Re: First Ex. Game Thoughts

[Alexander Wang <awang@MIT.EDU>]

At 10:52 AM 10/12/00 +0200, Hironaka wrote:
>    The Celtics team of that year was also by far the best conditioned
>team in camp we've ever had, yet still somehow Poultrino insists that
>better conditioning will somehow make the system finally work this time
>around. The only source of hope is that maybe the curfew will have an
>impact (in other words, maybe the young Celtics gave up on conditioning
>as the season progressed in each of the past three years). I don't know.
>I'm hoping so.

I think Pitino's hope is not just that we have better conditioning, but
that we also now have better players and athletes. You can't say that "the
system didn't work in 97-98 with well conditioned athletes so how can it
work now?" because the players are different, and hopefully better, this
time around. 

>    Another point. If it is taking this long for the in-camp Celtics to
>execute the defense they've been focusing on, then I'm worried that
>Herren and Stith will be too far behind to get into the rotation this
>year. Last year, Fortson missed the last 1/3rd of the preseason and
>dropped permanently out of the picture, after getting double figure
>boards in both exhibition games  he played in and earning tons of praise
>from Spintino. Right now it looks like Stith might be the guy who comes
>up with a phantom injury.

Fortson did more than miss the last third of the preseason -- he had a real
injury that kept him out for two months! During that time he missed a ton
of practice and game experience that the other players got. I do agree that
Stith looks like the probable odd man out this year though, because he's
coming in late, he doesn't have any tenure with the team, and his contract
is expiring with low prospects of renewal. 

Alex