What's the problem?

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

I for one couldn't be happier with the way the team is playing. I was so
sick of that damned "two man" ball-hogging game this team played before this
trade. Danny Ainge was quoted in this morning's paper as saying that Paul
Pierce was the Celtics' best player, and finally, he's showing it. 13 shots
last night! What a giving guy. I was sickened by the way he would dominate
the ball, game after game after game, taking a lot of shots, scoring in the
30's and up, not passing, being "assertive" at the offensive end. Of course
he's tentative. Before the best player on the team "needed" to integrate the
two new backups, "needed" to get them involved, this team was winning, but
who cares. It was morally repugnant basketball. Selfish! Those two captains
should've been ashamed of themselves and I'm glad the team brought in two
more stiffs to show them what can be done when two more stiffs are on the
court. I'm glad Pierce isn't simply looking for his shot anymore, every time
down. I hated when he did that. I'm glad he's so concerned with just fitting
in. It's done wonders for his game. I'm just afraid, because of these
losses, that they'll simply stop trying to get those two new offensive
giants going and go back to playing that disgusting "two man game." I mean,
they picked up Delk and Rogers to help their inefficient offense, right?
They must have the kind of offensive games that you can depend on game in
and game out, right? And then there's Rodney's rebounding. What a beast!
They made the trade and there's no going back. Those two guys are on the
floor and damn it, this team is going to figure out how best to use them!
And it's not a distraction. It's the right thing to do! In fact, I'd drop
Pierce's minutes even more so that even if he wanted to shoot the ball more,
to get it, put it on the floor and create for himself, he wouldn't be able
to. There seems to be some question about whether it was right to trade "the
future" for these two guys. But you know, if you can make a trade that will
give you a legitimate chance to get into the conference finals, you have to
do it. I have no problem, seriously, with trading the future for reaching
the ultimate goal this year. You start every year wanting to get to the
finals, and if you really believe one trade will make the difference in your
getting there, one trade will give you a legitimate shot at getting there,
then a GM has to make that move. He has to give his players and coaches a
shot, because the chance may not come again. You never know what's going to
happen. You can't waste a chance like that. And this Rodney Rogers/Tony Delk
deal, from the very beginning, had finals written all over it. Thank God we
can now depend on Rodney Rogers and Tony Delk to show us the way to the
Promised Land.

And the stiffs shall lead them.

Paul M.