The biggest hole. The C's had flat-out terrible post defense. Teams scored at will against them. Why? Part of it is that their style doesn't call for players camping out in the paint. They double and rotate a lot. Still, the lane was like a deserted country road. Andrew DeClerq did well, but is not a consistent front-line player. He had some good games, but for all his skills, opponents still owned the paint and the boards. Travis Knight turned out not to be such a great idea after all. Although, I think he would be a great bench player. He can play 4 and 5 and runs the floor well. Pervis was injured, as usual. Zan Tabak arrived too late to see much of him, but the Cs may keep him around to see what he can do next season.

Antoine Walker is the main man here. He wrapped up his first All-Star season by finishing 5th in the league in scoring, tied for 7th in rebounds, all career bests. He also had fewer bone-head plays this year. He needs some help to spread out the scoring load and he needs to up his shooting percentage (enter Kenny Anderson!) . He also needs someone else to take over at PF. The big question on him is that the Cs need to sign him this summer to a long-term contract, or he'll be a free agent the following year. Will they open the vault for 'Toine? I like Antoine, but he's a long way from the maturity needed to win in the post-season. Of course, with the Cs 5-year plan, he could get there eventually. He's a hot dog, but it comes from the right place - he has a good heart, loves to play, and cares about winning. For all Walker's rebounding , there were still problems keeping opponents out from under the basket .

Walter McCarty became a fan favorite, blossoming into Tommy Heinsohn's favorite player (Walllterrr!) He was a great addition at forward. Tremendously athletic, great jumper, hands, timing, shot-blocker, and hustler supreme. Not a great shooter, but can hit the three on occasion and take it to the hoop. McCarty got his share of rebounds and blocks, but again, didn't keep opponents out of the key. Good bench man - we still need a good SF. Greg Minor and Bruce Bowen both spent time at the 3-spot. Minor is nothing special. He can shoot the mid-range jumper, and Pitino likes him, but it's hard to swallow the paternity publicity around here, and Minor should be packaged up with one of the big salaries and shipped out. Bruce (Who?) Bowen needs to improve his shooting, though his D was among the best on the team, and Pitino loves him.

Dontae Jones will be gone. For a tough guy, he spends too much time away from the basket, and Pitino wasn't impressed with his flurry of 3-pointers late in the season. I love Popeye and if he can play like he did in Dallas (he was on IR when we got him from Toronto), that would really pick up the interior D. Reggie Hanson was a late-season roster-filler - a Kentucky veteran who could step into the system. Pitino didn't give him much chance, though, and I wouldn't expect to see him around next year.

We loved the Kenny Anderson trade. Billups didn't fit, he just didn't seem to have what it takes in the PG dept. I never liked his game. Neither did Bob Cousey -- how many times did we hear him say "Chauncey has to learn not to go up in the air unless he knows what he's going to do" - which of course he didn't. It was telling to see the difference in the team once Anderson arrived and took the reins on the floor. In his debut he got 19 points, three rebounds, four assists and two steals. The team was just so much better with him on the floor - the spacing, the confidence - we're looking forward to having him for a full season, and hoping his knee(s) hold up. It will be interesting to see if he can help keep Walker under control. It made a real difference having a veteran on the floor, so it wasn't all coming from Pitino on the sidelines.

Dana Barros had a good year. With Billups all over the map, Dana ended up a starter much of the time, which didn't showcase his microwave abilities. Still a solid player who would be a valuable third guard. Tyus Edney didn't play much, but I have more confidence in him than Pitino does, and wish he'd get more minutes. Doesn't seem too likely with Anderson on board and Barros staying (too short). Look for him to be part of a deal somewhere, esp. if we can pick up a guard in the second round (there'll be a lot of decent players down there this year).

Pitino made good on all his promises thus far, and the Cs really responded to the job he did. I think he's the right guy for this young team -- even though he yells (John Calipari is the one whose loud mouth is going to lose him players). Thing is, his system is so specific, that many players either won't get it (too confusing), or won't want to (too hard), so the pool of potential player additions is smaller. And, it requires a lot of direction from Pitino - a far cry from KC Jones (or even Bird). I think it's ok for now, and in five years when Rick moves upstairs (part of his contract), the team will be mature enough to hand over to someone else.

Al Harrington.

Good size, good tools, good potential, quick, and can score. Worth a look at #10.