RE: Poll: Embry /Cowens or Pitino/Pitino

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

> Subject: Poll - :  Embry /Cowens or Pitino/Pitino
>
> If you had your choice next season between Rick Pitino continuing on
> as Coach and  defacto GM of the Celtics or bringing in Wayne Embry
> and Dave Cowens (as indicated by Jackie O) what would you choose?
>
 I know this will come as a shock to all of you, but I'd go for the latter
duo.

Embry was a top-notch GM (who, like Red, was also responsible for one of the
top-notch gaffes - the trade of Ron Harper for Danny Ferry). And Embry has
not done TOO bad with the big men, he did draft Brad Daugherty, Ilgauskas
and Potapenko as well as making the deal for Larry Nance.

As I recall, Cowens left Charlotte not only because he was the lowest paid
coach in the NBA (after leading the Hornets to their two best seasons in
their entire history) but was also acknowledged to be a lame-duck in the
last year of his deal since it was clear that Hornet management was not
going to reward him with a new contract that would be commensurate with his
status/achievements. So he decided to pull the plug a little earlier (after
not being invited to a planning session if I remember right) rather than
play out the string. Please, any of you from the Charlotte are correct me -
I'm not claiming infallibility on this topic.

Also, please fill me in on the relationship Cowens had as a coach with his
players. I hear that big red once challenged Mason to a fight ("you want a
piece of me!" I think he was reported to have shouted) and I've also heard
that Wesley was considered by many players to be a kind of "teacher's pet"
with Cowens. Obviously, despite whatever limitations imposed by his
legendary temper, Cowens was able to extract performances from his Hornet
roster that have not been matched before or since.

The mention of Cowens' name brings to mind the championships from the '70s.
Who was our shot-blocking "inside presence" in those years? Yet we still
managed to win with tenacious rebounding, hustle and smart play. I'm
convinced that the current Cs suffer more from a lack perimeter defense
(allowing penetration) than the lack of shotblocking. At least the former
should be more easily rectified. I'd love to see V and Fortson on the floor
for an extended period of time, but it doesn't look as if it will ever
happen.

-TomM