Holley

[peter delevett <pdelevett@amcity.com>]

Sorry if I'm duplicating posts, but here were the best bits from Michael's
latest Globe column:

'You can call this kind of talk ''trade rumors'' after the first four or five
stories, but at some point you've got to call it what it really is: the
inevitable. I think all the cell phone talk about Mercer will eventually
result in Mercer playing somewhere else next season. And when that happens,
Anderson probably won't be joining him in that new city. A lot of fans would
like the point guard to go, but his home city during the season will likely be
Boston. [snip] "I think Coach is happy with me [Anderson said]. I think his
system is perfect for me. I love the situation I'm in right now.'' [snip]
Pitino said, ''The chances of him [Kenny] being traded are slim and nil.'' ...
The coach may be bluffing, but he says he doesn't believe Anderson is the
problem with the Celtics. ''I still trust his ability,'' Pitino said. [snip]
Last month, 76ers coach Larry Brown said the problem in Boston is that the
Celtics ''have five guys who all want to score.'' Pitino agreed with that. So
did Anderson. The point guard also said he had no problem sacrificing his
scoring and setting up the offense. ''I know who the scorers on our team
should be,'' he said. ''They should be Antoine Walker and Paul Pierce. We all
need to accept that. There's too much talent on our team for us not to be in
the playoffs. Even my mother noticed that last year. She watched us and said,
`You all play like you don't want to pass the ball.''' Every Celtic should now
realize the obvious. Somebody is not going to return next season. Walker will
probably be back. ... Pierce will be back. Anderson may, too. But many times
this summer, GMs from around the country will call Wallace and Pitino on their
cell phones. They will ask about Mercer. They will not be disconnected.'

I think I'm passing through the denial stage on this deal to some kind of
acceptance. But only if they land a real stud for Mercer's services, not some
chump and some stinking draft picks. I still think Celtics fans will rue this
trade, if it happens. And I'm still holding out hope -- this time last year,
everyone thought it was a foregone conclusion Walker would be gone. The
contract situation changed there, and it could change here, too, once Ron
realizes nobody can pay him more than the Celtics. It all depends on whether
Mercer wants to get away from Pitino, and despite all the rumormongering, I've
never read where he's said that. (I've also never heard him say, "I definitely
want to play here. Let's get a contract done and go win a championsip.")

Pitino obviously has never been all that high on Mercer, else he would have
taken him and not Chumpy Bills with the #3 pick. I don't necessarily buy that
RP was downplaying Mercer so he'd slide down to the #6 pick.