On Hoops: Pitino... Back To College With You

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      Pitino... Back to College With You 
       
      August 4, 1999, Jeremy D Sack.
      When the Celtics hired Rick Pitino, over 2 years ago, I applauded this 
      move as the first step toward Celtic respectability. This most hallowed of 
      NBA franchises had fallen upon rough, rough times. The Big Three... Bird, 
      McHale and Parish had moved on, Reggie Lewis had passed away, and the 
      roster was saturated with overpayed, underskilled players who lacked, any 
      semblence, of a winning attitude. The soon to be dismissed Coach, and 
      General Manager, M.L. Carr seemed to have taken it upon himself to drive 
      the Celtics into the ground, while driving the Boston faithful out of 
      their minds.
      It got worse. The Celtics had little salary cap flexibility and had 
      recently insulted and turned their back on Larry Legend and Bird's desire 
      to Coach an NBA franchise. This team desperately needed an identity; this 
      team desperately needed a charasmatic leader; this team desperately needed 
      an offensive and defensive scheme; but above all else, this team needed 
      the instant respectablity that only a few Coaches garner. These Coaches, 
      the ones with the "names" automatically change the nature of a franchise 
      by enthusing fans, ownership, and players, while making the team more 
      attractive to free agents throughout the league. This alone, usually 
      translates into more wins the following season...and as the talent catches 
      up with everything else the Coach brings, a winner is formed.
      Unfortunately for Celtic fans, of which I am NOT one, things did not work 
      out as planned. While no one person deserves all of the blame, I think 
      Rick Pitino, above all else, is responsible for the stagnant, unfortunate 
      state the Celtics find themselves. Just as he would have received, and did 
      receive that first year, most of the credit, he must incure a majority of 
      the blame. Remember, Pitino is the Coach, but more than that, he holds 
      total control over the teams personal decisions, meaning there is no other 
      party (like a Nelson-like GM) to hold responsible (CN: Chris Wallace, 
      anyone?). It all falls to Rick.
      Some of what befell the Celtics Pitino could not control. As Rick himself 
      said just last week in a television interview, the odds, in that first 
      Pitino draft, had the Celtics receiving the #1 pick and another pick in 
      the top 3. When he took the job, Rick expected to have both Tim Duncan, 
      and maybe Keith Van-Horn in the fold. I believe his exact quote in the 
      interview I saw was, "Remember, I thougt we'd have Duncan and Van-Horn 
      when I said we'd be competeting for a title in 3 years." Unfortunately, 
      the Celtics landed the #3 and #6 picks, missing out on a shore fire 
      franchise player in Duncan. Making things worse, the Sixers selected 
      Van-Horn at #2 (soon trading him to NJ) leaving the Celtics without either 
      of their top choices at #3. Pitino selected Chauncy Billups at that first 
      slot, and Ron Mercer with the #6 pick. Scouts, and Pitino were extremely 
      high on Billups, while Pitino was sure Mercer would be a player.
      Well, come the 1999-2000 season, both Billups and Mercer will be quality 
      players, just not for the Celtics, as both were traded, in seperate deals, 
      eventually finding themsleves as memebers of the same Denver Nugget Squad. 
      For Billups, who Pitino quickly soured on, Rick landed Kenny Anderson who 
      could not be more WRONG for Pitino's brand of basketball. Anderson, 
      fragile on offense, fragile and weak on defense, has looked absolutely 
      terrible as a Celtic and has completely lost whatever magic he once 
      possessed. Pitino is desperate to trade him, but finds no takers. Billups, 
      meanwhile, after a brief stint in Toronto, emerged as the Nugget's 
      starting shooting Guard last season, maning the backcourt with one-time 
      Laker Nick Van Exel. Billups was no All-Star, but he put up impressive 
      numbers, particularly in the second half of the season (for the year: 14.1 
      points, 3.7 assists, 2.1 reb). Mercer, meanwhile averaged upwards of 17 
      points a game for the Celtics this past season, and seems well on his way 
      to being a 18-22 point a game scorer in this league.
      So, what does he do? Unable to meet Mercer's salary demands, Pitino 
      packages Mercer with two chumps in exchange for Danny Fortson, Eric 
      Williams, and Eric Washington. This is actually a decent deal for the 
      Celtics since Fortson can play, and a healthy Williams is a quality 
      contributer, but that does not change the bottom line...Pitino's first 
      draft produced nothing that came remotely close to changing the team's 
      fortunes.
      In other moves, Pitino once traded away a then rising youngser in the 
      pre-knee injury Eric Williams (who was just reaquired) in order to free up 
      Cap room wrongly spent on Chris Mills. Mills, a product of the Cleveland 
      Cavaliers' slow game, could not play the fast paced offense or trapping 
      defense necessary, thus making his huge contract a huge waste of money. 
      When Pitino did, somehow, manage to trade away Mills, he received only 
      Walter McCarty, Dontae Jones, and John Thomas. McCarty, still a Celtic, 
      will spend his career as a 10-15 minute player, Jones illed someone and is 
      out of the league, Thomas rebounded this past season for the Toronto 
      Raptors.
      In other Pitino moves, he mispent millions on Travis Kight, but luckily 
      dealt Knight for underacheiving Tony Battie. Battie has some upside, but 
      signing Knight and getting Battie are hardly big time moves. Later that 
      summer, he broke the bank to retain Antoine Walker long term, despite the 
      fact Walker still has not decided on a position, shoots a terrible % from 
      the field, and is not a quality leader. Walker, after a great season 2 
      years ago, took steps backward last season, and is currently over weight 
      and squabbling over trade rumors.
      All in all, Rick Pitino has done nothing to change the Celtic fortunes. 
      While other young teams, such as the Sixers and the Raptors, took major 
      strides this past season, the Celtics appear to be wallowing in NBA 
      mediocrity... a place they may very well remain for a few years.
      Rick has not made Boston a place where big time free agents want to be, 
      and when Pitino has spent big bucks, he's usually shelled it out to the 
      wrong people and had to cover his ass by trading the very players he once 
      covetted. All I can say is, he's lucky Paul Pierce fell in his lap.
        - Jeremy D Sack