Ok, I'm long winded, but it's starting again.

[damekmo@teleport.com]

>That's the proper attitude to take, but the signs are there:
>Pitino's endorsement of the Celtics nucleus - always a kiss of death;
>the fact that Antoine wouldn't attend Pitino's session this summer;
>the fact that both Gaston and Pitino feel he's unproven for the
>money he's asking; the fact that Walker and Pitino don't get along;
>the Celtics need for a quality power forward... The signs are there...
>Dark trading clouds are gathering on the horizon, but hey, how about
>Michael Stewart as the C's starting center next season?  Faded during
>the second half of last season; undersized and underweight; real good
>shot-blocker and defender but foul prone, and his offensive skills
>have to be developed.  Good athleticism though, so maybe he'll
>flourish with Il Duce.
>WC

I absolutely agree with WC on this one. He's gone. There's way too much
smoke for me to feel any other way. And yes...I believe that the
bottom-line is, these two just don't like each other and it's a clash of
huge egos. While I'm not a shrink but enjoy playing one on this list, it
could be that these two have too much personal investment in habits of
behavior that irritate the other. (See why medical school was off the radar
screen?) It's become something akin to a chemical repulsion that's taken
years to develop and has now reached an irreversible stage of development.
In other words, they can't stand to be in the same room. Each is
wrong...each is being an a-hole. And perhaps...God help me...the best thing
to do is break 'em up. I of course would choose firing the coach, but he's
already got the big contract over a lot of years, and all the power. I've
said this on the newsgroup and I'll repeat it here. This is Rick Pitino's
team, it's Rick Pitino-ball, he wants players who don't mind every move
being directed via constant screaming during a game...it's all about Rick
and Rick's huge ego. This Pitino-ball defense is all about Rick and by
God...it's going to work because it's Rick's game. And because it's Rick's
game, he's never going to say it wont work. Never...even if it becomes
obvious. The flags went up for me when Pitino said last year that he didn't
realise how good NBA defenses had gotten since he was last in the league.
I'm unconvinced this guy can coach an offensive scheme, that he can make
offensive adjustments during a game...that this guy can coach an NBA
offense effectively in the 90's. I also have questions about his ability to
develop and use big men effectively...but I'll let that go. Concerning the
proposed trade: It could very well be that Walker's trade value has tanked
big time. (I keep hearing Walker wants that huge contract. Again, has this
team actually negotiated with Falk? Do they actually know where Falk and
Walker are willing to go during negotiations?) Now, I've watched Brian
Grant since he came to Portland, and to be honest...he's a nice solid
player. Nothing more and nothing less. The Celtics without Walker and with
Brian Grant? The Sixers make the playoffs ahead of them. Once again,
without a big move to upgrade the talent on this team, the Celtics are full
of solid back-ups and not enough, or any, stars among the starters. It's
the Dino Radja years all over again. The Blazers traded Kenny Anderson for
a 5'8" point guard who can't shoot? Maybe they know something Ricky
doesn't. But, the bottom-line for me...I'll get to watch Antoine at small
forward and Rasheed playing where he should at power forward (playing, I
would argue, a much more limited role and as a result being a more
effective player) along with the best passing/shooting center in the NBA.
Brian Grant...Andrew Declercq or the incredible offensive moves of Michael
Stewart, and....the NBA tested and ready Paul Pierce? (Why should I believe
that Pierce is going to be a better player coming out of college
than...Jamal Mashburn? Everybody thought Mashburn was going to be a star.)
While I love the Celtics....I'll be sitting in the nose-bleed section of
the Rose Garden during the playoffs. I'm betting the Fleet Center will be
pretty quiet. Do the NHL playoffs extend into May and June? Oh...one more
thing. Larry's interested in trading a solid forward who is arguably much
better than Brian Grant for the poster boy of NBA head cases? While I've
been hard on Bird in the past...his ego certainly isn't a problem. Look, I
pray to God that Paul Pierce becomes one of the best players in the NBA. I
pray that Kenny can last a full season playing Pitino-ball effectively. I
pray that Ron Mercer actually develops a "big-shot heart" at the end of
close games or at least gets a couple feet of range on his outside shot. I
hope for the best and I hope the Celtics reach .500 and the playoffs. (I
hope Mishra is right and the Walker for Grant trade is all in Peter May's
imagination).But...if, and I believe when, Pitino trades Walker...he better
have something big up his sleeve.

Paul M