Re: The Truth about Cats and Pitinos

["Berry, Mark S" <berrym@BATTELLE.ORG>]

Joe, you make some valid points, but I'm going to disagree. Here's why:
Teams win or lose in the NBA based on the play of their "star" players. The
Lakers go as Shaq and Kobe go. The Knicks as Houston and Sprewell go. The
Spurs as Duncan and Robinson go. Stockton and Malone. Kidd and Marion. Look
at Minnesota. They win with one real star, Garnett. Get past Garnett and
Brandon and that roster looks pretty similar to the Celtics'.

Very few teams in the NBA today have great depth. A lot of 3-12 men compare
pretty closely with Kenny Anderson, Bryant Stith, Tony Battie and Vitaly
Potapenko. Are Rick Fox, Robert Horry, Horace Grant and Ron Harper that
great? Do the Celtics have a weak bench? Absolutely, but they're far from
alone in a watered-down NBA.

So, we all seem to fall into one of two camps. Some say be patient, Walker
and Pierce may become the kinds of players we need. Others say we've seen
enough and they are what they are.

Personally, I see Walker in his fifth season and Pierce in his third and
neither of them really make their teammates better. Is the draft a sure
thing? No. Are trades guaranteed to make things better? No. But are things
getting better by exercising patience? I certainly don't think so, and I
don't think it's simply a coaching problem.

The team needs difference-makers. Stars who make the players around them
better. Sure, you say, who doesn't? Well, if you don't believe they're on
your roster, you have to get them somehow. That means draft them or trade
for them. That's what I'm calling for. And I'll sacrifice anyone and
everyone on this team to get players like that.

Mark