RE: Pitino worshiping.....

[John Lyell <Jlyell@concentric.net>]

Pitino has not been gun shy and made a lot of moves many of them risky, =
but I would prefer we make some moves in order to try to re-build than =
sit pat as we have the last 5 years with little change.  I like the =
moves he has made, he has changed an old slow team to a young quick, =
athletic, although unproven, team with the likes of Mercer, Walker, =
McCarty, Rogers, Bowen, and Knight.  All these players are unproven, but =
we have not had many marketable players the last few years, and at least =
this team should add some excitement, they may lose as many games but =
the future looks brighter IMO.  He probably could have got more in =
return for Williams, but I like the Williams for McCarty & Jones swap.  =
Massenberg was a bad move so he corrected it and will take a chance on =
molding the raw talent of Roy Rogers.

Hopefully we will land a center and an  experienced point for one of the =
underachieving guards and maybe Jones as we have a lot of forwards and =
Bowen is better defensively. =20

- -----Original Message-----
From:	MICHAEL ZAINO [SMTP:mz3096@student.law.duke.edu]
Sent:	Tuesday, October 28, 1997 2:14 PM
To:	celtics@igtc.COM; Shailendra K. Mishra
Subject:	Re: Pitino worshiping.....

> Date:          Tue, 28 Oct 1997 18:54:08 -0800
> From:          skmishra@dlsun660.us.oracle.com (Shailendra K. Mishra)
> To:            celtics@igtc.COM, mz3096@student.law.duke.edu
> Subject:       Re: Pitino worshiping.....

> > From mz3096@student.law.duke.edu Tue Oct 28 18:26:47 1997
[bunch of stuff snipped]
> =20
> > Granted, I think it perfectly okay to give RP some leeway, but how=20
> > much is too much. At what point do you begin to question the fact=20
> > that he is basically signing players, then trading them away two=20
> > months later. If he is trading them because they can't deliver what=20
> > he originally thought, we have a serious problem.=20
>=20
> No that is not a serious problem because there is no damage done. It =
is a=20
> serious problem when after two years the coach discovers that the =
player doesn't=20
> fit the system or delivering the goods.

I disagree. If he is making mistakes, that cuts into his credibility.=20
These are the early warning signs that spell disaster later. I agree=20
that there is no evidence of long run problems yet, but Knight is=20
signed for potentially seven years. My point is that if RP=20
doesn't/can't evaluate talent at this level the way we thought he=20
could, that could have serious repercussions in the long run.=20
I personally do think RP can evaluate talent, but so far, he=20
hasn't done much with the C's to prove that he can. He is basically=20
shuffling players.  I am just troubled by the fact that very few=20
people are bothered by this. I think the euphoria of getting RP to=20
replace ML is a bit too strong. We are all jumping on his boat, IMO,=20
a little too quickly and too freely.=20


> > So far you might=20
> > argue that RP was mistaken about Mills' value, Eric Williams' value=20
> > (he originally talked up EW), and even maybe Billups' value. Even=20
> > though he manged to unload these mistakes, what makes everyone think =

> > he did the right thing this time around? I am not bashing RP, just=20
> > trying to keep an objective point of view.=20
>=20
> RP's ability to manage will be measured by Wins and Losses not by who =
he brings=20
> in or trades out. Clearly the theme in all his trades is "youth and =
potential",=20
> he is building this team from scratch. We will soon find out what kind =
of a job=20
> he has done.
>=20
I agree that the bottom line will be the ultimate proof. I am just a=20
little too excited I guess and trying to anticipate what will happen.=20
More than anything, I think my fear of RP failing to bring home #17=20
is manifesting itself. My fear is not totally unfounded, IMO. In his=20
drive for "youth and potential", I think it can be argued that  no=20
one he has brought in matches the potential of Eric Williams. That is=20
where the rhetoric begins to fall apart, IMO. Before I rehash the=20
whole EW debate, let me just that opening night is coming up soon,=20
and this whole debate should probably be put off until the C's=20
actually have a record.=20

Mike