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

[bird <bird@pixi.com>]

>From: "Berry, Mark  S" <berrym@BATTELLE.ORG>
>
>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?

Yes.  "How much are they going to improve?" is indeed the question, 
but I don't understand your answer.  Why is it so hard to imagine 
that they will?  Why do you always assume that the talent/skill level 
of all of our players will remain static?  I can see if your measured 
opinion was that they probably won't, but you often come off as 
dismissing the possibility altogether.  I mean, players improve and 
regress from season to season, and virtually day-to-day during the 
season.  Yes, Pierce (or Walker) could (suddenly) average 30 ppg 
(well, 25 is more likely, and maybe even more desirable).  V could 
improve (as he did modestly last year in regards to his jumper). 
Kenny improved defensively from the years before (agreed that that 
isn't saying much, but I saw him actually _try_ on D last year, which 
is in itself a vast improvement).

I guess I like to be more chauvanistic/optimistic/disturbed in 
rooting for my teams.  I try to balance a sense of critical thinking 
with a maniacal obsession for the betterment of the team.  In other 
words, while I recognize that the team, if all the players played at 
the exact same level as last year, would be at about the same level 
of competition, I also know that that won't be the case -- some 
players will improve, some won't, and some will actually get worse. 
I like hoping/expecting that I'll see Walker/Pierce/Battie/Griffin/V 
improve their games, and Moiso/Blount/Brown contribute.  It makes me 
feel all green and gooey inside.

>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.

There's a chance we improve with a blockbuster trade, and absolutely 
no chance to improve if we stay the same?  We could debate/discuss 
the percentage chance that the team would improve 
(small/medium/large), but to say that there's no chance whatsoever is 
a bit ridiculous.

Regards/farewell/yours,

Bill