Re: All You O'Brien Groupies Can Rejoice

[Kestas <kkv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

:
> The Celtics today extended the contracts of all their assistant coaches 
> and plan to extend the contract of head coach Jim O'Brien, team owner Wyc 
> Grousbeck said. The assistant coaches' contracts were scheduled to expire 
> at the end of this season, and it caused some consternation among the 
> assistants that their fates were still undecided as the postseason began.
>
> "This was our intention all along,'' Grousbeck said during an interview 
> with the Globe. "In hindsight, we should've taken care of this sooner.''
>
> O'Brien's contract, which according to NBA sources is approximately $1.5 
> million, runs through the '03-04 season. Grousbeck added that he and the 
> rest of the Celtic ownership are pleased with the job O'Brien has done, 
> and both parties agreed not to discuss terms of the extension until the 
> playoffs are over. "He's our guy,'' Grousbeck said.
Translation: they waited to see how the Celtics will do in the playoffs, 
and they like the fact that there will be at least two more playoff games 
in the Fleecenter. Isiah gets his revenge, even if he's unaware of it.
I can only hope the owners will not do likewise for the rest of the 
BDT.  To those who think we of the anti-BDT persuasion are in hiding, I'll 
say this: nothing has changed, except Toine has decided to play the way he 
should've been playing all along those six years, and we're playing against 
a team that doesn't have it together and has an impostor for a coach (those 
two are related). I have no doubt that, should we run into NJ next, we'll 
get our heads handed to us, just like last season. Similarly, I have no 
doubt that the old Twan will return next season, if not sooner, and with 
him Obieball and all its sequelae. We're destined for this ugly crap that 
they call basketball and for this mediocrity as long as we're de facto 
coached by Twan. And with this development, there's no doubt Toine's max 
extension contract is being typed up. As Mark has noted, Twan and Obie are 
so inseparable, they might as well be Siamese twins.
Speaking of handing out contracts, I'm sure they will give Waltuh a 
long-term contract next, another mistake. As great as he's played, he's is 
the quintessential contract-year player. He needs job insecurity to pay 
attention to his job. I'd give him a fatter one-year contract instead, or 
have a second year at the team option if he balks at that.
I'm happy that the Celtics are playing well and Pierce is amazing again, 
but all this is dampened by the implications of this modest success, which 
- as we have just seen with the re-signing of the coaching staff - are very 
real. We're winning the battle, but losing the war.
Kestas