Re: W. McCarty Player of the Week!!!

[kim <kimmalo@mindspring.com>]

At 10:35 PM 3/8/02 -0500, Georgek27@AOL.com wrote:
>    Walter's always been energetic and versatile but usually out of 
> control. I
>don't know if he's learned to harness his energy for better control or if
>we've sped things up to play at his speed.

Hmmm. Us having sped up to match him was an interesting thought that never 
occurred to me, but I think the real answer is even simpler. He's being 
provided with a badly needed clue by the coaching staff.

Walter's always had a lot more hustle and athleticism than basketball 
brain. While one of the clearest differences with the Obie regime vs 
Pitino's has been that the players know their roles, in general and in 
particular circumstances. They may not fill them well or you may not always 
agree with what those roles are, but they clearly exist and clearly were 
not well defined before (easiest to see on defense where under Pitino they 
played like someone who had been screamed at, er, merely told what to do 
while now they play like someone who's being shown and drilled into 
understanding). FWIW, with Walter, I also think that the long sit having to 
earn PT again helped reinforce things. Not that he has an ego problem, but 
to reinforce the importance of structure and doing things right rather than 
just expending energy. I just wish he'd use his quickness and athleticism 
inside more on offense.

Kim