Timing - distraction but future hope?

[Eggcentric@xxxxxxx]

Anyone else here think the timing of the Ainge announcement unfortunate?  
I mean, here we are in the middle of an important playoff series, so 
couldn't this news have been postponed a bit longer?

The answer is - no, it couldn't.  And the reason is because of Ainge's TNT 
connection. It would have been a gross conflict of interest for Ainge to 
continue as a TNT color commentator for the Celtics-Nets playoff series
knowing he was at the same time signing on as head of bball operations 
for the Celts.  Something had to give.

Wallace's fate and Baker's fate were both sealed back in February when 
all the facts of the Baker trade came out ... albeit never to the public, 
not then and probably not in the future. 

Since those closed sessions, Wallace and Obi, Wallace and Baker, Baker 
and Obi, have not spoken a word to each other.  Remember reading (see 
full article reprinted below) that a former Seattle Supersonics assistant 
coach was suing Baker over being promised $1 million to massage the 
trade that sent Baker to the Celtics?  That lawsuit and all its 
ramifications, rendered both Baker and Wallace naked and liable, without 
a leg to stand on.  Neither has been heard from since. 

And remember Bob Ryan's dissing of Grousbeck et al? Well the new 
owners, before a sprinkling of common sense was sifted into their 
naive heads, were actually prepared to have their very own trustworthy
Steve Pagliuca placed in charge of the draft/trade decisions in lieu of 
inking a new head of operations guy.  After all, MBA's don't go gently into 
that dark night of swallowing three year contracts like Wallace's (even 
after informing him he was OUT) unless they feel the court of public 
opinion and their future revenue will shrink.   

In his morning column, Bulpett writes that the Celtics actually denied 
Atlanta permission to speak with Wallace and player personnel director 
Leo Papile about openings with the Hawks.  I do not understand this, 
because for all practical purposes, Wallace and Papile are now lame 
ducks so wouldn't you think that the Celts ownership would just love 
to rid themselves of their contracts?  But then I do not know how 
Wallace and Papile's contracts read, and wonder if Wyc et al are merely 
(albeit naively again) holding out for a 2nd round draft pick or a 
reasonable facsimile for their lame duckies before gleefully releasing 
them from their contracts.

On a POSITIVE NOTE -  Prior to signing, Ainge has allegedly forced the 
owners to reverse course and consent to at least shelling out $4.5 mill 
for a mid-level contract this coming season.  

On a IS THIS A GOOD OR A BAD NOTE-  I have been told that Obie who is 
perceived by many to have made lemonade out of Wallace lemons, will 
likely be allowed to stay on for at least one more season as long as he 
is willing to make a few concessions to Ainge.  Berry's contention that 
Obie and Walker are connected at the hip is right on, so my hope is that 
Obiebs first concession will be to replace his 3-point, no-motion 
strategy with ''real'' and exciting bball, but that his second concession 
will be to agree with Ainge that trading AW for a player(s) who more 
fits into the Ainge concept will be good for our team.  

Sure Wallace made lots of moves which Obie felt forced to go along 
with.  But keep in mind that it was Obie who honestly thought he could 
get by with non-distributing, 3-pt. shooting PG's like Delk and 
Shammond, and even 3-pt. shooting big guys like Sundov and Wolko.  
When he found it was not working, he then implored upon Wallace to 
trade the disappointing Shammond, allow the ''I can't believe they 
signed me'' Wolko to exit, and permanently place the useless
Sundov on the IR.  Enter the discarded Blount, and practice players 
Long, Coles, and Bryant.  Oh the folly of it all.

Ainge will be faced with all our future $$$$ constraints and baggage 
that years of bungling from Gavitt to Carr to Pitino to Wallace have 
caused. Our hope is that gradually he will be able to bring about a 
return to real bball vs. the present 3-pt. sham we have been forced 
to endure.

I do not expect Ainge to be a Moses capable of parting the Red Sea. 
Yet the only way to resumption is to resume.  The mere addition of him
to our team makes me more optimistic than I have been in many 
a recent season.  And that is good.

Egg
--------------------------------------------
Ex-Assistant Sues Ex-Sonic Baker 


SEATTLE -- A former Seattle Supersonics assistant coach is suing 
Boston forward Vin Baker, claiming Baker promised him $1 million 
to massage the trade that sent Baker to the Celtics. 

Steven Gordon, a Sonics special assignments coach until last year, said 
in a lawsuit filed Jan. 17 he "devoted time and resources" speaking to 
various NBA teams last season to promote a possible trade on Baker's 
behalf. 

Baker declined comment Friday after Boston's 77-58 victory over Denver. 
He went to the Celtics along with Shammond Williams in a July 22 deal 
that brought Kenny Anderson, Vitaly Potapenko and Joseph Forte to Seattle. 

Gordon claims he had discussions with the Celtics that facilitated the 
trade, and that Baker reneged on a promise to pay him $1 million if the 
deal was completed. 

Gordon's lawyer, H. Richmond Fisher of Seattle, declined comment Friday 
when asked whether Gordon had a signed contract or anything in writing 
with Baker. 

Gordon is seeking $1 million in damages from Baker, along with $46,000 
a month for the duration of Baker's NBA contract, which runs through 
2005-06, saying he agreed to become Baker's business partner. 

The lawsuit was filed in King County Superior Court.

--The Associated Press