From: Rich <rich@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> To: Celtics IGTC POST <celtics@xxxxxxxx> Subject: Some random thoughts Date: Wed, 28 Jan 2004 00:22:34 -0500
Before I go to bed, some random thoughts...
Could there possibly be another trade in the works? One that O'Brien absolutely would have nothing to do with? I mean, I know he didn't like the Williams-Battie-Brown trade, but it's been a while since that took place. Was something else brewing that he just couldn't stomach?
What's up with FSN New England's coaching poll? <http://www.fsnnewengland.com/nest.php> -- Tommy Heinsohn? Mike Fratello? Byron Scott? Dear God, no! Who actually thinks these guys are feasible fits as head coach of the Boston Celtics? Heinsohn would have a heart attack inside of a year, Fratello would strangle the team's play even further and hell would freeze over before Scott would be accepted in Boston in any capacity--never mind as coach of the Celts.
Speaking of polls, how about that ESPN SportsNation poll?
<http://proxy.espn.go.com/chat/sportsnation/polling?event_id=569>
I took the poll and dutifully answered all the questions as honestly and
realistically as possible. Imagine my surprise, when out of 18,000+ poll
takers, Larry Bird was voted as best choice to replace O'Brien. What? Hello?
Is anybody paying attention? Bird doesn't want to coach anymore, he wants to
run the show. How can he do that with Ainge there. Now, if the question had
been, who would be best to replace Ainge, that would be different.
Anyone now think that there was more to Dave Cowens' visit last spring than was reported? I wonder. He certainly would be one of my first considerations. But, of course, I'm speaking from a fan point of view.
Does anyone have an opinion about Doc Rivers? I admired the job he did in
the early days of his Orlando tenure, but it sure deteriorated pretty badly
there towards the end. Was it him? The players? The management? Any thoughts
here?
Person in the best position after today's events: Jim O'Brien. He's
tenacious, loyal to his players and honorable--particularly since he walked
away from 2 years' worth of salary. Some other NBA franchise is sure to give
him a second chance. He did a good enough job in Boston to warrant that.
He'll probably be around for years to come. Ideas where he winds up next?
Where will it be? Someone mentioned Philly. Given his penchant for
practices, I wonder if AI would be welcoming? :-)
Person in the hottest position after today's events: Danny Ainge. There's no
scapegoat now. No one else to blame for not "being on the same page". No one
else to hang out there. I'm thinking he'll have well into next season to
show that his vision has merit, but he'll have all the heat from this point
forward.
Person in the worst position after today's events: John Carroll (sp?). Talk about a lame duck. Danny surely has less investment in Carroll than he did in O'Brien--and look where that one wound up. Does anyone think he'll keep the job after this season? Only if he performs a miracle over the next couple months.
I wonder what Antoine's thinking... "Damn, Danny ran Obie out of town, too."???
Okay, enough. Have a good night everyone.
Rich D.