from the lala times

["Robert A. Bowman" <Robert.A.Bowman-1@tc.umn.edu>]

Thought the list might enjoy reading the west coast perspective: excerpted from 
Mark Heisler's  NBA column: "Desperation, Thy Name is Pitino"

http://www.latimes.com/HOME/NEWS/SPORTS/t000020335.1.html

Rick Pitino signs Chris Mills to a $33.6-million Celtic contract, trades him
before the exhibition season is over for four Knicks. He cuts one, Scott Brooks;
plays another, Dontae' Jones, 57 minutes all season, and trades a third, John 
Thomas, with Chauncey Billups, the third pick in last spring's draft, for Kenny 
Anderson, who has $40 million left on his contract.

Pitino, a great coach but a frantic general manager, seems to be getting wackier
as he goes. In characteristic style, he refers to deals as mercy 
transactions--he has to find a good home for Dee Brown (and his $3.5-million 
salary), etc. He shopped Billups for months but insisted to the end he hated to 
see him go. Said a Boston writer, "Upon completion of that statement, Pitino's 
nose passed through customs and crossed the U.S. border." 


Despite doubling last season's victory total from 11 to 22 at the All-Star 
break, Pitino, general managers said, had shopped every player he had, except 
Antoine Walker. Oops, he just made it a clean sweep. ĘPitino had been telling 
Walker through the papers that they wouldn't pay him Kevin Garnett money. Walker
said the right things until two weeks ago, when he told NBC's Peter Vecsey, "I 
don't see why I should have to take less." Pitino started offering Walker around
the league the same night.