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Michael Holley: Pitino Looking Forward To Making Changes And Next Season
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[The Boston Globe Online][Boston.com]
[Boston Globe Online / Sports]
Pitino yearning for next year
By Michael Holley, Globe Staff, 03/11/99
ATLANTA - You will love the Celtics
of tomorrow. The 21st century/Y2K
version of the team in shamrocked shorts
will defend. It will be mature. It will be
one of the top squads in the Eastern
Conference. It will not inspire its head
coach to curse when he is asked, ''How's
your team doing?''
''We will make the playoffs next season,''
Celtics coach Rick Pitino said yesterday.
''Come July 1, I'm going to make the
changes - the right changes - it takes for
us to be a good team.''
NBA fans know July 1 marks the beginning
of the free agency period. They also know
that when a coach starts talking about the
year ahead, that usually means there isn't
much joy with the year at hand.
''The Charlotte game was probably the low
point for me in 25 years of coaching,''
Pitino said of his team's 105-87 loss to
the battered Hornets Tuesday night. ''Our
team is not doing well at all. We can't
guard the low post. We don't guard screens
well. We have five different players who
can't guard anyone. You should see the way
we're grading out for these games. I have
never had a team grade out so low. We were
in the 70s for the Miami game [a 108-101
win]. Lately, we've been in the 40s.''
So, to be clear, fans probably shouldn't
plan to see any playoff games at the
FleetCenter in May?
''I'm not overly optimistic about the
playoffs this year,'' Pitino said after a
90-minute practice at Georgia Tech. ''I'm
not overly pessimistic, either.''
Pitino was asked if his team's problems
are correctable.
''Yes, but we're going to need weeks and
weeks and weeks of practice to correct
them.''
Of course, the Celtics don't have weeks of
practice in this 50-game season. Based on
their open dates the rest of the season,
they could have a maximum of 22 practices.
But that number is deceiving, because it
doesn't account for any days off between
now and May 5. There are also two open
dates following
three-games-in-three-nights stretches in
April. The players couldn't possibly
practice after a schedule like that. So
Pitino knows that he has somewhere between
12 and 15 practices remaining. He also
knows some changes will have to be made.
One change can be with the personnel he
has now.
''We could turn it around if guys went out
on the floor every night and put their
lives on the line defensively,'' he said.
''But I don't see that; there's a lot of
living going on.''
Bruce Bowen put some critical body parts
on the line during the Hornets game. He
looked like a wide receiver being tackled
on the sideline when he chased after a
loose ball, was upended by David Wesley,
and wound up spread-eagled against press
row. Many people were amazed to see the
6-foot-7-inch forward get up and continue
playing. Bowen is not the only one playing
good defense. Pitino knows that guard Greg
Minor wouldn't mind being traded but, ''I
like the way he's playing right now. He's
doing his job under tough circumstances
for him.''
After the loss to the Hornets, some
players talked of having a players-only
meeting. Walter McCarty said yesterday
that the meeting didn't happen, mostly
because the team realized that it would be
better off playing than talking. But there
was some talking going on yesterday, on
two levels.
First there was Pitino chatting with his
players.
''I told them that I'm old fashioned,'' he
said. ''What do they say now, old school?
I'm old school. I believe in defense and
moving the ball. Two things young players
struggle with are defense and shot
selection. That's one reason Pat Riley has
a phobia of players 26 and under.''
Then there was Pitino and Chris Wallace
talking to personnel men around the NBA.
Today is the trading deadline. It was
pointed out to Pitino that, given his
team's chemistry problems, a trade would
seem to be the last thing the Celtics
needed. Bring in a new player with no time
to practice and you're asking for
additional problems, aren't you?
''But any trade we made would be for next
year, not this one,'' he said. Pitino said
he is not actively seeking to make a
trade, but it is the Celtics' obligation
to listen to other teams.
''I'm trying to stay on an even keel,'' he
said. ''If we need to make changes, we'll
make them.''
He was talking about July 1, not March 11.
Paul Pierce, who sprained his right ankle
against Charlotte, said that he probably
will not play tonight against the Hawks.
''But at least I'm walking,'' he said. He
may not play tomorrow against the Pistons,
either ... Chuck Person basically called
Antoine Walker a selfish player after
Tuesday's game, saying he had a ''bad'' 32
points. Pitino was asked about that. ''In
Antoine's mind, he probably thinks he has
to take a lot of shots for us to win. And
he's probably right,'' Pitino said. ''I
don't have a problem with that, as long as
they are the right shots. He shoots his
highest percentage when he goes to the
basket or when he posts up.''
This story ran on page C05 of the Boston
Globe on 03/11/99.
© Copyright 1999 Globe Newspaper Company.