Re: The Boston Celtics Mailing List Digest V7 #263

[bird <bird@pixi.com>]

>I probably should lay off Pitinocchio. He works really hard, he respects
>Celtics tradition and he has been a very successful and innovative coach.
>It just isn't working out. I don't enjoy watching this style of play and
>the total absence of skill and teamwork development by the players as the
>seasons progress.

I don't think you should necessarily lay off Il Duce.  There's 
certainly a lot of aspects to criticize, and if you've got a few that 
are different than mine, that's OK, too.  Works hard?  You bet. 
Respects C's tradition?  Maybe -- wonder what he thought of selling 
off the old floor?  Dissing the B'nai B'rith?  Successful and 
innovative?  Yeah, but if he's not successful with the Celtics then I 
couldn't care less.  So he won a few games for the Knicks -- big 
deal.  His college career is impressive, but the C's don't play in a 
college league.

You're right about it not working out, though -- it surely hasn't so 
far.  It's really all about winning, though.  The defense looks 
disgustingly without purpose, and we can't seem to _not_ leave 
shooters open on the outside, who, as a result, will explode for 
career-highs against us.  Meanwhile, Pitino is yelling at players to 
play "defense" or "rebound" a second or two after the action in 
question is performed, or the opportunity for it to be performed has 
long since past.  But -- if things were going well and the team was 
winning, you'd hear a lot less complaining.

Of course, it _could_ be that the losing is a result of Pitino alone, 
but I don't think it's that simple.  Last year was the first year I 
got to see all of the games.  There were rarely games where the Celts 
didn't show what they were capable of.  The problem was they usually 
had some sort of breakdown to counteract that, and, thus, gave up big 
leads, or forgot to pass the ball, or left shooters open, or 
whatever, and so they lost.  The potential (sorry) was there, though, 
which means that, although it's not definate that Boston will start 
wining regularly, it _does_ mean that it's possible.  After the M.L. 
years, I'll take that, for a while.  For one more year, to be 
precise.  Turn it around in the next year, I'd say (if I were in 
charge), or take a hike.  Don't let the door hit your ass on the way 
out.  Vaya con dios, muchacho.  Then I'd sell the franchise to Larry 
Bird and get out of his way.  Oh, if only I could inherit the Celtics 
franchise, too.

Regards,

Bill