Re: Sports (NBA) - Pitino gives Beantown an earful after loss - 3/2/00

[Alex Wang <awang@mit.edu>]

It's simply not true that taking a timeout in this situation is the
"right" play. The idea of taking a timeout is to get to halfcourt 
and to draw up a set play. You don't always want it at halfcourt
because it's harder to inbound from there; if you have plenty of
time then you'd generally rather take it the full length. Also you
can call a set play while the other team is shooting free throws
and not waste a timeout, which you may very well need with 33
seconds left. And the final point is, didn't it work? Didn't the
Celtics get a bucket? 

It's really quite a stretch to say, "Pitino didn't call a timeout
in such and such situation" to "he can't coach or the team is tuning
him out." It's really a ridiculous, ignorant conclusion.

Alex

> I am also a Celtic fan forever.  I still maintain that Pitino needs to go.
> For example in last night's game, after the raptors made two free throws,
> they were 33 seconds left in the game.  I was sure that Rick Pitino was the
> call a team timeout.  But instead the Celtics just took the ball in out of
> bounds and luckily Anderson made a basket and we were ahead by one point.
> Now for those of you who have the game on tape look at this part.  You will
> see that what Pitino appears to be signaling to come over to the bench as
> though he is calling a timeout.  Could it  be that Kenny Anderson ignored
> Pitino's call for timeout with 33 seconds left?  Either way the team shall
> have taken a time out with 33 seconds left and being down one point.  So
> either Pitino doesn't know enough out of college at a time like that or the
> team is ignoring him take your pick.
> 
> Ladynada