Catching up... The Mailman didn't deliver Celts news to me over t he holiday weekend

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

I'm still processing the Karl Malone news. I want to think that's a good,
low-cost effort to acquire a legit power forward, and that Malone would beat
up on the smaller players in the Eastern Conference. But my mind keeps
whispering "Dominique Wilkins... Dominique Wilkins... " We all remember how
that free agent acquisition of an aging former superstar turned out. Anyway,
I guess I'm ambivalent about the whole thing since it didn't happen anyway.
But at least that crack Boston sports media was right on top of the story.
When did we find out about it-two days later? Three? And now that we know
the Celts are willing to spend the exception on the right player, are the
Celtics beat writers beating the bushes to see if Ainge might have any other
secret meetings? Nope. Go to RealGM and check out their newswire. It's
filled with news from virtually every team in the NBA. Just news and notes
about free agency, trades, etc. Anything from the Celts? Nope. Other than a
report from a paper in Las Vegas that Marcus Banks will be in Boston today
to sign his rookie contract. I'm telling you, the guys covering the Celtics
in Boston are terrible. Simply terrible.

Which brings me to the point-counterpoint pieces in the Lawrence Eagle
Tribune. Am I the only one who found those pieces awfully one-sided? I think
the "trade Antoine" writer made all the right points as well as they could
be made. The time has come to trade Antoine. Ainge is trying. Let's hope he
finds the right deal.

Elsewhere, these passages in the Herald piece should be the final straws for
anyone saying "give him another year... "

"I spent a pretty fair amount of time at  
 the Chicago pre-draft camp answering general managers' head-shaking  
 questions about his lack of conditioning. 
...
The top wish of  
 the Celtics is - and has always been - for him to make the necessary  
 improvements and adjustments in his body and game (stuff of which  
 'Toine is well aware) and realize his full potential here.

<end snip>

We're still talking about this stuff? Isn't it time to realize we're banging
our heads against a wall? If Antoine didn't listen to Pitino, who was coach,
GM, President and Ruler of the Free Celtic World, why would he listen to
Danny Ainge? No one-NO ONE-has or had more power over Antoine's future than
Pitino, and Antoine didn't listen then. He's not listening now. Another year
would mean just another year of being held hostage, hoping that Antoine
suddenly "gets it." News flash: He's not getting it. Not now, not ever.
Let's not let him hinder the progress of the TEAM. Progress means CHANGE,
and Antoine has made it very clear, as recently as this offseason, that he
sees no need for change. Just keep doing what he's doing. Those were
Antoine's words. 

I'm sorry to dredge this up again, but going through the posts from the
weekend, and finding that story with those passages-it just set me off.
Haven't we been saying this forever? There was a momentary break when Pitino
left, because Obie sold his soul to Antoine and agreed never to utter a bad
word about the guy. But now we have a guy in charge saying the same things
Pitino said about Antoine's conditioning. And this is a guy the team is
built around. How good is your foundation when that's the case? 

Just to come full circle... Look at Antoine and look at Karl Malone. Antoine
is the better dribbler, passer and shooter. Would anyone argue that? Neither
guy is very athletic. Yet look at their careers. Malone embraced physical
fitness and bodybuilding and turned himself into a physical specimen. He
attacked the biggest weakness in his game at a young age-free throw
shooting-and turned it into a strength. Because of his commitment to
maintaining his body, he was a better, more efficient player and ran the
floor harder than Antoine this past season, even though he was 10 years
older and at an age when he should be retiring. Antoine, meanwhile, looks
like an old, tired player at 27. He's declining already, and continues to do
less with more in terms of raw basketball skills (dribbling, passing,
shooting). He had a similar weakness as a young player-free throws-and
improved marginally, only to regress to the point where he isn't even up to
Shaq's standards at the line. What's the difference between the two players?


OK... rant over. 

Mark