Paul Pierce says it all.

["pmaurice" <damekmo@teleport.com>]

This quote from Paul Pierce sums up why I hated this trade from the
beginning:

''It's tough,'' said Pierce, who sat out yesterday's practice because of bone
spurs in left foot. ''I thought [against Milwaukee] I really kind of went out
of my way to involve him [Delk], get him comfortable playing with me. We've
got to have him comfortable because we understand that we need those two guys
to feel comfortable in our system. ... to know that I'm going to pass the ball
to them. I went out of my way a little bit to where I didn't play as
aggressively as I have in the past, but that's something I've got to make a
choice about, when it's a good time and when it's a bad time to get them
involved. It's difficult trying to work in two new guys, who you know you're
going to need.''

So the team is in a tight playoff race with 25 games left and Paul Pierce is
wasting time trying to figure out how to get Tony Delk shots? Now, given the
fact that whether Tony starts or comes off the bench he's nothing without the
ball, and since I assume he's going to be out there, whether he starts of
comes off the bench, with Paul Pierce every now and then, then at some point
Pierce is going to be wasting time trying to get Tony Delk shots. We're
talking about Tony Delk and Rodney Rogers. At this point in the year I don't
want Antoine doing it either. Now if you want to disrupt things, give me a
real reason to disrupt them. Give me somebody who you know is going to
contribute, and has the ability to contribute in a big way. Not another couple
of sixth men on a team full of them. Mark's right. Our three centers form the
Holy Trinity of Suckage - I'm going to have to go to confession just for
writing that - and Rogers and Delk don't amount to much more. I'll give you
they're better at the positions they play. No doubt about it. But a 40% streak
shooting and nothing else guard is not a reason to have Paul Pierce or Antoine
Walker playing tentatively in a tight playoff race. Same thing with Rodney
Rogers. But, who knows, maybe they'll fit in nicely and everybody will be
cruising soon. Tonight's game is about as big a game as they've had all year.

Paul M.