Re: Pierce needs to sit

[Jim Hill <jahill@leasingservice.com>]

>How many times is Tommy gonna get the chance to flay Pierce for not
>hustling back on defense (and Walker)?  I have the feeling Walker may have
>been the wrong role-model for Pierce.

Amen!

I believe this is the whole crux of Pitino's failure in Boston.

He trusted Walker.  And Walker stabbed him in the back.

As Captain and Max contract player, if Walker wasn't required to come into
camp in shape, play defense, play the "system", play to his strengths,attend
preseason workouts and camps, why should anyone else?

Why wouldn't Walker do this on his own?

Speaking of Captain, Pierce is no more a "Celtic Captain" then the ball boy
is.  What a disgraceful game he played.  I can cut Walker a little slack as
he was sick but Pierce was a joke.


>The Celtics are a league joke for one reason, Pitino has no balls.  He
>can't discipline anybody.  Get Cowens.  Get anyone with balls.

What a wakeup call that would be.  Of course Pierce wouldn't resign after
being "disrespected" as the "potential veteran Allstar" that he is.

The Gastons may as well sell, without some major shakeup before next year,
many many season ticket holders will walk.  Even with a great draft, what
are the odd's the new players don't end up like Battie, Walker and now
Pierce?

Sorry, I just don't buy into the "youth" excuse anymore.  Lazy, going
through the motions players, I do buy into.  This is personal failure not
coaching failure.

As much as I think Pitino's system won't work in the NBA, and as much as I
have criticized him for sticking with it, as much as his personnel decisions
have puzzled me, at best, his biggest personnel mistake was Anderson
followed closely by not trading Walker prior to signing him for max.

I feel sorry for how the players stabbed Pitino, not that he didn't deserve
some of it, but the players are the one's on the court.  The fact that they
continue to play without personal effort rests on their shoulders alone.

A good team can make a lousy coach look good, a bad team can make a great
coach look bad.

This failure of a team is 80% the players (starting with Walker) and 20%
Pitino.

<Jim