Comment on Tradeables

[jmc@ptc.com]

OK, one more post before hibernating...  :-)

Way Of The Ray informed us:
> Subject: Celtics Shakedown Cruise from ESPN Celtics Message Board
>     Heading elsewhere I: Pervis Ellison, Dana Barros, and Greg Minor
>     Ellison is supposedly attractive to other teams
>     because his contract is up.
>     Barros gets dealt as Pitino stresses the defensive and passing
>     skills of Wayne Turner.
>     Greg retires - C's bring in some more inventory
>     with his cap space.

then followed up with his own comments:
> as Pitino weeds down the roster.  Barros, McCarty, Ellison, and
> Minor are candidates to be elsewhere. Not all of them of course,

I agree on Ellison and Minor, and wouldn't be surprised to see McCarty 
go in a deal (he and Eric Williams seem awfully similar, except McCarty 
knows Pitino's defensive system very well, and Williams gets to the line 
more) however I must speak up about Barros. 

Barros is too valuable to the Celtics and Pitino right now:
   1) He has worked hard and improved more than any other player under 
      Pitino, and done whatever Pitino asked.  (Note: 2 years ago I 
      thought Barros was bad for the team... now he's completely turned 
      around.)

   2) He's the only real veteran leader on the team, and the only 
      one who's been around a while and actually gets meaningful minutes. 
      He's a steady, cool head and responsible father, surrounded by a 
      bunch of kids.  As such, he's more like a captain than Walker, and 
      probably deserves to be captain. 

   3) He's the only 3-point threat besides Pierce. 

   4) If Anderson doesn't shape up and Turner can't cut it in the NBA, 
      Pitino would have no one else to go to. 

   5) He's the local boy, so he's happy here, will play here for less than 
      he'd play elsewhere, and he'll always have his loyal fan base here.

   6) Although his injuries have been frequent, his downtime has fairly 
      limited as he usually bounces back fairly quickly.  Pitino likes 
      durability.

If the Celtics can find some more veteran leadership and outside shooting, 
Barros might then be expendable, but I'd be very surprised to see him go 
with the rest of the Celtics lineup the way it is. 

Jon Mc

(OK, now I'm really hibernating!)