RE: wins and ugly losses

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

I'm not writing Fortson off, but I'm trying to be realistic. He was
foul-prone last year, and the new rules make it even tougher for him. He's
not going to get many minutes at PF because Pitino believes Antoine is best
suited there and he will play 35 mpg at that spot. So that leaves Fortson
and Battie splitting time backing up VP at center. Because of Battie's utter
lack of consistency, Fortson probably could grab most of those minutes if he
could stay on the floor, but he can't.

And your point about Pitino isn't fair. He also took Providence to the Final
Four when Billy Donovan was his best player and made Kentucky a winner in
his first season when the 'Cats were on probation and John Pelfrey was their
best player.

Any coach needs talent to win championships, and if you don't think Pitino
is doing the job, that's fine. But this guy has won everywhere he's been,
and not always with superior talent.

We'd better watch this team closely over the next month. If they don't turn
things around and make some kind of move, I think some serious changes could
be coming, either at the trading deadline or after the season. The problem
is, this team needs so much: Veteran leaders, a true center, more
athleticism (this really hits me when I watch the Celts these days), depth
everywhere.

Maybe I'm overly pessimistic after a terrible loss. I hope that's all it is.
Mark 
	
	I think it's premature to write off a guy coming back from a
fractured foot and
	into a totally new system. He began last year with a lot of kamikaze
fouls as
	well, before settling down foul-wise once he had his starting role.
So far he's
	had three games with three or fewer fouls. More importantly, after a
slow start
	he has three games with six or more rebounds (not bad for a 12.4
minutes per
	game player). He's also auspiciously hit 15 of his first 20 field
goal attempts.

	Pitino is definitely bringing Fortson along slowly and definitely
playing him
	predominantly or exclusively as a 6-8 backup center. If this
continues, it is
	obvious to me that Fortson will walk at the end of the year. All he
wants is a
	chance to start and a chance to be a power forward.

	He along with Antoine and maybe Potapenko are three guys about whome
five years
	from now all of us will be saying "Didn't they used to play for the
Celtics!? No
	wonder we are still a lottery team!"

	I say move the glib, fast-talking coach before we touch any of our
players (all
	of whom seem bright, talented, likeable and hard working from my
point of view).
	Think about it. Il Duce had seven first-rounders and three NBA 20ppg
players on
	his 1996 championship team (more depth than even the Michigan "Fab
Five" or
	Larry Johnson's UNLV teams). Take away that recruiting advantage (or
inheriting
	Patrick Ewing) and how good a coach is he in the age of salary caps?

	****