Boston—This was the team he always wanted to run.
Since his first days of coaching, Rick Pitino dreamt of the time when journalists,
recounting the history of the NBA’s most storied franchise, would mention
the names Red Auerbach and Rick Pitino in the same breath. He dreamt
of bringing a troubled dynasty back from a decade-long fall from grace.
Lately, he’s been saying that the dream is over.
Rick Pitino, coach and proposed savior of the Boston
Celtics since 1997, promised last week that “there won’t be a next year
for me” unless the team starts playing better defense. Before the
season even began, Pitino suggested that he would “fire” himself if the
team didn’t start winning.
How noble of you, Coach, to put your reputation
and your job on the line; to take responsibility for the losing seasons
and the failed opportunities (not to mention the disappointment of your
many fans). How noble it is of you to offer yourself as the “fall
guy.”
Unfortunately, your nobility does nothing to add
to the win column.
What Celtics fans want are wins—and they want you
to figure out how to get them. You’re the coach; create a system
that motivates your players to play defense. Bench them when they
don’t. Trade them if they fail to learn the lesson.
No one cares that this is your “favorite team.”
They’re one of the least favorite teams we’ve ever watched. They’re
lazy, they have no heart, and they don’t work well with each other.
Walker and Pierce have the ability to be great,
but they seem to have the collective desire of a slug. Anderson and
Brown could supplement the talent of this young duo, but they’ve been injured
and no one else has stepped up to bat.
If Pitino needs an example of what can be done
with a bad team in a short time period, he need not look any further than
Philadelphia, where the 76ers seem to finally have found the man to replace
Dr. J.and Charles Barkley. But Iverson isn’t doing it alone.
He is working within a system in which his scoring numbers have dipped,
but his chances at a title have soared.
This is the big time, Coach. You need to
pick yourself up and find a way to win. Play the guys on the bench
more often. Evaluate starting positions in terms of defensive stats
rather than scoring. Offer incentives to take the charge, block the
shot, or hold your man to the lowest amount of points. Set defensive
goals each day.
You’ve said that you’re not burned out. We believe
you. Stop looking ahead to next year and take one game at a time.
This is your franchise, and it’s the best franchise in NBA history—make
it work again.
