Re: PENNY

[KK <Kestutis.Kveraga@Dartmouth.EDU>]

I think a trade of Penny for Mercer/Kenny would be a no-brainer. Taking a
gamble in a trade for a "headcase" is one of 3 ways to acquire major talent
without giving up equal value in return, the other 2 being a top draft pick
and a major FA signing (both of which unlikely for us in the near future).
And it should be obvious to everyone that having major talent is a sine qua
non if a team wants to make a dent in the playoffs, let alone win a
championship. It would be nice if such stars were all like Mother Teresa
(but alive); alas, the reality is that most major talents have major egos
that need some major stroking and skill to manage. That is why Mike Dunleavy
was voted Coach of the Year.

As a high school player, demigod Larry Bird too was a certifiable headcase,
throwing temper tantrums, getting into fights on and off the court, and
refusing to go into a game with 5 min. left because the coach forgot to play
him in the second half. When he enrolled at Indiana, he lasted all of 24
days there, quit & went AWOL , enrolled at a local JuCo, and quit that too
after 2 months. But he matured eventually, didn't he? Some people take
longer than that.

To those who loudly insist on having players of impeccable character on our
team because "we're the Boston Celtics" I'll remind that Bird and Russell
weren't exactly great fathers to the children from their first marriages
(the term "neglect" comes to mind), and DJ and Parish abused their
significant others. All that stuff was swept under the rug because they won.
Yet Antoine has been chastised, often by the same people, for not spending
his summers in Boston because he wants to be a good father to his daughter.
It is interesting that people who demand high moral character of Celtics
players disparage the players who show it, but haven't yet won much. This
sends a message to a player like Antoine that being a good father and person
is less important than winning, and if you win, all is forgiven. Wiggling is
a greater sin than being a bad father or a spouse abuser, and losing is the
greatest sin of all. 

Chamberlain is considered a loser in Celticland basically because, according
to Bill Russell himself, he wasn't prepared to injure and maim people if
that's what it took to win - too decent a guy to do that. But Russell was - 
hence, he's "the greatest winner in team sports of all time" and an
all-around super guy. So, let's do away with the pretense that we want
people with high moral values as Celtics - we want people who'll win at all
costs much more.