Re: the trade/the future

[Jim McMaster <mcmaster@sweng.stortek.com>]

In message <CAD5FA6C4518D311B14800A0C98439DFED89E9@ns-bco-mse5.im.battelle.org
>
, "Berry, Mark S" said:
> Now, on to the future: I hope this isn't the last trade. This is a bad mix
> of players that has the fans turned off from this team altogether. Remember
> that Antoine for Ratliff and Hughes rumor? If Philly would do it, so would
> I. This team is much closer to a top-five lottery position than the
> playoffs. Make some changes, draft well and take a shot next year.
> 
> Most of us have been homers when evaluating our players. This team needs a
> major overhaul.
> 
> I've been back-and-forth on this group all season. Not anymore. We need
> changes. If they happen at the deadline, fine. If not, then after the
> season. Either way, it's time to try something different.
> 
If you say this every season, the team will never get better...at some point 
you have to assemble a group of players and let them play together for 
awhile.  This is my main criticism of Pitino.  He just keeps getting a bad 
mix of players together, not being satisfied, then getting another bad mix of 
players.

I am not critical of this trade, particularly, although I do wish Fortson had 
gotten a real shot.  Still, if Fortson was not going to get a real shot, why 
did Pitino bother to acquire him?  A previous poster said Fortson was the 
same player last year, and I agree.  It was also pointed out Pitino should 
have known whether Walker could play SF, and again I agree.

Right now, the team has several talented players...enough to win far more 
games than they have.  The problem is they are lacking in critical skills 
(rebounding, man-to-man defense, outside shooting) and have no way to 
compensate for them.  There is no way to assemble a well-rounded team with 
the players they have on hand.  IN addition, several of the key players are 
inconsistent, and if even one has a bad game the team is doomed that night.  
The bench neither complements the starters nor picks up the slack when one of 
the starters is off.  Alvin Williams improves the backup PG mess, but does 
not really address the problem.

Sad times...and I do not see how they will get better anytime soon.  I am not 
an NBA fan, but a Celtics fan.  The game has gotten really ugly to watch, and 
there is no joy in watching the Celtics to make up for the lack of fun in the 
game.  What is a fan to do when he is not satisfied just to see a nightly 
dunk-and-mugging fest, punctuated by trash talk and whining?  Is it time to 
abandon the game to the only fans the NBA seems to want?
-- 
Jim McMaster
mailto:mcmaster@sweng.stortek.com
Go Celtics!