Pippi's Big Disappearance (or was he ever really there)

["Odegaard, Greg M." <GMOdegaa@RMC.com>]

Well at least 2 people, including myself, asked the list experts who believe
that acquiring 6 time champion Scottie Pippen, would be the final piece of
the Boston Celtics championship puzzle, to explain how this would come to
pass, and how Pippen at the soon to be ripe old age of 34 would be worth
mortgaging our teams future for a maybe a improved chance of winning
anything at all in next years playoffs let alone a title; to date squat.
Why, because they either don't have the courtesy to respond, or more likely
there is no argument short of a clear one or tow person agenda, as card
carrying members of the Pippi fan club.
Now before anyone starts to think (that being you Joe) that I am actually
enjoying the success of the Fakers and clearly text book failure Pippi is
playing out nightly, you couldn't be more wrong.  Sure I don't feel Pippi is
worth much of anything at this point in his inflated career, and would set
the C's back further than any loss of Duncan (the PF MVP he is), but I would
root for any permeation of the devil in sneakers if they were playing the
LALA Fakers.  It is an illness, but 50% of any problem is admitting you have
it, and there is no 12 step program that I know outside of New England, yet.

So with that in mind I copied below the comments that are just on the sugar
coated ESPN site (imagine what the Houston and LA papers are saying or that
illustrious Bsktball website).   I ask again, with all due respect, either
let us all know what and how Pippi would be the saving grace of our
wonderful Celtics team, or get back in line and admit what the rest of the
world would acknowledge that is would be a very bad idea, bar none.  Hell I
would encourage signing Rodman before trading anything of value for Pippi.
The entire clip is below, but I must highlight this snippet:
>>>Pippen, guarded mostly by Kobe Bryant , is 5-of-20 from the floor and
0-of-6 on 3-pointers in the series as whispers are growing louder that all
those years of playing with Michael Jordan enhanced Pippen's rep. <<<
You think?  Many on this list have complained about the over inflated value
of Kobe, so this makes Pippi's exaggerated abilities even more so.  
I know I have been harsh on matters such as this before; but please state
your case on Pippen, not including his rings and Top 50 ranking, but how he
is going to fit into the Celtics team (minus the starters that would have
been traded to get him here) and assure a decent shot at bringing the 17th
championship to Boston in the maybe 2 or 3 half way decent years he has
left.  Playing with 2 HOFer's in H town isn't getting him anywhere, and of
course it isn't all his fault, but he WAS THE DIFFERENCE wasn't he?
With the Spurs losing along with the Jazz, let us all say a prayer that the
Fakers aren't peaking now to go onto something bigger.  Thankfully the
Blazers should hold there own and the losses by the Spurs and Jazz should
just be a wake up call at worst, and the Fakers will have to get through
these teams to go any further. 
Thanks and I look forward to the Pippen response (take your time, not just a
week please),
Greg

>>>Wednesday, May 12 2:16am ET
Pippen is trippin'
 <<...>> 
ESPN.com and news services

The way Scottie Pippen  has played, maybe Jud Buechler was the best free
agent who left the last Chicago Bulls championship team. 
Pippen struggled offensively for the second straight game, missing all seven
shots and scoring just three points in Houston's 110-98 loss to the Lakers
on Tuesday, which caused the Rockets to fall behind 2-0 in the Western
Conference playoffs. 
"I tried to get myself going early but that sort of went to hell," Pippen
said. "It was very disappointing. I was disappointed in my play personally,
but my play did not cost us the game. The fact that we didn't come out and
meet that team's intensity is what lost it for us. I mean, they took the
game from us in the first five or six minutes and we were never able to get
back in the game." SEASON STATISTICS

Pippen, guarded mostly by Kobe Bryant , is 5-of-20 from the floor and 0-of-6
on 3-pointers in the series as whispers are growing louder that all those
years of playing with Michael Jordan enhanced Pippen's rep. 
"I think (Pippen) was a little off," Bryant said. "The shots just weren't
falling. He took seven shots, but he missed them." 
Pippen has not made a field goal in his last 46 minutes of play. His last
field goal was with 9 minutes, 12 seconds left in the fourth period of Game
1. He played 37 minutes Tuesday. 
There could be some dissension brewing on the Rockets. Houston center Hakeem
Olajuwon , who also had an off-game with just eight points, said Pippen's
struggles are not because he and Charles Barkley  dominate the ball. 
"I'm tired of hearing about getting somebody involved in the offense,"
Olajuwon said of integrating Pippen. "We're looking for every opportunity
and all the help we can get, and we don't hold anybody back. When Scottie
brings the ball down and has it in his hands, he has the freedom to create."

Buechler, meanwhile, has exceeded expectations for the Pistons this season. 
Can you say that about Pippen with the Rockets?<<<