A few more thoughts on the Davis trade and... Kendrick!

["Berry, Mark S" <berrym@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

A couple of things on the trade...

1.	Peter May and Obie must be best friends. May's piece in the Globe today ripped the deal, basically because it ruined any chance for the Celtics to win the Atlantic Division. Yep. That's what we should be shooting for. Thankfully, Ainge is aiming for championships.

2.	Obie needs to get over his disappointment and work hard - quickly - to integrate Davis and try to make this work. Maybe this is unfair, but I wouldn't put it past the stubborn SOB to bury Davis, play Walter and chalk it up to "better defense" - just to get Ainge back for dealing EWill. Obie clearly was ticked about this trade. But what's done is done, and he has to make it work. To his credit, Obie's best strength is creating chemistry. And I've never heard a player criticize him. They all seem to like the guy. Hopefully Ricky will also.

3.	One of the best aspects of this deal is the low risk. We're not going to be bemoaning the loss of Chauncey Billups or Andre Miller/Shawn Marion. EWill will be missed this season, no  doubt. He was a team leader and good guy. But he wasn't coming back. That's just reality. Battie was expendable. Kedrick is a bust. Even if Ricky Davis doesn't fit in and has to be dumped (his contract makes him very tradeable), the Celtics haven't sacrificed a single piece of the future. None of the guys going to Cleveland were going to be pieces to a championship team. Could this trade hurt this season? Absolutely. But you have to look past this season. The Pistons, Pacers, Hornets and Nets are the teams to beat in the East. A week ago, we were all convinced the Celtics were hopeless. One winning streak can't deter you from thinking about the big picture. Ainge gets it.

4.	We all know about the questionable aspects of Ricky Davis' character. But there's one part of his personality that I think will be a great addition. He's nasty. He has a real mean streak. He likes to dunk on your head and rip your arm off if you try to stop him. He's a mean, cocky, SOB. The Celts missed that part of Antoine's personality. They're a bunch of nice guys. I think they need a little swagger.

5.	Davis also brings a lot of what Antoine brought, but he doesn't have the "grip" on the team that Antoine had - or the bad contract (I can't stress this enough - Ricky's contract is VERY reasonable for a player of his caliber). Davis gives you points, rebounds, assists, the ability to draw a double team - and he also gives you some of the negatives of Antoine (low shooting percentage, questionable shot selection, shoot-first mentality). But he's not the team leader. Antoine was. I hope that makes a difference. I'm thrilled to hear Pierce and Davis are friends. That's a great start. I really do wonder what the perception of Davis would be if he hadn't pulled the "shoot-at-my-own-basket" trick. Of course, that's like wondering what the perception of John Wilkes Booth would be if he hadn't assassinated Lincoln.

6.	Mihm will help, and could turn into a real force. He's just now coming into his own. He's another talented offensive player, and a good rebounder to boot. Ainge has done a nice job reshaping this team to resemble the Western Conference teams, with skilled offensive players all over the court - Pierce, Davis, Welsch, LaFrentz, Mihm, Banks. The key to building a championship team is finding guys who play at both ends. Ainge is working on it.

7.	Finally, Kendrick... I've said it before, but I really think this could be the most important player on the roster. Three years from now, the Celtics may just have an impact center. The kid has the body and knows how to play - and he's just a kid. I think he can help this season, but doubt he'll get the chance. But Ainge has to make sure he's developed. Obie won't do it - and I don't just mean by giving him minutes this year. Guys can improve through practice. But Obie is going to concentrate on winning the next game. That's what coaches do. But Ainge needs to make sure Kendrick is getting plenty of special attention. He could be the key to the next championship. I really believe that. He did a great job last night.

Wow, that's long. Looking forward to tomorrow night. Antoine back in town, Davis making his debut. What a night that should be.

Mark