I think the Fortson trade was the last straw

[kevin lok <kevin.lok@lycosmail.com>]

I think the Fortson trade really was the last straw
Funny now that there is talk of Pitino quiting or fired, this week you
see Michael Holly and Peter May writing really "strong" messages.

I think Pitino is a goner if we don't make the playoffs this season. Do
you think he would trade the "unpopular" AW so that he could have an
excuse should he not make the playoffs? (What am I thinking??? can't
happen, right?)

http://chicagotribune.com/sports/bulls/article/0,2669,ART-41992,FF.html

NBA Report/Sam Smith
Bird's flight path may end at Boston
February 14, 2000
Will Larry Bird be the next coach and general manager of the Boston
Celtics? The pieces are starting to fall into place for Bird's eventual
return to Boston.
Bird said last week he wasn't going to join the Indiana Pacers' front
office after this season, his final one as coach.
"It will be the same after I'm out two or three years," Bird said. "But
after a while you have to grow up and let it go. I've always been
interested in jobs in the NBA. But I've been in this for 20 years and it
might be time to do something else."
Bird said he'll return to his Florida home to enroll his kids in school
and continue his considerable corporate endorsement work.
But friends says Bird would love to return to Boston, the scene of his
great playing days, in an executive capacity. However, they say, he
dislikes coach Rick Pitino, who helped run him out when he took over,
and ownership.
"There's a lot of things I don't like," Bird said when asked about the
team on a recent trip to Boston. "But I'm not going to get into them."
Though things could change dramatically in the next year.
Pitino still is owed almost $30 million on his contract.
But the team shows little chance of making a turnaround and Pitino's
deals keep backfiring, the latest being the trade of Danny Fortson, whom
the Celtics acquired for Ron Mercer, to the Toronto Raptors for lightly
regarded Alvin Williams.
Boston sent Williams back, saying he failed his physical after a barrage
of local criticism about the deal.
It was the latest in a series of trades and signings that have crippled
the Celtics under the salary-cap regulations.
The thinking in Boston is Pitino will work out a buyout by the end of
next season rather than stay in a hopeless losing situation and a sale
of the team is possible.
Already NBA insiders said there have been rumors of exploratory talks
though no deal is imminent or likely anytime soon.
But if the team is sold, the buyer could come in with the hugely popular
Bird as general manager or coach.
<snip>


Lobel stokes coaching fires
by Jim Baker
Monday, February 14, 2000
Bob Lobel isn't confining his coach-firing speculation to the Bruins'
Pat Burns. He says Celtics owner Paul Gaston would can Rick Pitino if
the price were right.
``I'm not an apologist for Rick,'' insisted the Ch. 4 sports director
who hosts Pitino's weekly show. ``He's a big boy. And I think if Gaston
had a chance to fire him, he would - but it's too much of a payout,
$15-to-$20 million.''
Lobel even said he'd advise Pitino and Burns: ``Get out of here as soon
as possible. It's a no-win situation for you.''
Call it Lobel's Valentine's Day Massacre because ``there's a lot of
meanness in the air.
``Pitino's in the bull's eye because people's patience has run out,'' he
said. ``They thought it would be a lot easier to build a winner than it
is and Pitino did, too. He's pretty much discouraged as well. He told me
it's the first time in his career he ever felt failure. And he doesn't
know what to do.''
Lobel said the $7 million-a-year coach has become the fans' target
``because they see him as a conglomerate. Those bank commercials don't
flatter him. They don't like him unless he wins. He's seen in a
different light than Larry Bird, but is Bird a better coach than Pitino?
If Bird came in 21-28, they'd give him slack. It's much more personal
with Pitino.''
Lobel noted a quest for a new Celtics general manager, which has been
rumored, would need Pitino's blessing - unless he's fired. And he
acknowledged Pitino mistakes - ``he overpaid Walter McCarty and Vitaly
Potapenko. But he's in a catch-22 when the Knicks will spend $70 million
and don't care if they're fined for going over the salary cap and the
Celtics are spending $45-46 million.''
Lobel aroused Bruins GM Harry Sinden's wrath for predicting Burns would
be gone with the all-losing weekend that materialized.
``I should have known better because there's no way he'd fire Burns now
and put anyone else behind the bench to take the heat,'' Lobel said.
``(Sinden, assistant Mike O'Connell and owner Jeremy Jacobs) are paying
this guy to take that heat.''
A week ago, Lobel blasted that the Bruins would never be a Stanley Cup
team with Jacobs as owner.
So the message is Burns is the fall guy for Jacobs' frugality and the
front-office mistakes of losing key players and turning off others.
O'Connell would hear hoots galore. Lobel agreed that Ray Bourque, were
he to become interim player-coach, would not feel the heat. But Bourque
supports Burns.
Will both coaches be gone next season?
``Chances are excellent with Burns, which is too bad because he's a very
good coach,'' Lobel said. ``But I'd say Pitino probably won't be gone.''

<snip>