Re: Pitino the Enabler

[Joe Hironaka <j.hironaka@unesco.org>]

> >From: DJessen33@aol.com
>
> If any of you have played with a player like that, you know what I mean.
> Why bust your hump when one of your players is going to take the ball as
> often as he can and shoot it regardless of circumstance?
> Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com

In order to fill my required daily allowance of pro-Antoine Walker postings,
let me start by noting a "detail" that it was Ron "The Saint" Mercer who led
the team in shot attempts and bricks not only last night (6-19) but as a
trend (I guess "Master P" has been telling Ron to think hard about his
contract extension). The basic key to stealing a victory in last night's
game was our "future All Star" Ron Mercer's capacity to at least neutralize
Ray Allen. Unfortunately, Ray showed Ron who's got game on 9-12 shooting
with 7 assists and 1 turnover.

Meanwhile, Paul "The Pope" Pierce has gone from being an all-around
aggressive, won't-be-denied ROY into a timid, under-sized rookie forward
whose total contributions on offense amount to little  more than
"catch&shoot" from the three-point line. He's doing a nice Steve Kerr
imitation on a team that needs a lot more out of him.

Look, I'm only bashing Paul and Ron to balance the scales a bit. I believe
Mercer will accelerate his learning curve by being more aggressive this year
and that Pierce is doing the absolute best he can, despite not being able to
practice between games because of back spasms plus his knee and ankle
sprains.

But, frankly, the reason I think we take turns blaming EVERYTHING on
Pitino's point guard (Kenny) and/or his best player (Toine) is because they
are precisely the two guys that Pitino has (irritatingly) left the running
of the 1999 offense almost entirely in the hands of, while he focuses this
year's developmental program on mastering the Pitino defense. Some bright
guy on this list could probably convincingly argue that there are a dozen or
more experienced NBA coaches (plus the retired Phil Jackson) who could coach
our present talent level into the playoffs, merely by suggesting rudimentary
improvements in how we run our offense (Larry Bird, Chuck Daly, George Karl
come to mind). As some of you have said, the Celtics could and maybe should
be leading the league in scoring this season.

Well as Dorine would say, PATIENCE!! What we risk losing via a coaching
change is a team that has led the league in forced turnovers over the past
100 games and has steadily improved in every other defensive category since
last season. Next year, let's see if this school yard offense the Celtics
seem to have continues to flounder at key moments. That's when we should all
admit that Paul M. is our tortured list genius and that we might need to
bring Larry Legend (or even Dave Cowens) back home to where he belongs.

****