Re: Pitino signs three players!

[Mark Piotrowski <pio@edu15.coe.ufl.edu>]

>I am not sure what to think of Pitino's moves thus far.  The only player
>on the current roster that is not signed for two years is Eric Williams.
>This seems to limit Pitino's flexibility in future years, and it does
>suggest that Pitino is clearly not through making moves (even if we must
>wait until during the season to see them.)

I think that Pitino is using this year to:

1.  Evaluate players in his system.  Right now people like Bowen, Minor,
Williams are unproven in Pitino's system.  If Pitino doesn't like what he
sees in Williams he has guarded against him leaving with Mercer, Bowen and
possibly Minor.  DeClerq and Massenberg mean Walker could move to the 3
full time too.
2.  Get underachievers to play well and thus improve their value on the
market.  Pitino probably realizes that players like Barros, Brown and Minor
are good players that other teams would like if they can get back to a form
that once made them desirable (hard as it is to remember Barros and Brown
fit that bill!).  I expect one of Barros or Brown to start the season at
point, not b/c they are better, but b/c Pitino wants to send a message to
the league about their worth (remember he tricked 3 teams into not taking
Mercer, Vancouver especially will regret that)
3.  Develop his young stars into All-stars.

>Right now, it seems as if the team we have now is pretty much the team
>that we will see for the next 2-3 years.  By then, re-signing our own free
>agents will prevent us from making big offers to any others.  Are DeClerq,
>Massenburg, and Bowen really the sort of players that should be given long
>term deals?  I guess we'll find out.

I agree that we'll have this team (minus, I think Minor and at least one of
Brown & Barros, maybe both) for the next 3 years.  Pitino probably realizes
that it'll take that long to get Mercer, Walker and Billups up to NBA star
speed.  At that point Knight may leave, Barros and Brown will be nearing
the end of their contracts if still around and, who knows, maybe Pitino
thinks he can make a serious run at Duncan (a la LA and Shaq).

The great thing about all of this is that, while setting up essentially a 3
year plan, Pitino will NOT settle for losing in the meantime--unlike
previous "championship driven" regimes.  The C's will be young, hungry and
will get better.  Pitino has said over and over that the goals are to get
people re-excited about the C's, while improving the talent level by first
making players marketable, then trading them for picks or young players or
players to fill a void (i.e. backup point, PF)

Go Rick, Go!
Celtics will hang #17 by 2001!

Mark