Pitino interview

[Alex Wang <awang@mit.edu>]

A few notes on the Pitino interview:

He mentioned that Pierce was motivated this year because of his draft
snub. He said that he'll have to find a different motivation now that
he's proven he's "one of the best players in basketball."

He said they were shooting for a big trade, and when the interviewers
asked him whether that would mean moving a starter, he said, "Oh, it
would have to be Walker or Mercer." And then he mentioned that Walker
would be tough to move because of base-year rules. If Mercer is still
in a Celtics uniform when the season begins, I'll be very surprised.

The player with the most "Celtic pride" is Walker. Pitino said Mercer
was an example of a player who didn't have Celtic pride yet (and didn't
have "Kentucky pride" either). 

Pitino is looking to add two players by the $2M and $1M exemptions. 
His budget is basically the cap plus exemptions, but Gaston would be
able to go a few million over if it would make the difference in 
getting a championship (as opposed to just a few more wins.)

Alex