Ramifications Of Paul Pierce's Near Death Experience

[Way Of The Ray <wayray@ix.netcom.com>]

- According to BSG:
http://home.digitalcity.com/boston/sportsguy/main.dci?page=pierce
who's doing a fine job with his hourly updates of the Pierce situation:
Paul is probably out for the season, as he suffered a collapsed lung
and badly lacerated diaphragm. Fortunately it wasn't punctured,
probably thanks to the thick leather coat that he was wearing,
which may have spared his life by blunting the weapon thrusts
in the vital areas of his body.

- Thank God, Pitino didn't trade away those three draft picks to
the Trailblazers for Jermaine O'Neal. Can you imagine the Stern Man
walking up to the microphone at next year's draft and announcing:
"Welcome to the 2001 NBA Draft. With the first selection in the draft,
the Portland Trailblazers select Eddie Curry.

- Does the drafting of Jerome Missing over Courtney Alexander
look worse and worse?  You better believe it baby! If you had
Courtney here, you just stick him in the starting lineup for Pierce,
he'd get you 15 - 20  a night, and things wouldn't be so gloomy.

Criminy, they spent all summer looking for a quality shooting guard
because they bypassed Alexander, and now it comes back to haunt
them even more.

- The pressure is off Pitino. He's been given a year's reprieve
with Pierce's lost for the season. Whatever you think of Paul
Gaston, no one can accuse him of being unfair or heavy-handed
toward those he has chosen to run the Celtics.

Now Pitino himself could opt to leave at the end of the
season, but I don't see Gaston putting undue pressure
on Pitino to have the Celtics in the playoffs or disposing
of him after this year.

Hopefully, Pitino will be cognizant of this year's free pass and
not go out and trade away a top five pick for some average
veteran to replace Pierce.

No, I have some faith that Pitino will play it cool this season,
and sell it to himself, the fans, the media, and the little Pitinoette
groupies that:

"It was going to be a struggle to make the playoffs this season
with both Antoine and Paul here. Without Paul, who's one of the
best young players in the game, an outstanding young man,
and our most consistent outside threat, it's very unrealistic to
think that we can make the playoffs. That's not to say, we won't
try 100 percent of the time, hustle, and leave it all out on the court,
but
realistically when you lose a player like Paul Pierce, it's a
major setback. Fortunately, thanks to the efforts of
Chris Wallace and the Mercer and Fortson trades, we are well
prepared for the future with our three first round draft picks
and the return of a healthy Paul next season."

Yeah, Pitino's spiel will be something like that.

- Looking forward to the Holley Lama's column on Pierce, when he gets
back from covering the Olympics. Holley loves Paul, Toine, and Mercer,
so as he fights throught the tears he must be shedding as this moment,
I expect one hellzapoppin of an interesting column. Maybe the Globe will

recall him from the Olympics and put him right on the story.
Ray