive and
arrogant way of dealing with people. Larry seems like a few people I have
known who have had tremendous success early in their careers and become
used to getting their way. A strong ego could help in a job like GM, but I
wonder if Larry could temper his when needed. 

- -Marc