Re: what to do?

["Cecil Wright" <cecil@hfx.eastlink.ca>]

I think we have a group of guys who are struggling to find an identity.  And
we have a list who, for the most part, don't have the patience to wait until
that identity is found.

Comments about losing to the Griz, like that team has absolutely no talent
at all.  Hey folks, you don't win 4 outta 5 on the road over us, the
Raptors, Nets and Heat by sheer luck.  From the information I've read,
though it doesn't leap right off the page, many are attributing their recent
upswing to the return of Grant Long.  It allows Rahim to stay at the SF
position that he is accustomed to.

We diss Toine, who is shuffled back and forth due to injuries to Fortson,
Pierce, Kenny and now Adrian, and we don't have the depth to fall back on.
We were very fortunate, thanks to Gerald Oliver, to have found a diamond in
the rough in Adrian.  And even he had a few less than stellar games prior to
his injury.  Battie is hot and cold though most of you sang his praises
during the exhibition season, when greater restraint should have prevailed.
Now, he's back to being El Busto to most of you.

Anyone who knows anything about basketball could tell you that a stress
fracture of the foot is one of the most serious injuries to rebound from.
So Pitino is easing Fort back, so as not to cause a re-injury, to give him
time to learn the plays and let him round into game shape.  For that reason,
Joe is talking about Fortson leaving at first opportunity because he doesn't
like his minutes.  Premature or what?  Is it possible that Pitino has
explained this to Danny?  Will things change?  Definitely, but not until we
get healthy.  They are capable of turning the corner, just like Vancouver
appears to have done.

As I said earlier, my largest issue is why we continue to doubleteam
non-scorers, leaving pure shooters wide open?  It is a gamble that has not
been paying off and I expect Rick to acknowledge it and make adjustments.

Cecil


----- Original Message ----From: Berry, Mark S <berrym@BATTELLE.ORG>
To: <celtics@igtc.com>
Sent: Tuesday, January 11, 2000 1:38 PM
Subject: what to do?


> I'm not going to spend any time defending Pitino, because everyone has an
> opinion. I happen to believe the problem lies in this collection of
players.
>
> What is indisputable is this: Pitino will be here at least the duration of
> this season. With that in mind, what can we expect? A complete turnaround?
> Unlikely. I don't see any indications it's coming.
>
> That means we continue this path, muddling along. Pitino isn't the kind to
> stand for it. In my mind, that means changes are coming. The only
> untouchables are Pierce and Griffin. It wouldn't surprise me if any of the
> other players or combinations of players on this team were traded before
the
> deadline.
>
> The awful truth is, this seems to be a bad mix. I expect it to change. We
> can only hope those changes don't set us back for years.
>
> Mark
>