Re: MERCER

[KK <Kestutis.Kveraga@Dartmouth.EDU>]

Starke R. Farrell wrote:

> >   I vote we trade the coach.
> 
> This is not currently an option.  We wouldn't get that big 4  for a six foot
> nothing ex-point guard with  a big mouth anyway.

No, but maybe we could get a decent coach for him. I kind of like "Case", but
there'd be mutiny on the Nets if the players found out they were getting
Calipari II  :)

> > The Point Guard is supposed to run the offense!  Pitino wants to run
> > everything, control everything.
> 
> The confrontational  style can be abrasive, but, it creates winning.  

I disagree - I don't think it can work long-term. Pitino complains that his
players are "bad listeners", but he doesn't seem to understand that the more
he screams at them and ridicules them, the less they'll listen to him. They
almost have to tune him out, or have a nervous breakdown - nobody can put up
with that kind of noise pollution for long. Bulpett of the Herald recently
compared it to sitting on the side of a Logan runway with planes constantly
taking off. 

Besides, the players ultimately have to be able to play without the constant
screaming, prodding and directing by the coach. The better NBA coaches seem to
understand that - viz. Wilkens, Daley, Jackson, Sloan, Riley, L.Brown,
Tomjanovich. In fact, I can't think of many successful NBA coaches who are
"screamers". 

>  Pitino, in
> addition,  seems to be a personality type that people either love or hate.  

Personally, I don't dislike the guy  - he's a gifted, charming speaker, who
can, as they say, talk a dog off the meat wagon. He has a great sense of
humor, and seems(sic!) to know what he's talking about whether he's answering
questions during a press conference, or giving pointers during his show.
However.... his *actions* lead me to believe that he's out of his depth both
as a GM and an NBA coach, and that worries me as a Celtics fan.

> You
> must agree, however, that this team has much more upside than those with the
> previous leaders.  

Well, most of the upside (I assume you mean our young talent) has more to do
with ML's actions and luck than with Pitino. ML made the Montross trade that
basically gave us Walker and Mercer, and Pierce kind of fell into Pitino's lap
(even then, he had to be convinced by Lester Conner to take Pierce). The only
(mildly) positive moves thad DIDN'T have to do with correcting previous errors
in judgment by Pitino were signing DeClercq and then trading him and the pick
for Battleship Potapenko. Signing Bowen was, I guess, a positive, even though
the guy is a complete offensive moron. I guess getting Battie for Knight has
to be considered a positive, but having to endure Banana Boy last year makes
it seem hardly worth it.  

> Pitino has also given us a time frame.  He has given his word
> that this team will make the playoffs next year.  

I'd trust Clinton before I trust Pitino.

> If he doesn't make it,  I, at
> that point,  will agree his credibility is shot to hell; it will be time for him
> to 'simply grow old', without the Celtics.

Well, I'm afraid of what he might do to this team in the meantime.