Re: Holley

[Josh Ozersky <josh_ozersky@yahoo.com>]

I really liked the Holly article too.  I laughed out
loud when Pitino asked "who's he going to hire to run
for him?"  What other coach would bust a player's
balls like that?  The fact that he also questioned
Kenny's durability proves immutably that he isn't
interested in trading him.  But don't you like that
Kenny is hiring a conditioning coach?  I really think
the main difference between 1998 and 1999 is that
Kenny was in game shape, and the team was playing more
together.  I agree with Warwick that Mercer for PJ
Brown would be great, but I'm still not thrilled about
sliding Pierce to the 2.  Although if the Havlicek
comparisons aren't too ridiculous, it could work out. 
They could go to a bigger line up if a particularly
fast off guard like Iverson or Spreewell was abusing
Paul.  On the other hand, he could definitely handle
the big fellows, like Rider, Richmond, et al. at least
as well as they can be handled.  We definitely need a
non-scoring star for Mercer.  You say "some chump and
a draft pick."  I'll tell you what, an Otis
Thorpe/Terry Cummings type and the rights to Jason
Terry would suit me down to the ground.


--- peter delevett <pdelevett@amcity.com> wrote:
> 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.
> 
> 

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