Re: Coaches

[Jim Hill <jahill@leasingservice.com>]

Hi List'ers,  I couldn't pass on this thread even though I tried......

The idea behind Pitino's hiring, as I understand it, was to prepare for
the now and future when the newly drafted players have less then 4 years
of collage experience.

You effectively have collage skill players in the NBA if they are under
24-25.  The players under 27 are rookie skilled players at best.  These
guy's don't play NBA skill basketball ........ yet.  This is why the
game has changed to one-on-one isolation scoring attempts by the younger
teams.  They don't know how to play team basketball.  Many learned
basketball on the playground instead of in organized leagues as in the
prior thirty years.  This is why Pitino should succeed as a coach.

This is why Pitino and Calpo were hired in the first place.  They
supposedly can relate to the younger players and have the experience in
teaching the fundamentals.  Now I personally never liked Calpo but I was
always impressed with Pitino teams.  What impressed me was that his
players continued to improve throughout their season.  There are players
in the NBA who somewhat owe their NBA career to the skills they learned
at UK.

Pitino came into a good but difficult situation when he joined the
Celtics.  He had to do what any turn around artist in the business world
does.  Dump the old regime, both in the front office and the sales force
(In this case the players).  Then build his own organization from the
ground up.  This is what he was hired to do.  If the Celtic's had anyone
in the front office who could have run everything while Pitino
concentrated on coaching the first couple years that would have been
better.  But they didn't.  Does anyone think that Healthpoint would
exist today for the Celtic's without Pitino making it happen?  His first
order of business was bringing the Celtic's, as an organization, into
the twentieth century.

According to M. Holley on WEEI the other day, the ML interview was
nothing less then ML being the mouthpiece for Gaston.  It is these
"company soldiers" that create the most disharmony in an organization
after a take over.  Without ML to do the dirty work, Gaston would have
to confront Pitino face to face.  Does anyone believe that a frank
discussion between the President and the Chairman would be a bad thing?
What is Gaston afraid of?  This kid is no dummy.  He has a proven track
record of success in business.  The fact that he was given the
opportunity to succeed OR fail because of his father shouldn't take away
from his success. (How many on this list would walk away from the same
opportunity?)

This is why Pitino had to dismiss ML and his comments publicly.

What I don't understand is way Pitino finds it necessary to discuss the
Mercer etc.. contract (s) in the press.  I find this deviation from club
policy annoying.  This is one change I don't agree with.  Pitino should
be in charge of these issues and discussing them with the player
directly, not in the press.  I don't see any benefit to airing the
laundry in the press.

<Jim