Happy to hear this! Sometimes I thought "retirement" would be difficult for him but he seems to be
making that adjustment well. He must be pleased with where KO is bringing this program now.
I really don't know very much about the coaching philosophy and techniques of Red Auerbach but I read
that he had a big influence on JC. In the Wikipedia write-up on Red it says he revolutionized the modern
basketball era with team play, defense and the fast break as a potent offensive weapon. This is a perhaps OT
and should maybe be a separate post but I would appreciate hearing about what those who remember the Celtics
of Red's era see in UConn today. As a youngster I remember the shot blocking of Russell and the fast break of
the Sam and KC Jones et al. It looks like we are starting to shore up the rebounding and the future looks bright
for this kind of game. In addition, KO brings all the knowledge and experience that he picked up in his travels
under different coaches in the NBA. Can't wait for this season.
Quite frankly, you are right that Arnold and the Celtics had a great influence on the product Calhoun put on the floor. In other posts I have broken down the fast break so I won't do it here.
Both Arnold and Calhoun were great motivators - they kept the game simple - not a million plays - but good execution on a few plays - - which had various options. They both would get a strategic technical - when the average fan might think they were out of control. Arnold often said when he got thrown out the players would win not for him but to show they could win without him.
During that era the Celtics were that good that they would be confident of winning if they were within 10 points at the start of the 4th quarter and it would start with defense.
Another thing the casual fan might not know is that both Arnold and Jim wanted their players to have fun and celebrate after victories - Arnold believed that would wire guys brains to want to win more than the other team. Jim adopted the same philosophy which might surprise some.
