Re: TSN: Pitino Must Go/Fratello Must Coach With Bird As GM

[Josh Ozersky <josh_ozersky@yahoo.com>]

Who cares what this guy thinks?

--- Way Of The Ray <wayray@ix.netcom.com> wrote:
> New Yorker Dave Del Val wants Pitino gone, and
> offers ideas to clean
> up what is called the Celtics mess. His suggestions
> are amusing to
> say the least. Imagine the excitement a Mike
> Fratello-coached team
> would induce...
> > 
> 
>       The Sporting News: NBA - Fans' View - How to
> clean up this Celtic mess
>  
> 
>       How to clean up this Celtic mess
>       OCTOBER 7, 1999       
> 
>       Fans' View
> 
>      
>       Today, sports fan Dave Del Val looks at Rick
> Pitino's biggest mistakes and 
>       explains how the Celtics can return to glory. 
>       Despite being born and raised in New York, I
> have been a Celtics fan for 
>       25 years. Having said that, I am appalled at
> what has transpired with the 
>       club the past five years. The firing of Chris
> Ford was ridiculous and 
>       unwarranted. The hiring of M.L. Carr was a bad
> joke that somehow was 
>       allowed to run for two seasons. The ushering
> out of Larry Bird and the 
>       hiring of Rick Pitino only added insult to
> injury. 
>       Granted, Pitino was not given much to work
> with because of the overpriced, 
>       long-running contracts of Pervis Ellison, Dana
> Barros, Greg Minor, Dee 
>       Brown, etc. What Pitino has done on his own
> has reduced the club even 
>       further. 
>       1. Pitino drafted Chauncey Billups with the
> No. 3 pick and expected him to 
>       be a point guard. Anyone with an iota of
> basketball sense knew the guy was 
>       a shooting guard -- and a poor shooting one at
> that. Then, to add insult 
>       to injury, Pitino packaged Billups and Brown
> for the overrated and 
>       overpaid Kenny Anderson. 
>       Anderson is a terrible shooter and an even
> worse defender. He has zero 
>       basketball intelligence and has been a
> headache everywhere he has played. 
>       No one will take this guy off of Pitino's
> hands, so we're stuck with this 
>       bum for six more years. 
>       2. Trading Ron Mercer for Danny Fortson was
> another bonehead move. If 
>       Pitino had not re-signed talented, but
> immature Antoine Walker for so much 
>       money, Mercer would have remained. While
> Mercer is only a 43 percent 
>       shooter, he appears to be a solid citizen and
> a fine young man, the type 
>       who will work on his game. Chances are, Mercer
> just wanted to get away 
>       from Pitino, and I can't blame him. 
>       While Fortson is a good rebounder, his offense
> is limited. If he leaves 
>       after this season, the Celtics will be left
> with nothing for Mercer. How 
>       pathetic! 
>       3. Vitaly Potapenko is a good banger off the
> bench, but a starting center? 
>       Come on, Rick, what games have you seen him
> play that no one else has? To 
>       add salt to the wounds, the guy is signed for
> six years for about $36 
>       million. What is that? For a role player? To
> make matters even worse, the 
>       trade cost Boston the No. 8 pick in this
> year's draft. Sad. Sad. Sad. 
>       4. Drafting Paul Pierce was a Godsend, but
> will he want to stay in town 
>       with a team that won't win 20 games? Check
> back next year at this time and 
>       see if he is still with the team. 
>       5. Antoine Walker is the team's best player,
> but he has to grow up quickly 
>       or he'll never be more than a terrific
> rebounder, a poor shooter and a 
>       terrible defender. 
>       In short, Pitino must go. And Bird must be
> brought back as GM with Mike 
>       Fratello as coach. Only then can the Green
> begin its return to glory. 
> 
> 
>        
> 
>       Privacy Policy. © 1999 Times Mirror
> Interzines, a division of Times Mirror 
>       Magazines.
> 
>        


=====

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