Re: L.A. Times comments

[skmishra@dlsun660.us.oracle.com (Shailendra K. Mishra)]

> From Douglas342@aol.com Wed Oct 29 09:02:57 1997
>
> 
>   This morning's (10/29) LA Times featured its annual NBA preview.  Of
> interest to Boston fans:
>    In a column of random predictions:  "At midseason, Rick Pitino will hold a
> Boston news conference to announce, "I have absolutely no idea what I'm
> doing.""  And later, "Chauncy Billups will be a Celtic rookie bust."

I read the column and am totally unimpressed by his comments about the east 
coast teams. Most of his information appears to be second hand e.g. On Keith Van 
Horn, he says that "a Nets league official told me that he has great potential". 
I would be more impressed if he had inferred the same thing by watching a few 
Nets pre-season games.
 
>   In picking the Cs to finish 7th in division, the opinion is that he won't
> win 35 games.  "[he signed several free agents}, capping himself out for
> three seasons.  Pitino then watched his team lose its first four exhibition
> games and traded Mills for four Knick reserves, who were being offered to
> everyone.  

Regarding losses in pre-season RP predicted them..and Mills was not doing too 
well in the system and why is he overlooking the fact that McCarty fits the RP's 
system to a T. 

> [....]  At least walker will take a lot of shots and score a lot
> of points.  Does Pitino think he's really their franchise player?  Is he
> setting Walker up for a trade? Does Pitino know what he's doing?"

Walker's performance in the pre-season definitely demonstrates that he is a 
franchise player. Regarding trading Walker, trade for whom? Sean Kemp was the 
only player I would have traded Walker and on second thoughts, I am glad that it 
didn't happen because until Billups gets upto speed probably Walker will play 
the point forward. Regarding Pitino knowing what he is doing, well! not many 
coaches know the players he has signed better, because either he has coached 
them or played against them.

>    Could some cap expert tell us, once the season starts, what all this
> shuffling has accomplished?  Are we more flexible than we were before the
> Mills and Massenburg trades?  

I wouldn't call this shuffling, these are very good aquisitions which are 
predicated upon building a) good chemistry b) superior speed and c) great 
teamwork. We are definitely more flexible salary capwise because other than 
Knight and DeClerq we don't have a contract that spans more than three years and 
with exception of Knight, Dee, Dana and Billups (possibly), the contracts are in 
1-2.5 mill range. This allows the team package players and trade them should a 
player become available or trade a player who doesn't fit the chemistry.  
 
                             - Mishra