Re: Trying to make up my mind...

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

Jim wrote: 
Really?  If that's the case, you might as well unplug the phone, because
without trading one of these guys nothing significant is going to happen.  I
wouldn't call *anyone* on the team untouchable, although I suspect the
Celtics would say Pierce is, and considering his extension must make him a
BYC player, I'll give you that one.  Other than that, what player you listed
wouldn't you include in a deal to get a quality big man?  If the answer is
"none", then they're not untouchable.
----end----

I completely agree, and anyone who has read any of my posts over the years
knows I don't consider anyone untouchable. My point was that Wallace seems
to treat them as untouchable. They're not going anywhere this year. It's
that simple. I mentioned the players on the roster who aren't going to be
traded and the ones who basically can't be traded (unless at a loss). I
didn't mention them by name, but, by omission, I was indicating that Vitaly
and Battie have some trade value.

Jim wrote:
All in all, the team has a lot of options on the trade market if they decide
to go that route.  I don't think they intend to, though.  But that's out of
choice, not because they have no assets.  
----end----

That's been my point all along on the Moiso deal. They've chosen not to make
any trades, but when they finally deal Moiso it doesn't improve the
team-only the bottom line. You say financially driven deals happen all the
time in sports---and that makes it OK? It's one thing when a deal is to get
under a salary cap, under the luxury tax threshold or clear room for another
acquisition, but when the move just saves money, I have a real problem with
it.

Finally, let me say this about the Celtics... I'm hard on them. I haven't
always been. I used to be a hopeless optimist. I spun the Kenny Anderson
trade so I liked it. I spun the Vitaly trade so I liked it. Same with the
Mercer and Fortson trades and the Moiso pick. Going into last season, I was
convinced things were going to turn around. Then the players quit-absolutely
quit-on Pitino, and my view of the team changed completely.

I hold Pitino completely accountable for the personnel moves he made and
some coaching problems, but the guy had a proven track record both in
college and, although some people love to forget it, with the Knicks in the
NBA. There's no excusing the personnel mistakes, but there's also no denying
he faced some challenges in coaching this team that go beyond the bad
trades. He wanted his best player to bulk up to play power forward, and the
player resisted. Pitino adjusted and asked him to get in shape to play small
forward, and the player ignored the request. And when things got tough, his
best players-who never have won as many games as they've lost and never
sniffed the playoffs-tuned out and quit on the coach. Do I blame Pitino for
a lot of the team's problems? Yes. Do I blame him for all of the problems?
No way. And I'm not willing to say "Pitino's gone, so everything will be
fine."

So I'm tough on them. They have a general manager who certainly seems to
know how to identify talent, but never has been asked to build a
team-there's a difference. They have a coach who completely destroyed a
Division I college program and has never had any sustained success when not
under Pitino's wing. They have a power forward who after five years in the
league shoots 41 percent, leads the league in 3-point attempts despite being
nowhere in the top 50 in percentage, never gets to the free throw line and
is a terrible defender. They have a starting point guard who averaged 6
points and 2.6 assists last year. They have a starting center who averaged
3.9 points and 3.6 rebounds last year, another center who averaged 7 points
and 6 rebounds but can't defend and fouls too much, and a third center who
missed half a season with an ankle sprain. They have three rookies who play
the same position as their best player. They have two veteran point guards
who can't stay healthy and aren't very good when they do. And several teams
in the conference have gotten better.

Now, they also have a coach who finished at .500 in his tenure last year,
one of the league's most efficient and prolific scorers, a power forward who
is versatile enough to actually play some point guard, three talented
rookies and the potential for a bright future.

I can see both sides of it, but I refuse to be blind to the negative about
this team anymore. I used to be, but reality hit hard in a tank job at home
against the Sixers last year. If I seem them making moves to save money,
I'll complain. If I see them standing pat when others are making moves to
try to ensure a playoff spot, I'll complain. If I see them ignoring
weaknesses in these players and this team, I'll complain. I know a lot of
you probably get tired of hearing it, but I've taken my green-tinted glasses
off. I root for them as hard as anyone, but I'll be as critical as anyone
when I believe it's warranted.

Mark