the whole mess

[MBerry@mail.journalink.com (MBerry)]

          Although a lot can change in a few days, I have to express
          my frustration with the Celtics operation. The only right
          way to do this was to move M.L. into his ownership role or
          whatever position he is moving to immediately after the
          season ended and name Bird Dir. of Basketball Ops. right
          then. That way Bird could conduct his own hunt for a head
          coach.

          Instead, no one knows if M.L. is staying or going. If you
          were Larry Brown, would you be more impressed by the Sixers,
          who apparently are offering a coach/GM deal, or the Celtics,
          whose owner is wavering on meetings, hasn't decided on a GM,
          and started a coaching search without ever firing the
          current coach? It's idiocy!

          I'm starting to get the feeling that the Celtics are not
          going to go with Bird and instead are going to stick with
          M.L. as GM. This, as we all know, is a mistake. Why would
          they do it? Is it because of this supposed rift between Bird
          and Red? If that's the case, and Red really is offended by
          some offhand remark Bird made, and the Celtics are making
          decisions that will impact the future of the franchise based
          on that, then we really are in trouble. As much as I love
          Red and still appreciate his basketball knowledge, the team
          has to move into the '90s. He can't sit in Washington D.C.
          and pull strings from time to time when his interest is
          piqued. If hiring Bird angers Red, then I'm afraid it's time
          to anger Red.

          Instead of doing it the right way:
          1) Bumping M.L. out of both jobs and into another role.
          2) Hiring Bird as GM.
          3) Conducting a thorough coaching search (which might have
          landed Pitino if done this way)
          4) Settling on a coach the GM is comfortable with.


          The Celtics are doing things all wrong -- again. As much as
          I hate to say it, I wouldn't blame Bird if he flew the coop
          and decided to coach the Pacers and work toward a front
          office job with that franchise. They at least know how to
          run a basketball team. (That sound you hear is the irony
          dripping off that last comment.)

          Hard to believe that just a month ago we all were salivating
          over the idea of a Bird-Pitino management team, with Walker,
          Duncan and another high pick in the fold. Now, the way
          things are going, we may end up with none of the
          Bird/Pitino/Duncan trifecta. Any way you look at it, the
          Celtics blew this one big time.

          Mark