sackdebate.html

[David A Wickerham <aw623@freenet.buffalo.edu>]

                                  On Hoops
                                      
                      Jeremy Sack buys into the Debate
                                      
   September 22, 1997 
   
   OK...lets make a few things perfectly clear..I am not a Celtic fan nor
   am I Kentucky fan..  Further, I am not a Pitino lover.  Ok...now lets
   make a couple other things clear...I do not dislike or feel ill will
   toward the Celts or the Wildcats, nor do I hate Pitino.  My favorite
   player of all time was not a Celtic nor was he a Wildcat;  I am not
   from Kentucky or the New England area; and I like my coffee black.  I
   am completely impartial and unattached to this whole Pitino/Celtic
   argument and wish to offer my unbiased opinion of the Celtic's
   off-season.  My take is no better than anyone else's, but it is
   different.
   
   STEP #1-- The Celtic's desperately needed to regain league wide
   respectability off the court before they could achieve anything on the
   court.  A team that does not win and lacks direction is unappealing to
   fans as well as draft picks and free agents.The surest way to begin
   the healing process is to bring in a coach who is deemed by players
   and fans as a winner.  Rick Pitino brings his charisma, leadership,
   and most importantly his name to team that needed new life.
   
   STEP #2-- Once the coach/GM is in place it becomes his job to build a
   winner.  For this to be achieved the Coach/GM must have a philosophy.
   The philosophy of an organization is the foundation...without one,
   clubs tend to stagnate, drifting without improving.  For coaches, the
   organizational philosophy usually involves developing teams in their
   own "image".  In otherwords, coaches look for talent that fits nicely
   into the system they plan to install.  Rick Pitino's style in both the
   pros and college is an uptempo, trapping game that relies on athletes
   at all five positions.
   
   STEP #3-- Draft time is upon us and it offers the coach/gm his first
   opportunity to excersize his power.  Pitino draft Chauncy Billups and
   Ron Mercer.  With David Wesley on his way out and few impact point men
   on the market Billups was a logical selection.  More than that, most
   scouts say that Billups, outside of Van-Horn and Duncan, is the most
   ready for the NBA.  Unless you're the Bulls you can't win without a
   point guard and Billups will be a good one.  Moreover, his strength
   and quickness fit perfectly into Pitino's system.  With the 6th pick
   Rick elects to grab a familiar face, Ron Mercer.  Here's a question to
   readers...who would no better than Pitino how good Ron Mercer can or
   will be in the NBA?  Pitino is experienced and has been around tons of
   talent...so if he thinks Mercer warrants the selection then shouldn't
   both player and coach be given the benefit of the doubt?  Mercer knows
   and fits into the newly installed system and has huge upside.
   
   STEP #4-- Out with the old...out with the unsuccessful and in with a
   whole new set of possibilities.   If Rick had it his way the only
   Celtic on the 97-98 roster form the dismal 15 win season a year ago
   would be Antoine Walker.  Can you blame him?  Unfortunately with the
   likes of Dee Brown, Pervous Ellison and Dana Barros under contract,
   and untradeable, Rick had to settle for getting rid of everyone else.
   Rick Fox was a nice player on a terrible team, and I do think he will
   greatly help the Lakers, but renouncing his rights was hardely forcing
   Michael Jordan into early retirement.  Fox had his best year, possibly
   a career year, and his cerebral and methodical approach did not mesh
   well with the incoming system.  Allowing a European club to sign Dino
   Radja was a great move in every way.  Sure, it would have been better
   if they could have recieved Clarence Weatherspoon in addition to
   ridding themselves of Dino's salary, but Dino's failure to pass the
   physical is nobodys fault.  With Radja going international again the
   Celts frred up money under the cap, money they would have eaten had
   they simply cut him.  As for Todd Day, Szabo, Conlon etc...does anyone
   really care?  Will they be missed?...No. (Though I think Day could
   offer the Heat something off the bench)
   
   STEP #5-- It's time to add some players so Pitino signs Travis Knight
   to a seven year, 22 million dollar contract.  Assuming he emerges as a
   starter then Knight is clearly a bargain.  Granted he is not a
   superstar, but he is extremely athletic and active...two things
   necessary to play for Pitino.  His ability to move will allow him to
   spearhead the trap and quickly recover onto his man.  He should be
   good for 8-13 pts, 8-10 rebounds, and around 2 blocks. Coach then went
   out and signed Andrew Declerq and Tony Massenburg, two extremely
   active hustlers who give it their all every night.  Massenburg was a
   double-double machine after Jayson williams went down and Declerq was
   far and away Golden-States best interior defender.  Neither will ever
   deserve to have their name in lights, but they would be a welcome
   addition to almost any team.  Most importantly they can move making
   them more valuable to Pitino's Celts then they would be on another
   team.  Lastly, they were involved in 2 seperate transactions that
   resulted in Eric Williams leaving and Chris Mills, Tyus Edney, and 2
   second round picks coming.  The picks aside, Chris Mills is a better
   player than Eric Williams.  He has a far better shot, is a better
   rebounder and defender, and is more durable.  Edney, on the right
   team, is a valuable comodity.  He is far from being a starter do to
   his small stature, but as a change of pace man, off the bench, he can
   be invaluable.  Both Mills and Edney also fit Pitino's scheme.
   
   Step #6--The 97-98 End Result-- The Celtics go into the upcoming
   season with the following roster, give or take a few camp additions:
   Billups, Mercer, Mills, Walker, Knight, Barros, Brown, Ellison,
   Declerq, Massenburg,  Edney, Pepper.  Ok, granted, this is not a world
   champion lineup, but it does have some talent...talent that fits the
   philosophy and the system, thus talent that will only be enhanced.
   Rick Pitino's style, whether it be with Providence, the Knicks, or
   Kentucky, has always won...he went out and got the players whom he
   feels can play this style.  If he wins, if he gets the maximum out of
   who he's got, then he will be seen as a genious;  if he loses he will
   be booed...it's that simple.  Personally, I feel the Celts will be
   much improved...when players believe in themselves, their coach and
   their organization winning usually follows.  Moreover,  playing a
   hard, effective brand of hoops every night won't hurt.
   
        -Jeremy D Sack
       
     " But playing 'gainst the Knicks 5 times a year certainly will! "
                                      
   [INLINE]
   
                                      
         On HoopsSM is a Service Mark of Vidya Media Ventures, Inc.
       Copyright 1997 Vidya Media Ventures, Inc. All rights reserved.