Credit Pitino with the loss

[DJessen33@aol.com]

This was another loss you can hang around Pitino's neck. Again, I blame the 
substition pattern. Sure, it would help if we had Pierce and Fortson. But I 
think the remainders are still good enough to beat this Rockets team. 

Case in point: I really feel that Walker has to play 40 minutes of the game 
to be effective. When Pierce is gone, you would think it would be a 
no-brainer anyway. However, Pitino took out Walker in the middle of the first 
and didn't return him until the middle of the second. Walker, who was dried 
out, instantly starting taking it upon himself to make up for lost time and I 
don't have to tell you the end result. Now, Walker played quite a bit of the 
second half, But notice, he really didn't starting really getting into it 
until the middle of the fourth quarter.

Case in point: I have never liked Dana at the point guard position. I much 
prefer Overton. Notice how well the second unit played at the end of the game 
against the Spurs when Pitino finally put Overton at the point. Dana seemed 
like it as well and really started stroking the jumpers and racing down the 
court for layups. Well, Pitino puts Dana in towards the end of the first 
quarter against the Rockets and Dana, still hot from last night, confidently 
pulls up and drains a long jumper. However, two minutes later in the game, 
Pitino goes back to Anderson for the entire second quarter. For the first 
time it looked like Dana was hot and I wanted him in there, even at the point 
guard position, Pitino doesn't. Now Anderson had a nice overall game through 
out. However, when Pitino put Dana out there in the third quarter, he 
promptly missed two wide open jumpers. Out he came but now he definitely 
didn't have the confidence. Why not ride the hot man earlier?

Case in point: Did anyone notice how we were getting outrebounded by the 
Rockets? Are we truly going to try Walker at the small forward position? If 
so, we can't we play a little of Walker, Battie and VP at the same time now? 
This would definitely help on the rebounding end. Since Williams, Cheaney and 
Walter can't shoot anyways, we shouldn't miss them. Walker can't shoot any 
worse than them. He may not be able to play defense as well as them but he 
would be able to post up the opposing small forward. 

Case in point: Why are we double teaming the non-stars? Why, when you think 
of the Celtics on defense, you think of guys running all over the place 
waving their arms? The Rockets game was a perfect example. The Rockets have 
no stars suiting up. The Rockets (and everyone else that plays against the 
Celtics) game plan was to spread the floor and let the players take them 
one-on-one. Pitino's defensive game plan is to double and force a pass. The 
problem is that you just have to find the open guy by passing. The Celts are 
running all over trying to cover 4 guys with 3 men. You either get a wide 
open three or a dunk. Most of these pros are good enough to hit a shot if 
they are wide open, especially if they get multiple looks. In college, the 
pressure would make a bigger difference. If you are down at the end of the 
game, you have to do stuff like this. When you play teams that have 
superstars like Duncan, Garnett and Grant Hill, you have to double. But don't 
make stars out of scrubs. Just play them even up during most of the game. If 
a guy gets beat at the perimeter, then hopefully he gets picked up by your 
shotblocker. Next, play off of him a little and make him shoot over you. 
Pitino knows this. But perhaps his MO of pressure defense and overplaying to 
force bad passes and shots won't work in the NBA or for this team.

Case in point: As I have mentioned before, I have never understood how Pitino 
can ever  have a Celtic team out there playing without a Walker or Pierce and 
sometimes not even a Griffen. When the Spurs play, Robinson and Duncan takes 
turn resting so one of them is always in there. When Bulls played, Jordan and 
Pippen did the same. Why wouldn't you want to have one of your best players 
on the court at all times? Does it make sense to rest them at the same time? 
Pitino likes to play a unit of Barros, Cheaney, Walter, Williams and Battie. 
Who is supposed to shoot the ball? I think the players ask the same question 
because no one is aggressively looking for his shot. Is it supposed to be 
Dana? It is difficult for him to get that shot off when he is also the point 
guard who is supposed to be creating shots for others.

All in all, I believe Pitino is a good coach and has done a great job 
gathering in the team that we have. How he gets these guys to scrap until the 
bitter end, I'll never know. However, I just don't understand the master 
plan.  How Fortson will fit into this when he is healthy is an even bigger 
mystery...

DJessen33