RE: Pitino's Problems?

["Sampath, Venkatesh" <Venkatesh.Sampath@microcell.ca>]

I think it is unfair to compare Carr and Pitino. I don't imagine even Carr felt that he was supposed to do anything other than take the Celtics to the top of the draft heap - and he succeeded admirably in this. Pitino, on the other hand, arrived with the express intention of taking the Celtics to the top of the NBA heap - and didn't. Some of it was bad luck - his trying to bring in Jermaine O'Neal and Alvin Williams - some of it was plain idiocy - the signing of Travis Knight, the "letting go" of Rick Fox and David Wesley. 
Anyway, moving on to another question, if we seriously intend getting a championship with Shaq still around, is a perimeter game the answer? If you review some of the games in the Finals, you can see how Shaq seems to "shrug off" his opponents - with Mutombo being at the receiving end most of the time. Mutombo is a pretty good centre, but in the slow-motion replays he can be seen literally bouncing off Shaq as the latter turns around and moves towards the basket. Doug Collins commented on this at least two or three times - what is normal force for Shaq would be a flagrant foul for most normal players, so how do the refs call a foul on this chap? If we can't bang and bounce around with Shaq, then do we have to go to the perimeter? I don't think this is the complete answer. You have to get some stops on the guy, though how we are going to do it is ....
Of course, there is the minor matter of getting into the play-offs first and winning the Eastern conference finals with the team that we have presently. Doable? Hmmmm .... Chris Wallace said 3-4 years from now. Let's see. 
 
venkat

-----Original Message-----
From: Simon Kean [mailto:simon@jkean.freeserve.co.uk]
Sent: Friday, July 27, 2001 2:06 PM
To: celts
Subject: Re: Pitino's Problems?


My £0.02 is merely hoping Pitino takes Louisville to the Final Four next year. I can't wish ill will on a guy as passionate as that about what he does. He made some wrong turns, yes. Should have stayed coaching college ball, yes. But hey, I'm not successful at everything I choose to do. Is anyone else? Was there anyone else on the market who could've done a better job? Larry Brown, maybe...but anyone else not already coaching? Could Larry Brown have done it with our roster within his standard 3-4 years before leaving?
 
It's pretty easy (and shallow) to criticise in hindsight. He's gone, why is there a persistent need to stick the boots in? When was the last time someone slagged off ML Carr? Now there is a coaching farce.
 
Simon


----- Original Message ----- 
From: Cecil  <mailto:cecil@hfx.eastlink.ca> Wright 
To: Dorine Pratt <mailto:norine@together.net>  ; celts <mailto:celtics@igtc.igtc.com>  
Sent: Friday, July 27, 2001 10:29 PM
Subject: Re: Pitino's Problems?

I understand where you're coming from Dorine, but it's a shame that the exit of a coach would bring ecstacy on a par equal with winning a championship.  Pitino may have been an egomaniac but he put his time in for the sake of the team and was fortunate enough to grab Pierce when others passed him over.
 
Cecil

----- Original Message ----- 
From: Dorine  <mailto:norine@together.net> Pratt 
To: celts <mailto:celtics@igtc.igtc.com>  
Sent: Friday, July 27, 2001 6:55 AM
Subject: Pitino's Problems?

No, Pitino's problems were caused by his huge ego - period.  He made his own bad luck by thinking he knew everything.  His leaving ranks right up there in my sports memories as a wonderful day.  Almost as good as a championship.  
Dorine