RE: Pitino

["I'd trade it all for even more." <DANP@accint.com>]

>Someone wrote about Pitino being a mediocre coach with the Knicks.  That
>is completely wrong.  As I remember they won the division for the first
>time in a while and improved that year under Pitino.  Could someone find
>his pro record and whether the Knicks won the division that year, how
>competitive they were, and what they did the year before.

Dunno what the Knick's record was before Pitino (I'm sure it was awful) but
here's how they did with him:

In Pitino's first year with the Knicks they went 38-44 and were the 8th seed
in the playoffs.  They lost 1-3 against the Celtics.

In Pitino's second and final year, the Knicks went 50-32, won the divison
title, and were the 2nd seed in the playoffs.  They swept the Sixers 3-0 in
the first round (by a total of like 8 points) and then lost to the Chicago
Bulls.  I *think* it was 4-2, but I'm not sure about that one.

He really turned the team around, which Stu Jackson and John MacLeod promptly
ruined with their respective stints.  Pat Riley got much acclaim for his job
with the Knicks, but it was Pitino who showed them (particularly Ewing) they
didn't have to be annual doormats. 

Dan


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