Re: (no subject)

[opi@unesco.org]

Hi Tim: What you write regarding UK is reassuring and sounds v. informed, so
thanks. And yes, there's no question we should know better by now than to
overreact about ANY exhibition game. If only I could see any use for this 5-man
opening lineup, even in uncommon situations (I suppose the same lineup but with
Battie replacing Fortson might make sense against some 3-guard lineups). It just
strikes me as strange.

IMO, unless something bizzaro is going on, Rick Pitino shouldn't "reward"
Fortson by giving him a start at center (as was reported in his press
conference)...It seems to me he should rather reward Fortson by letting him
finally be able to pick on guys his own size at forward. It's looking to me like
Pitino views Fortson and Potapenko as fighting for the starting center job (with
the woefully undersized Fortson "surprisingly" outplaying Pots so far, just as
he did last year against Keon Clark when LaFrentz went down, and the year before
against "El Busto"). The loser of this daily center battle during camp is IMO
actually at risk of backing up not just the starter but also our other true
center (Pervis), as happened last night. For many reasons, this may certainly be
an irrational and paranoid opinion. In this sense, you better believe I hope I'm
completely nuts. :-)

Cheers,

Joe

*****

Tim Lynch wrote:

> Well I'll preface my comments by saying this list is wildly overreacting to
> one preseason game.  A strong preseason last year meant nothing and this
> game means nothing longterm.  In fact, if anything I'm heartened by the fact
> that one of the biggest questions (can Eric Williams physically return to
> form?) may have been positively answered.  Anything else is too early to be
> determined on the basis of a game where Pitino is more interested in mixing
> and matching lineups than getting a W.  Perhaps he was rewarding certain
> players efforts by giving them the start.  Perhaps he wanted to see how the
> already condemned Cheaney (a player the "omniscient" Riley wanted remember)
> did in Mercer's old position and sets.  It seems many are extrapolating
> season long trends based on lineups OVER TWO WEEKS BEFORE HALLOWEEN!
> Somehow in 48 minutes of basketball he has already permanently retarded the
> development of the players for years to come?  Ludicrous.
> (clipped)
> I generally agree with most of your opinions but not today's post, this part
> in particular.  This is one of the fallacies that has been purported ad
> nauseum about Pitino when the fact is that it is simply not true.  He has
> coached very few true big men but not for a lack of trying.  At UK he
> recruited every big name prospect that came along but was usually rebuffed
> by someone who believed (or was told by UNC, Duke & UM) what you wrote above
> or "didn't want to run all the time".  The only player in those eight years
> he was able to get with a true center's frame was Nazr Mohammed, a 300+ lb
> tub of goo that could barely cross halfcourt.  Less than two years later he
> was dominant big man in the 1997 NCAA championship game (he missed his six
> free throws though...@#$%!).  I've honestly never seen a player transform
> that much (beyond his weight loss) in a short period of time.  Pitino, along
> with Jim O'brien and the since dismissed Winston Bennett all spent long
> hours with him and their work speaks for itself.  Couple this with Patrick
> Ewing lauding Pitino in greatly helping him improve his game and I fail to
> believe he has some great deficit in this area.  A lack of quantity on his
> track record, sure, but not a lack of quality.
>
> > Joe
>
> Tim