And we keep going deeper. Would Rick want to join Mark on the sidelines? The way Mark talks you’d definitely have to think he’d at least consider that offer if Rick made it.
On one hand, obviously, Pope is the guy who developed the whole system along with his assistants and enhanced it by that point and brought the players along and has their total trust by then. Otoh I don’t see how you could ask for a better “extra pair of eyes” or someone Mark trusts more himself to give extra insights and ideas live right in his ear as the action unfolds.
Also, and to keep this thread from becoming too much of a yelling contest between pro-Pitino and anti-Pitino, if he did do that, what would he say specifically? Little to say by that point in the season? Or Rick feeling the closest he’s felt to back in the saddle in thirty years and bubbling over with little tricks he’s been thinking about for Mark while falling asleep all season just on the off chance this happened? His offensive style here was great. And ballsy. But it was largely his defenses that were more subtle than they looked and tended to let him do more with less. What kind of ideas might he suggest, by then, based on what we think Pope will have both offensively and defensively? Other than “put a man in the ball!!” of course.
Sue me, I’d love to see it.
On one hand, obviously, Pope is the guy who developed the whole system along with his assistants and enhanced it by that point and brought the players along and has their total trust by then. Otoh I don’t see how you could ask for a better “extra pair of eyes” or someone Mark trusts more himself to give extra insights and ideas live right in his ear as the action unfolds.
Also, and to keep this thread from becoming too much of a yelling contest between pro-Pitino and anti-Pitino, if he did do that, what would he say specifically? Little to say by that point in the season? Or Rick feeling the closest he’s felt to back in the saddle in thirty years and bubbling over with little tricks he’s been thinking about for Mark while falling asleep all season just on the off chance this happened? His offensive style here was great. And ballsy. But it was largely his defenses that were more subtle than they looked and tended to let him do more with less. What kind of ideas might he suggest, by then, based on what we think Pope will have both offensively and defensively? Other than “put a man in the ball!!” of course.
Sue me, I’d love to see it.