Re: Rate Pitino's move Poll

[Donald_A_Liles@mail.bankone.com (Donald A Liles)]

Well, what grades would you give for Rick's moves so far?, including...

1. Letting David Wesley go without a serious offer to resign him  B+ Not having 
had the opportunity to see him as many on this list, I had no attachment to him 
whatsoever. When I did watch, I was not that impressed. This team needs change, 
not the status quo. Go for youth, if Billups is a bust he is gone in 3 years. If
not, he is still younger than Wesley. (kind of a dumb comment, isn't it.) 

2. Giving up our second round pick for an executive from Miami A- Besides Dino, 
how many of our 2nd round picks have made it onto the team anyway?

3. Signing Travis Knight to a seven year contract for 22M  Incomplete. Fills a 
need, appears might have the tools for the new system (C+) Leaning toward F 
though (based upon the length of the contract). Need to see how he plays. At 
least it is not as bad as the Jim McIlvaine signing last year.

4. Renouncing Rick Fox and Marty Conlon Fox (B-) made the mistake, which did not
leave Pitino with much choice. Conlon (A) still only a role player on one of the
worst teams in the league. Let him play for the Clippers on the Mavericks. We 
deserve better players. 

5. Getting rid of Dino for nothing (i'll say it again this list was way put out 
when he wasn't elected to the all-star game two years ago) while still having to
pay a sizeable portion of his salary  A++ Just to be free from the majority of 
the contract is good enough for me. Fine so he was an above average player, Bill
Wennington could put up the same numbers on that team. Is he an all star? I 
think not.

All right he did get Billups and Mercer in the draft and renounced 7 other 
no-hopers but both these moves were widely anticipated and would have been made 
by just about anyone. Billups and Mercer still warrant an A (since he could have
taken a high school player or a risk on someone else). As far as renouncing the 
other players, some of them might have been retained by other coaches. I think 
that ML might have. But that is not the knock it appears to be.