Larry's Coaching

[D Parker <danp@town.ipswich.ma.us>]

From: Sherry & Hart <hartleyo@ix.netcom.com>
Subject: Larry sinking FAST

>Any body out there agree with my following assessment of Bird's
>coaching ability.

No.

>Larry being completely outcoached badly, I might add by Van Gundy.
>He has not made one effective adjustment most likely because he ain't
>that smart and really is a lousy coach.

I would be willing to bet Larry Bird is much smarter than he lets on.  Bob
Ryan has said that Larry loves to promote his "hick" image but is really
very intelligent.

>Doesn,t it seem funny to any of you out ther in list land that when he
>calls a time-out, he has Rick Carlisle drawing up offensive plays. For
>those of you out there that didn't know or don't remember, Carlisle was a
>Celtic 12th man for years and by my memory he never saw action in more
>than 20 games a year.

Those who can't do, teach.  ;)

I don't see what the big deal is.  Larry has always been very open about
having Carlisle for offense and Harter for defense.  I do appreciate the
irony of their roles compared to their skills on the court, though.

>Bird who was one of the greatest offensive threats ever to play the game
>is just flat out too dumb to coach. He can't coach but he can play.

I'd be more impressed with your assessment if you gave some sort of
example rather than just saying he's "dumb" over and over.

The Knicks are a hot team and the Pacers are running out of gas.  How can
Larry be at fault for all the bricks Reggie Miller has been chucking up?
(I've always thought Reggie's "playoff heroics" were horribly overrated.
He's maddeningly inconsistent and I would think it would be tough for a
couch to count on a contribution from him each night.)

>Reminds me of Magic Johnson's attempt at coaching.

Here I think you're way off base.  Magic folded in a couple of weeks.  I
doubt he really thought the idea of coaching through.  Larry revived a
team that was going through the motions with an old coach and brought them
to within a game of the NBA finals.

>All I can say is thank goodness he coaches the Pacers and not the
>C's or we could be in worse shape than we are now.

Well, Pitino's second season wasn't anything to crow about, but I would
say Larry isn't the right coach for the Celtics.

>It will all be moot anyway because IMO Bird will quit coaching after this
>year to be the GM and Pres of the Pacers. Pity the poor Pacers.

The Pacers are headed for a fall, but it's hardly Bird's fault.  They
likely would have collapsed last year if he hadn't helped revive them.

>For what ever it is worth, I would have loved to see McHale stay
>with the C's in some capacity, now there is one sharp dude who obviously
>knows what he is doing.

Sure, he locked up a young superstar with so much money it'll be next to
impossible to bring in more good players.  If Kevin Garnett can't do it
himself, they're sunk.  (Apologies to McHale -- I think he's done a great
job -- but he doesn't shine head and shoulders over Bird, IMHO.)

Dan

P.S.  Hmm, New York just won and is going to the finals.  That didn't
really help my point.  :)

P.P.S.  Gawd, Jim Gray is such a toad.