Miami herald profile Of Pitino And Slow Celtic Progression

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            Published Sunday, February 14, 1999, in the Miami Herald
         HEAT
               BARRY JACKSON
        ----------------------------

        Celtics' progression slow                       
                                                       
        Entering his third season,                       
        Pitino doesn't expect                             
        postseason berth
                                                           
        The Heat's Pat Riley and NFL                      
        coaches Bill Parcells (New                       
        York Jets) and Dan Reeves    
        (Atlanta Falcons) all turned                     
        subpar teams into elite ones
        in just their second seasons                        
        on the job.                                    
                                                      
        Apparently, Rick Pitino's                        
        rebuilding project in Boston                   
        will take a little longer.
        Pitino said last week he is                    
        not expecting a playoff                          
        berth this season, his                              
        second with the Celtics.

        ``I thought in the third year we could compete for a playoff
        spot, and that has not changed,'' Pitino said. ``The Atlantic
        Division has gotten very tough. But if we can get one more player
        like [Celtics forward] Popeye Jones, who has that type of
        experience, and add that to our nucleus of young players, that
        would help our team.''

        Several building blocks already are in place. Swingman Paul
        Pierce ``is as impressive a rookie as I've seen come along in
        awhile,'' Pitino said. ``He's a finesse small forward with great
        athleticism, but he's a physically imposing person [6-7, 220],
        and he can handle the physical part of the NBA. He's everything
        we hoped.''

        Antoine Walker is turnover-prone and takes too many bad shots,
        but he's as gifted offensively as anybody in the division. Ron
        Mercer looks like a keeper at shooting guard, and for now, Kenny
        Anderson will make do at point guard.

        The Celtics likely would have had to trade Walker if the new
        collective bargaining agreement had not put a limit on salaries.
        But the labor deal allowed Boston to sign Walker to a six-year,
        $71 million extension.

        The major hole remains center, where Eric Riley, Tony Battie and
        Dwayne Schintzius are holding the position until Boston can
        upgrade. The Celtics did not have enough cap space to bid for
        Matt Geiger or Ike Austin in January.

        ``There was a lot of thought to signing [Geiger or Austin] until
        we found out the cap would only be $30 million,'' Pitino said.
        ``We would have to give up one our young talented ball players to
        get [a center], and that's the last option for us.''

        Pitino has pulled back on his frenetic, pressing defense, which
        is better suited for the college game. Heat point guard Tim
        Hardaway and other players criticized Pitino for that style last
        season.

        ``If a player says that, you know they don't want to play against
        it,'' Pitino said. ``I don't pay attention to critics. It's
        people who have very little knowledge of what you're trying to
        do.''

        Occasionally, there is speculation Pitino would be happier back
        in the college game. Do not believe that, he says.

        ``I have never for one second thought about going back to
        college,'' Pitino said. ``I am here for the pros for a long time.
        This journey is a fun one early on, and then hopefully in the
        fourth or fifth year, we will be where everybody else is at.''
        <snip>

                        Copyright © 1999 The Miami Herald