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ESPN SportsZone: Pitino turns losers into winners
- Subject: ESPN SportsZone: Pitino turns losers into winners
- From: Phe Meas <pmeas@channel1.com>
- Date: Wed, 03 Dec 1997 10:04:46 -0500
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<h2>Pitino turns losers into winners</h2>
<br>Associated Press
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BOSTON -- Rick Pitino kneels by the corner of the court and
shouts instructions. He stands and paces the sideline. He sits
pensively with his elbows on his knees and his chin in his palms.<p>
The new coach of the <a href="/nba/clubhouses/bos.html">Boston Celtics</a> works constantly at making a
loser into a winner, but on this night he falls short. The NBA's
youngest team -- off to a surprisingly strong start -- is overwhelmed
by the <a href="/nba/clubhouses/lal.html">Lakers</a> 118-103.<p>
"They did a lot of immature things," an irritated Pitino says
before cutting off Wednesday night's post-game remarks after less
than 30 seconds. "I don't want to say anything negative, so I
won't say anything at all."<p>
At that moment, it wasn't important to him that the Celtics had
made great progress from the worst record in their proud history,
15-67. They beat the world champion <a href="/nba/clubhouses/chi.html">Bulls</a> in the opener and
were 7-7 going into the weekend.<p>
What was important was that the Celtics lost and, perhaps worse
from Pitino's standpoint, lacked intensity.<p>
"He takes losing hard every game, no matter if it's the second
game of the year or the 82nd game," guard Dee Brown says. "A loss
to him is like the world's come to an end."<p>
If Pitino were here last season, he would have felt like several
solar systems had been wiped out.<p>
The team lost 34 of its last 38 games. Only Vancouver finished
with a worse record. The tradition of 16 NBA championships built by
Bill Russell, John Havlicek, Larry Bird and other great players was
crumbling. The last title came in 1986.<p>
Exit M.L. Carr after two seasons in which he ran easy practices
and made questionable coaching decisions during games. Enter
Pitino, who led Kentucky to the NCAA title in 1996 and the
runner-up spot in 1997.<p>
Exit all but five of last year's players. Enter a group of
energetic youngsters who fit Pitino's uptempo offense and
relentless, trapping defense and eagerly endure his hard practices.
There is a hustling mentality evident as they charge upcourt,
challenge shots and contest rebounds.<p>
"One thing we're not trying to do is compare to last year,"
Pitino said. "The one thing we're trying to do is create a playoff
basketball team in a few years and a championship team in the fifth
or sixth years.<p>
"The past is the past. You learn from it. You don't live in
it."<p>
Before Wednesday's loss, the Celtics had won six of seven games.
Last season, they didn't get their seventh win until their 30th
game and never were better than .500.<p>
"When you play 82 games and you keep on losing, your mood is a
depressed one," Pitino said. "Our mood is great."<p>
He sets specific goals -- 90 possessions per game and eight fewer
turnovers than the opponent -- is hardworking, driven and wrapped up
in each moment.<p>
"Shoot the ball right there," he shouts at Walter McCarty, who
had left the spot Pitino pointed to and driven in for a layup that
he missed.<p>
"Hey, Dee, wake up," he yells at referee Dee Kantner.<p>
Fans like what he's brought to the FleetCenter in its third
year. After two quiet seasons in a building that's never had the
excitement or noise of the historic Boston Garden, fans are off
their feet and cheering.<p>
"The fans are going to enjoy this," Lakers coach Del Harris
said. "The only problem is over an 82-game schedule teams will
adapt a little bit better to it. But nonetheless, I think it's a
style of play that people are going to like and fits this team."<p>
The Celtics are still wrestling with the complex system Pitino
taught at Kentucky, where he coached current Celtics Antoine
Walker, Ron Mercer and McCarty, his three top scorers with Boston.<p>
"I'm not there 100 percent yet," said center Travis Knight, a
free-agent pickup from the Lakers who has played well. "I'm still
learning and I think everybody is and we're going to keep getting
better."<p>
The all-out press, which can be beaten by opponents dribbling
through double-teams and hitting outside shots, has received mixed
reviews even though the Celtics lead the NBA in opponents'
turnovers.<p>
Shawn Kemp, after a Cleveland win dropped the Celtics to 1-4:
"They will always have a chance to get back in the game with that
press."<p>
And, after the 92-85 opening-night upset of the Bulls, Michael
Jordan warned against taking the Celtics lightly: "It's a young
team that's trying to gain its identity. ... You guys (reporters)
are making it seem like these guys are chopped liver. They're very
talented players."<p>
They're far more talented than last year's injury-plagued,
rag-tag collection of ex-CBA'ers, me-first shooters and earthbound
big men. Of the 13 players no longer with that team, only two are
on active NBA rosters.<p>
"There is no way M.L. Carr could have won," Pitino said. "If
I coached that team last year, the same number of wins would have
been there."<p>
Walker is a budding superstar in his second season, but Pitino
isn't reluctant to use any of his players, keeping them fresh for
the grueling pace. That has helped them hang on to leads down the
stretch, despite their inexperience.<p>
"We don't know where we're at until we probably get to the
All-Star break," he said. "We're playing very well right now and
giving all our energy to each possession and that's all we can ask
for."
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