Pitino makes another great decision!

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

So, the Cs are picking up the option on Adrian for
next season, hoooray. that's the 2nd consecutive
good decision Pitino made these couple of days
(the 1st one was he went with a 8 man rotation in
the Orlando win)

(Pitino said) ``This guy put in a lot of time in a
lot of different spots before coming to us. The
best thing he could possibly do this summer is
give himself some rest. . . . Then he can come
back in a month or so and start to work his tail
off again.''


Griffin needs a vacation
by Mark Cofman
Tuesday, March 7, 2000
Celtics coach Rick Pitino isn't exactly
recommending Adrian Griffin waste away in
Margaritaville this summer. But Pitino, aware the
rookie forward is feeling the effects of heavy
wear-and-tear on his body, would like to see
Griffin take a good, long vacation after the
season.
``When his season's over, he needs to just rest,''
said Pitino, who doesn't prescribe offseason R & R
with his players very often. ``This young man
hasn't had a vacation for three years.
``He needs to take his wife, who's expecting (the
couple's second child in late April), get a
baby-sitter and go to Margaritaville. He needs to
lay under an umbrella with his wife, cuddle up to
her and get a bottle of . . .''
Pitino, aware it's not wise to promote alcohol
consumption in these politically correct times,
stopped for a moment, then continued. ``Adrian and
his wife can enjoy a bottle of non-alcoholic
champagne and just relax.''
You get the point. Relaxation has been in short
supply for Griffin these past few years. Before
leading the Connecticut Pride to the CBA
championship while winning league MVP honors last
season, he had also played in the USBL and
overseas in Italy.
Griffin's incredible odyssey from obscurity to
starting forward in the NBA was capped off by his
strong showing in last year's summer league hosted
by the Celtics at UMass-Boston. String all his
stops together and it's easy to understand why
Griffin has been afforded little time to give his
body a break.
``Some days are better than others,'' said
Griffin. ``There's only 1 months left in the
season, so for me it's just best that I try to get
past the bumps and bruises by playing through
it.''
Actually, Griffin has been bothered by more than
bumps and bruises. He suffered a severely sprained
left ankle in a game at Chicago on Jan. 8, missing
the next eight games. Griffin, who was leading the
Celtics in rebounding at the time of injury,
hasn't been the same player since. The ankle has
never fully recovered.
``It's been two months (since the injury), but I
still experience soreness there,'' said Griffin.
``I have my ups and downs with the ankle. Like
(Sunday), it felt good.''
That was evident by his performance in the
Celtics' 97-91 win over Orlando at the
FleetCenter. Griffin had 15 points, 11 rebounds,
four assists, three blocks and two steals in 34
minutes. That was the type of stat line the C's
were consistently receiving from Griffin during
the first half of the season.
``I think Adrian looks like he's fought too many
rounds,'' said Pitino. ``He went from the CBA to
the (CBA) playoffs to us. It's not simply a matter
of him hitting the rookie wall.
``This guy put in a lot of time in a lot of
different spots before coming to us. The best
thing he could possibly do this summer is give
himself some rest. . . . Then he can come back in
a month or so and start to work his tail off
again.''
That sounded like a good gameplan to Griffin.
``The NBA season is long and you're going to have
your share of ups and downs physically,'' he said.
``But I'd rather feel a little tired and banged up
and be playing for the Celtics than feeling great
and sitting at home watching. It's a pretty good
tradeoff.''
Celtics notes
On a day in which their head coach was not present
and practice was limited to shooting drills and
weight lifting, the Celtics were in and out of
HealthPoint in a matter of a couple of hours
yesterday.
A few players stayed behind, including Dana
Barros, who was involved in a spirited 1-on-2
competition with clubhouse attendants Patrick
Lynch and Luke Ansty.
Barros was moving around the court well, a good
sign considering he's spent the past five games on
the injured list with back spasms. The veteran
guard said his back has responded well to rest and
therapy, but he had not been given word yet
whether he would be activated for tomorrow's game
at home against Milwaukee. . . .
According to C's associate head coach Jim O'Brien,
Pitino was in Connecticut yesterday fulfilling an
obligation.
``Coach knew that these guys are involved in a lot
of community work and PR obligations today and he
wanted them to be able to get to them on time.''