RE: Poll: Embry /Cowens or Pitino/Pitino

[Dan Forant <dforant1@nycap.rr.com>]

I'm late on this one. I'll take Embry and Cowens without a blink.

At 10:41 AM 4/14/00 -0400, you wrote:
>> 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
>
>