Re: NBA coach needed

[Alex Wang <awang@mit.edu>]

John Lyell writes:

> Yeah just wait until we win about 25 again before we do it.  It is pretty
> obvious to most that even with Pierce this team can not compete with the
> upper or even mid-echelon teams, on a nightly basis. We might get one here
> and there but with the exception of a few players, this team is really full
> of crappy players. We have not even hit the tough Western teams yet with.
 
OK, this is the last time I repeat this. 

First, if the team wins 25 this season, then I'm all for firing
Pitino. As far as I can see, that hasn't happened yet nor is it some
kind of sure thing. If you think it is, I'm willing to bet you as much
as you want right now that the team wins more than 25. So until then,
let's see what the team can do over the course of a full season.

Second, if the team can't compete with mid-echelon teams, why has it
beaten Miami, Indiana, Charlotte, Toronto, and New York? 

Third, if Pitino is a crappy coach and the team is full of crappy players,
how come they are 10-13? If his team is full of such crappy players, then
isn't Pitino doing a good job coaching them to a better-than-crappy 
record? 
 
> I not necessarily saying it is all Pitino's fault, but with the exception of
> Barros & Ellison, he built this team, so don't make any excuses for him. He
> has just made some poor player decisions. Alex what is your excuse for the
> losses to the Rockets without Hakim or Barkley  and teams like the Bulls ?

Better teams will lose to worse teams on any given night. If this
wasn't the case, sports wouldn't be too interesting, would they? Isn't
Miami having a four game losing streak including a loss to the lowly
Warriors? Fire Pat Riley! Why bother evaluating him over a season or
over his career when you can have a knee-jerk reaction over a week's
worth of play?

Alex