Re: C's Still Trying To Do A Blockbuster Trade

["Berry, Mark S" <berrym@BATTELLE.ORG>]

Kestas wrote:
Since it's rather obvious that Pierce is superior to Wells (except to Mark
who seems to advocate trading Pierce for anyone, anytime), why would we want
to give up a serviceable center or multiple picks for O'Neal, whose true
position is unclear, and who sports 4-year career averages of 11 mpg, 4ppg,
and 3 rpg?

OK, this made me chuckle. It probably does seem like I'm in favor of
shipping off Pierce for the first decent offer we get, but I'm really not. I
like Pierce... I just don't love Pierce. It's not just him. None of these
guys have won anything as Celtics. I mean, we value them so highly, but
what, exactly, have they really accomplished? Score some points? Big deal.
Padded stats on bad teams. Pierce is a nice player. So is Toine. But they
aren't as good as some on the list make them out to be. If Pierce goes to
Portland, he gets Bonzi Wells' minutes, because he isn't taking much time
away from Scottie Pippen or Steve Smith.

I look at this Celtics team and see another 35-40 win season. They've added
a few decent pieces-Moiso, Blount, Brown-but nothing that makes for a
significant upgrade. And how much are these guys going to improve? Is Pierce
suddenly going to average 30 ppg? Is Toine? Vitaly is what he is, and Kenny
was as good as he is ever going to be last season, and he wasn't that good.
Look at the rest of the roster. Where is the improvement coming from?

So, I advocate trading Pierce if you can get the right package. His value is
sky-high right now because he is young, cheap and has big stats. You can get
some serious talent in return. You have to give something to get something.

Now, as for O'Neal and Wells... Do I know how good they are? No, I'm
counting on Pitino and Wallace for that (granted... that's dangerous). But
I'm sure when Red traded the first pick in the draft (J.B. Carroll) for
Parish and the rights to McHale, there were plenty of people who said "they
traded the league's next great center for an underachieving loafer and a big
white stiff." 

My point is, we can hold onto our precious players like Pierce and Walker
and Vitaly forever, and settle for miserable seasons like the last two, or
we can make a bold move to get better. Is it guaranteed to work? No, but at
least it's a chance. Right now, we don't have one.

Mark

P.S. As for the four-way trade: The only real winner was Dallas, because
they gave up nothing and got the best player in the deal, Eisley. Yes,
Marshall averaged a double-double, but he played huge minutes on an
atrocious Golden State team and shot something like .403 from the field.
He's terrible, he always has been terrible, and he always will be terrible.
He shows up one night out of three, doesn't have a position and is
ridiculously overpaid. (If we had known that was what the Jazz were looking
for, we could have sent them Battie.) He won't approach those stats in Utah.
The Celtics got what they wanted-no more Fortson and a first-round pick.