Re: Paul's right

[Alexander Wang <awang@mit.edu>]

The issue here is whether Antoine or Paul are "untouchable." I don't think
I've heard Pitino say that - if I remember right it was from some "source." 
The truth is that we've never even heard a rumor of a substantial offer that 
we would find compelling for either Walker or Pierce. Does anyone think
that Pitino would not pull the trigger on a sufficiently compelling deal? 
He hasn't gotten one yet. I bet if the Nets called offering Marbury (one of 
Pitino's 3 favorites for his system) he would ship out Pierce in a heartbeat,
and this is probably the equivalent of Finley/Kidd.

I agree that we have to improve the team, but my guess is that the timing 
is not right for us to get a good deal. I doubt that Walker and Pierce are 
really untouchable, but on the other hand they are our only truly tradable 
talents and we can't ship them out for the first mediocre offer (Austin 
Croshere?). I think we want to wait until a better opportunity comes around
due to some team's player being dissatisfied or a management dismantling.

I think that Pitino's offer of 3 draft picks for Jermaine O'Neal was actually
quite a bold move. For now, draft picks are our best commodity to trade. 
As your team gets better, your players' trade value increases and your
draft picks decrease. Right now we suck and draft picks will probably get
us the best relative value. The trade for Abdul-Wahad didn't excite me so
much but it was another example of using our draft picks to enable a deal.

Alex

At 10:07 AM 9/13/00 -0400, you wrote:
>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
>