Paul's right

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

Paul M. said: 
"And that just about explains everything. My God, both teams suck and
apparently refuse to do anything about it." 

And he's right. The Lakers are willing to trade Glen Rice, the Sonics Vin
Baker and Horace Grant, the Knicks Patrick Ewing and Allan Houston, the
Bucks Glenn Robinson, the Hawks Dikembe Mutombo... but our guys are
untouchable?

Look, we'd all love to trade "Eric Williams, Calbert Cheaney and the Utah
pick" for Houston or Mutombo or whoever, but the truth is you have to give
up something to get something. New York is willing to trade Patrick Ewing,
Allan Houston and Marcus Camby for Glen Rice and Dikembe Mutombo. Does it
guarantee they will be a better team? No, but the Knicks are willing to take
the chance. And you could make an argument that four of the five players
involved in that trade are better than anyone on the Celtics' roster.

Now, I know you have to look at the future and everything else, but what are
we waiting for? The draft? Good luck. Free agency? It's dead to us. No, if
the Celtics are going to get better, it's going to take bold moves. Everyone
wonders why it's always the Knicks, Blazers, Heat, Suns and Lakers making
the big moves. Well, it's because they have the guts to do it. Phoenix
traded Michael Finley and Steve Nash, among others, for Jason Kidd, and
they've never regretted it. Are Paul Pierce or Antoine Walker any better
than Michael Finley? Then why should they be any more untouchable if a real
talent comes available.

I don't know if it's Allan Houston or... whoever. But there are plenty of
players out there who are better than our best. And some of them are
available. But if Pitino keeps insisting these guys are "untouchable" we're
going to be stuck with the same bad team for years to come.

Mark