Bird vs Pitino

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

Great post Rich, I couldn't agree more. KISS. Occam's Razor. Simplify. Why
try and prove yourself a genius? Bird's no genius (unlike Pitino or Nelson)
just a good coach. 

-TomM

> ------------------------------
> 
> Date: Fri, 11 Feb 2000 15:12:03 -0500 (EST)
> From: RSMALL@clarku.edu
> Subject: Re: On Bird & Pitino
> 
> >I've got to admit I haven't seen much of Alvin Chipmunk's reported
lightning
> >penetration or above-average defensive skills, nor do I think Toronto's
other
> >point guards ahead of him would start on most other NBA teams.
> >
> >By "system player" I meant that Alvin was a Pitino system player. RP
seems to
> >have a very high tolerance for very low FG% players with
multi-positional
> >skills, regardless of the rhetoric. It's time to say good-bye to
Ovaltine's
> >.392FG% and hello cruel world to Alvin's .414FG%.
> >
> >Whew, I'm glad we made that upgrade.
> 
> I truly hope this is an upgrade, but for a guy will so much upside he
just 
> couldn't get any play.  Kinda makes you wonder.
> 
> >If it makes you feel any better, then let's go right ahead and keep
heaping
> >blame on Antoine and Potapenko for our 29th place defense and the
constant
> >embarrassing size mismatches and layups as a result of Pitino's "traps".
> 
> I don't remeber saying anything about Walker or Pot, but now that you 
> mentioned it ;)  The real fault lies with his trapping.  Why do they
continue 
> to trap players not worthy of traps.  These usually lead to open shots
and 
> lay-ups.
> 
> >On paper, we downgraded mightily to go get Alvin (Mercer or Fortson,
take your
> >pick). So he better make the "system" look better than it has so far.
> 
> I have questions with the system.  This stuff works in college but rarely
in 
> the pro's.  I don't feel you can employ it full (or even semi-full) time.
 The 
> press probably works best when used sparingly.  Just too many good ball 
> handlers in the pro's. 
> 
> >In effect, the full court press is a good change-up pitch with kids like
Alvin
> >and Waltah able to wave their long arms in the way of second-stringers
of all
> >shapes and sizes. But it's the rest of Pitino's counter-intuitive
halfcourt
> >gimmicks that fail against veteran NBA athletes. They merely pity us for
running
> >around eagerly into hopeless defensive mismatches. Sheep to the
slaughterhouse.
> >It's one of the best kept obvious secrets of the rest of the NBA teams.
> 
> Agree.  As I said in the past I beleive Ricky P. needs a Professional
bench 
> coach.  Some one who has been in the league a long time, and truly
understands 
> the pro game.
> 
> >When Pitino says "player X is a weight-room away...yada yada don't you
love the
> >sound of my voice", the rest of the NBA general managers probably run
straight
> >to their xerox or water cooler room to start high-fiving every employee
in
> >sight. Antoine and Waltah have been in Pitino's system for more than
half a
> >decade and they still can't get it right.
> 
> Basically I have grown tired of Ricky speak.
> 
> >Au contraire baby, it shows just how obvious execution can make
basketball easy.
> >Coach your talent to control the defensive boards and turn obvious
passing lanes
> >and angles into an efficient (almost repetitive) fastbreak and you don't
have to
> >dunk or do anything else spectacular to score.
> 
> Sounds simple doesn't it.
> 
> >Pitino treats the game like it's his own personal rocket science. The
problem is
> >that he gets only 5 hours of sleep a night and makes dogmatic, robotic
> >approximations of intelligent thinking as a result.
> 
> Time to take the simple route.  Simplify the game and let the players
play.
> 
> Rich,,,