patience and stability

["Thomas Murphy" <tfmiii@worldnet.att.net>]

>>``I think they're a great group of guys,'' Pitino said of his team as he
prepared to drop the anvil. ``We've got a wonderful attitude. We've stayed
upbeat. We refuse to get down. And that's good.

``But I think when you have great attitude and you have great chemistry and
you're working hard, you better say . . . who was it, Parcells, the coach
that said, `What you are is what you are.' And, yes, we could have won
probably eight or 10 more games if the breaks fall our way, but that's 38 or
39 wins. So I think we've got to make some strong additions to our
basketball team in order to become better.''

What the Celtics are now is 16 games under .500 with six games left and a
duel at home with Atlanta on tap tonight. The club has shown the ability to
play with most anyone, but fourth-quarter swoons have cost them several
games. And while Pitino talks about it being a young team, he doesn't appear
interested at the moment in waiting for maturity to make an appearance.

If the Celtics keep a pat hand, he said, ``all we're going to do is be a
little wiser with the same basketball team, and a little wiser maybe means
five or six more wins. But it's not going to get us over the hump. We've got
to get over this hump right now.''<<
http://www.bostonherald.com/sport/basketball/celts04102000.htm

I couldn't let this set of quotes go without comment. For those who argue in
favor of retaining the coach in order to maintain stability, I think these
quotes help illustrate precisely what I've come to believe, that the
greatest source of instability on this club is Pitino himself. He is more
impatient than anyone on this list. That impatience has fueled an almost
comical amount of instability over the past three years - with no signs that
it will stop - and for what? His best record was, amazingly, three seasons
ago. And NOW Pitino will be lucky to surpass the win total of an M.L. Carr
team? Paradoxically, perhaps the best move to achieve some stability and
exhibit some patience would be to remove the coach.

Not meaning to flame anyone (on the list that is) - TomM