HOOPSWORLD @ BskBALL.com | The NBA Information website

[JB <james.metz@verizon.net>]

http://www.bskball.com/NEWSEAST.shtml

Thanks Ravi
ROUND THE LEAGUE WITH THE BLUEMAN
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(follows a complete excerpt)
JB
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{Coach of the Year? There is no doubt that both Maurice Cheeks and Byron
Scott deserve tremendous credit and warrant consideration for this honor.
Scott and Cheeks have done wonderful jobs in New Jersey and Portland
respectively. But in our minds, Detroit Piston head coach Rick Carlisle
should walk away with the hardware. Carlisle led the Pistons to their first
Central Division title since the 1990 season when they won the NBA
Championship. The Pistons, despite their loss to the San Antonio Spurs last
night, are 47-32 on the season and still have a shot at 50 wins. Carlisle
has been able to convince his team the the keys to victory start at the
defensive end of the court. He has also convinced Jerry Stackhouse the value
of sharing the ball with his teammates instead of trying to go 1 on 5 from
time to time. Stackhouse has bought into trusting his teammates and that has
resulted in better cohesiveness and chemistry at the offensive end. By the
way, Carlisle, not Isaiah Thomas was Donnie Walsh's coaching choice for the
Indiana Pacers, but was overruled by ownership.}

   Now, this just riles me no end. Why in the world is Jimmy O'Brien not
mentioned in this , the zillionth guy writing a column, from the N.Y.T. to
the internet hot sheets, about coach of the year? Everyone is deferring to
Scott or Carlisle. I mean give me a break! What? Are we 1/2 game behind
Detroit? Could you go to the above article and put O'Brien's name in where
you read Carlisle, except the last sentence, which contains the "heresay"
about who Larry Legend wanted to coach the Pacers?
   Do these guys read the internet hypola that the Celtics players run the
show and O'Brien calls the plays around his players wishes?
   If so, I believe they are either lazy and accepting someone else's buzz,
or they will soon join the ranks of those who have underestimated , Jimmy
for months, only to wonder how he could have bungled and been bullied, his
way, here.


        JB

Link to current standings:
http://archive.sportserver.com/newsroom/sports/bkb/1995/nba/nba/stat/2000-01
confstands_lo.html



                Unchain My Heart !