Celtics and NBA Notes

[Way Of The Ray <wayray@ix.netcom.com>]

Vecsey says the Knicks and Pacers are going after Mutumbo...

Randy Brown and his shaky ankles is out for a couple of
pre season games with a sprain....

The Celtics are really emphasizing defense in the pre season...

DeShawn Stevenson is wowing them in Utah; the same goes
for rookie Mike Miller in Orlando, and they're saying that
Jamal Crawford is the most talented player on the Bulls....

On The Celtic Trade Front

1. Vitaly Potapenko

2. Jerome Moiso

3. Lottery Picks


LA Times Mark Heisler on the C's first round pick:

Here's a surprise: Jerome Moiso, who left UCLA after two years, "looks
lost" in the Boston Celtics' camp, says Coach Rick Pitino. "He's a very
talented young man," Pitino adds. "I don't know when it'll come, but I
know it'll come because Jerome's got great talent. He's not like an
Antoine Walker where he really knows the game inside out and outside
in." Not to panic, but it isn't good when they say you don't know the
game as well as Antoine Walker. . .


Fox Sports Mike Monroe on the Celtics (Oct 2):

Boston Celtics (35-47) — The only positive thing that happened for the
Celtics this off-season was that Paul Pierce escaped a vicious knife
attack two weeks ago without permanent injury. The lineup got no better.
In fact, you could argue it got worse, since guard Robert Pack, acquired
from Dallas in a late-summer trade, insists he doesn't want to play in
Boston.


http://www.insidehoops.com/nba1007.shtml

Boston's Blues
By Michael S. Lewis
InsideHoops.com Correspondent
Boston, Massachussetts—Once upon a time, the unmatched tradition,
excellence and work ethic of the Boston Celtics combined to strike fear
in the hearts of all those who dared to step forth onto the hallowed
parque of the Garden floor.

Boy, have times changed.

It’s been more than a decade since Boston has made anything resembling a
run at the NBA Championships.  In fact, since the retirement of Kevin
McHale, and the death of Reggie Lewis in 1993, the team that has won
more championships than any other team in league history has failed to
make the playoffs.

Even their perennial rivals to the west, the hated Lost Angeles Lakers,
have succeeded in clawing their way back to the top of the NBA heap.
With the Philadelphia 76ers once again approaching respectability behind
the efforts of Allan Iverson, and the specter of the Indian Pacers
dissipating with the departure of Larry Bird, Ric Smits, and Dale Davis,
when can we expect the Celtics to at least challenge for the Eastern
Conference Crown?

The answer: not until Rick Pitino relinquishes his role as General
Manager and decides to concentrate solely on coaching.

The building blocks are there for a successful season.  If Kenny
Anderson, Paul Pierce, and Antoine Walker pull themselves together, they
have the ability to become a formidable Eastern Conference trio.  The
veteran Anderson will mix veteran composure with the talent, athleticism
and drive of his younger counterparts.  Tony Battie brings height, Randy
Brown championship experience, and Calbert Cheney Hoosier discipline.
What’s left is the need for a general who is willing to dedicate himself
completely to the art of coaching.

To paraphrase Plato, The man who focuses on one skill will develop that
skill to a far more sophisticated degree than the man who is a
jack-of-all-trades.
Wildcat fans everywhere will protest that Pitino’s NCAA championship
success at Kentucky proves he is a great coach.  Although he may be a
great college coach, he has yet to prove himself at the professional
level.

Undoubtedly, Pitino possesses the ability to lead the Celtics further
than he has.  But before he succeeds on that front, he must decide that
the job of General Manager should be placed in another’s hands.

As GM, one is almost perpetually concerned with the future. GM’s
generally ask the questions: who should I trade, who should I release,
who should I acquire and how do we rebuild?

A coach, on the other hand, must live one season, and even one game, at
a time.  He calls the plays, he prepares the team, he sends the
message.  His job is to work with what he has. He is the sculptor
attempting to bring order to amorphous mounds of talent.

Pitino may have bitten off more than he can chew in Boston.  Performing
as a college level recruiter is fundamentally different from sitting at
the head of contract negotiations with multi-million dollar egos.

The Celtics, and Pitino, should make the move.  If Pitino wants to prove
that he is not the one-trick-pony everyone thinks he is, he should
volunteer a shift in roles.

Right now, Celtic Pride is an oxymoron.  It is up to Pitino to decide
how dedicated he is to restoring dignity to this once revered franchise.

10/7/2000