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RE: Trying to make up my mind...
Very fair points, Joe, including the ones on Pitino. It's not that I have a
special affinity for Pitino really, just that he's the same guy who turned a
16-win team into an overachieving, playoff contending team in one season (I
know the clichi that that's supposed to be easy, but look at the truly
terrible teams in the league and see how many make that kind of jump without
a significant player acquisition-and remember only in the Pierce draft did
Pitino ever have a really good draft class to improve with). People say the
system doesn't work, but it worked that season. I think things unraveled the
next season, coming off the lockout, when the Celtics' young players clearly
weren't prepared to play. The team that overachieved the year before
underachieved that season, and I have a hard time laying the blame all on
Pitino. Then you have the chemistry problems with Walker-Mercer-Pierce and
the disastrous Mercer-Fortson trade (regardless of how you feel about
Fortson, his injury basically meant the Celts gave Mercer away)... it all
combined to put this cloud of negativity around the team and Pitino got
caught up in it and the players smelled the blood in the water. Pitino's
first team completely bought into what he was doing. Remember how few games
that team lost to inferior opponents? They really were a pleasure to watch
and played hard all the time. Maybe you're right and the players decided the
system simply couldn't work and did us all a favor by hastening Pitino's
departure. I think it's just as likely, however, that they saw Pitino in
trouble and decided that was the way to get rid of a guy who worked them
harder than they had ever been worked before. Because say what you want
about Pitino, he was more driven to bring a championship to Boston than any
of his players have proven to be, and for that he has my respect. Of course,
he did a lousy job of it, and needed to go, but it doesn't change his
passion for the team.
Your summary of my main points is dead-on, and thanks.
Mark
-----Original Message-----
From: j.hironaka [mailto:j.hironaka@unesco.org]
Sent: Wednesday, August 08, 2001 7:36 AM
To: Berry, Mark S; celtics@igtc.com
Subject: Re: Trying to make up my mind...
To start with, Mark B. is by no means Mr Negativity Guy on this
list. Moreover, I think his arguments are being misrepresented. From what
I've read, it usually boils down to something like this:
1) fans should never passively accept a trade made just to save money and
avoid taxes, if there is evidence the Moiso trade was motivated by little
else. I personally don't believe this was the case, but I still see it as a
valid general observation to make.
2) if you are only going to only fiddle and diddle with the roster, then
trade with an aim to improve around the edges because we have a chance to
make the playoffs this year. Making the playoffs is very important to team
develoment and the development of our best players, for reasons I
personally regard as self-evident.
3) if you are willing to explore more than the fiddle and diddle, don't set
limits. No player should be off limits if the target acquisition is worth
it. That's obvious so I don't see where the big controversy is.
On the last point I fully agree. What's the downside of taking the trouble
to work out Kwame Brown and Eddie Griffin before the draft? (Houston got
Eddie Griffin for next to nothing on paper) Or even to workout the top FA
rebounders this summer like Mark Jackson, Nazr Mohammed, Jerome Williams
this summer? (I don't think Battie's feelings will be too hurt) Or
negotiate Jason Kidd's destination with Phoenix? You aren't compelled to
make a drastic move on any of them, but you have an obligation to at least
gather maximum information.
If what they uncover outweighs Wallace's master FA plan in 2003, then make
your move. If not, then don't. We can wait until 2003. There's no way
Kedrick and JJ are signing for 50% of the salary cap without something else
dramatic happening involving Toine/Pierce or with Kenny's money (I'm
assuming the best of course, with regard to Kedrick and JJ).
I'm not saying that Chris Wallace isn't exploring things and has stayed
fully in the loop throughout the Eddie Griffin, Jason Kidd and other
trades. But assuming he has, that doesn't make such observations on this
list any less worthwhile or valid to make.
At 13:26 07/08/01 -0400, Berry, Mark S wrote:
>I can see both sides of it, but I refuse to be blind to the negative about
>this team anymore. I used to be, but reality hit hard in a tank job at home
>against the Sixers last year.
Mark, a lot of teams "tanked" against the Sixers defense last season. If
there was a clear pattern of tanking by our two stars, I'd have highlighted
it to demonstrate that our players were in fact acting rationally (and thus
doing fans a favor). I'd be pleased to demonstrate this trend.
But there was no trend (at least in terms of dropoffs in statistical
production and efficiency at the tail end of the Pitino regime). Sure you
have regular season blowouts where one team "quits"...these things always
snowball.
What exactly about the Pitino system was working? Whicheverplayer finally
"quit" on him certainly did the greater organization a big favor cutting
off Pitino's own planned exit by several months. Was it disrespectful or
disloyal to not let Pitino jump ship on his own terms, 10 million or so
richer? Like I said, I'd love to identify the quitter on our team, if there
in fact was one. You have a particular sympathy/connection with Pitino
which is often evident and is fine, but you can't complain about the
players for not behaving more like lemmings and win much sympathy. What was
working under the Pitino system?
Had he stayed, we wouldn't be talking about building on a .500 team against
a playoff-calibre schedule. Is that an inaccurate or distorted observation?
Right now we might even be pathetically mulling over losing stars to free
agency and rebuilding around a Steven Hunter, Tyson Chandler or some other
headless chicken type to challenge Batbrain and Mo'-lazy.
Red Auerbach didn't believe he could transfer coaching intelligence and
motivational skills onto blank slate athletes. That would have been both
foolhardy and self-delusional. He went and got players who were already
intelligent and motivated, and then basically treated them like men.
***