Re: Rebuilding in the new environment

[damekmo@teleport.com]

Unlike Kenny bringing the ball up court, I have to move quickly this
morning. So...two posts from Alex this weekend:

>And a situation like Boston's, with cold weather, substantial state taxes,
>and >a losing team, would not appeal to free agents, 16 banners
>notwithstanding.

Couldn't agree more. Forget clearing cap space with the intention of
signing a major free agent talent. It's not going to happen because they
aren't going to come.

>The other possibility is to build around the current core, with the hope
>that a new GM and coach can improve this team. You use the existing players
>and the draft picks we have. If you have the opportunity to upgrade from
>Walker or Pierce you take it. Maybe you even trade them for solid role
>players in the mold of Ratliff or Antonio Davis if you can create a team
>with a better identity. The question with this approach is whether a team
>built around Walker and Pierce, with little possibility of adding a
>dominant player and without the financial resources to field an insanely
>deep team (such as the Blazers), has any possibility of ever winning a
>championship.

The answer to that question, I think, is no! From Alex's later post:

>But right now, I want to wait on Antoine. The way he's passing, though
>sporadic, is encouraging. He's rebounding more than the past couple of
>years, although his perimeter focus means that he's not getting to the
>offensive boards as much. Right now, if we trade him, I see us getting, at
>best, a Dale Davis or PJ Brown type -- solid, quality player but not the
>type of talent that you can contend with.

Absolutely agree with the above. So....trade Pierce. And from King Ricky:

>"if they can bring something that's
>>going to make us win quicker and is better for the basketball team, then by
>>all means bring it to me."

Mark Berry thought this sounded like trading draft picks. Well, thank God
Pitino's finally understanding that this team needs a major move, a "gutsy"
move and if that means packaging Pierce and some stiff like VP with draft
picks then it's time. Ricky should've done this over the summer before
serious "desperation" set in. Perhaps he could've moved Pierce without the
draft picks earlier, but not now. Every gm knows this is Ricky's last ditch
attempt to turn failure into something resembling success, so he's going to
have to dig deep. Now, if Ricky's thinking of just moving draft picks for a
player like Jerome Williams....forget it and drag his ass out of the
building now! Jerome Williams gives the team, what...3 more wins tops?
Maybe? I'd rather have a bunch of draft picks straight up for Pierce than
get a player like J. Williams for the Celtics' picks.

But I have to go. I'm late for the miserable "work." Something major's
coming up though. Finally.

Paul M.