Re: let's not do anything we might regret...

[jmc@ptc.com]

Pete,

  Nice post!  

  I've been too busy to post lately, but if I'd had the time to post, 
I'd have wanted to say all the things you said.  

  I want to all these trade rumor-mongers to just chill.  I think the
"let's make a big deal NOW" attitude that so many on this list exhibit
is just the attitude that got Pitino in trouble in some of his early
trades with the Celtics.  He wanted a winning team RIGHT AWAY and made
hasty trades.  It sounds like many of you are falling victim to the same 
mentality.  You'll never win if you keep changing 2/3 of your team every 
year. 

  Overall I'm not as down on Pitino's trade record as many on this list
are.  It's not easy to get other teams to agree to trades which work
out to your benefit.  It has to be perceived BY both teams to HELP BOTH
teams.  Pitino has gone young intentionally, too, and that means if we're 
patient, get good young players and sign them to long term contracts, we 
could have a super-strong team in a few years, as long as they develop. 
Don't give up on Battie so soon.  Randy Brown will help with defending 
point gaurds and will provide much-needed leadership and championship 
experience.  Players will listen to him.  That's utterly important on a 
young team!  

  I'm also quite disgusted with the cynicism about some of the trades 
& signings being rumored & proposed & made by the Celtics.  The assumption 
that Pitino is trying to "tank" the whole season is just ludicrous!  If 
you really paid any attention to what Pitino is like you'd know he just 
doesn't have it in his emotional makeup to let his team go bad.  I don't 
think losing bothers him so much as lack of progress and improvement does. 
He just doesn't want to go backwards to go forward.  He wants to go forward 
fast and always.  Of course, he might be better off taking a step back for 
the long term good, I just don't think he can stand to do it emotionally. 

  Anyone who thinks the Celtics should dump Adrian Griffin at the end of 
the season to clear cap space has got to have a few screws loose.  He's 
the kind of guy who'll never earn an all-star's salary, but will help you 
win games just as much as an all-star will. 

  There!  Phew!  Got that off my back!

Jon Mc


> Date: Fri, 04 Aug 2000 10:21:34 +0930
> From: Peter Toner <peter.toner@adelaide.edu.au>
> Subject: let's not do anything we might regret...
> 
> Hi folks,
> 
> I rarely post anything to the list, but I thought I'd add a few thoughts
> to the recent discussions.
> 
> I guess I'm in the "glass is half full" or "wait and see" camp as well.
> I think we just have to be careful that we don't do something stupid. I
> agree with most of you who say that Pitino is miserable at making trades
> - - just look at his track record. So, for all of you advocating a "trade
> Walker" or "trade Pierce" scenario...what makes you think Pitino is
> capable of making a GOOD trade with either one of those guys? Do you
> really want to see Pierce and Walker as perennial all-stars in a couple
> of years' time...but playing for OTHER teams? If Pierce is so great, and
> everyone in the league is drooling over him, then why do we want to lose
> him? I cringe every time I see these trade suggestions flying around,
> not because I don't want us to improve soon (and I've been waiting as
> long as anyone since the Big Three retired), but because I have a
> feeling we'll regret any "blockbuster" trade in a few years' time.
> 
> And I DEFINITELY don't want to trade Potapenko - he's got some decent
> skills and great size and toughness, and I think has lots of room to
> improve. We trade him, and all of a sudden we're a LOT smaller. If
> Blount can provide an interior defensive presence, Vitaly stands to
> collect a lot of boards with his size in the post. I think it's a shame
> that we can't make room for Forston in the lineup, too - Pot/Blount and
> Battie/Forston would give us some decent strength and diversity up
> front. Not all-star calibre, but how many all-star centres are there
> anyway?
> 
> Brown will be a decent pickup - he doesn't need to score at point
> because we have Kenny for that if we need it. But he should slot in
> nicely to defend other teams' scoring point guards.
> 
> So, I guess I feel that we have more to lose in a blockbuster trade. We
> should improve simply by virtue of another year together, a healthy
> Adrian, and a few capable role players. And we don't need to improve
> THAT much to make the playoffs. And if we don't, Pitino will be gone,
> and Walker and Pierce will fulfill their potential under a new coach in
> a new system (which I'm sure would happen if they were traded). I'm as
> frustrated as anyone, but I don't want us to be kicking ourselves when
> our key players make the playoffs with someone else.
> 
> Just my $0.02 worth,
> 
> Pete