Re: Attention GM wannabes

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

You may be right Joe. It's not that I'm dying to dump Pierce, it's just that
this team needs a dramatic move to make any kind of real improvement. The
problems of interior defense and point guard play aren't going to go away
with experience or the 11th pick in the draft.

The misconception that most Celtic fans have is that we narrowly missed the
playoffs and with a little improvement, we'll be in next year. I don't buy
it. We missed by, I believe, seven games. No one ahead of us seems poised to
fall apart anytime soon. The Raptors will dip without McGrady, and the
Pacers will decline, but I'm not sure we pass those teams by just standing
pat. And is that what we want to do? Wait for other teams to get worse?
Besides, Jersey is about to fly past us, Orlando will make a real leap,
Milwaukee is improving, Detroit, if it keeps Hill, will be better, and
Cleveland seems poised to improve and possibly overtake us. Only Washington
seems certain to remain behind us in the East, because Chicago certainly
could dramatically improve with a couple of free agent acquisitions.

I just don't see standing pat as the answer. And although it will be painful
to trade Pierce, I think it's a chance you have to take.

Mark