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re: Pride of Ownership

< I believe that the botched drafts, and the Baker fiasco have effectively
slammed the door on the Pierce era. > - RickDHome

<<eggcentric wrote>>:
Good point. After five seasons with the Celts, Pierce has be frustrated
by ending up with Delk, Blount, and Bremer as the only additions to
the same old tired nucleus of himself, Walker, Battie, Williams, and
McCarty.  But he is, believe it or not, still only 25 yrs. old, and the old
man (Walker) is still only 26 yrs. old.
I've read this idea a number of times on the list -- that the Baker Trade (which I agree is probably the worst in Celtic history) closes the door on the "Pierce Era" (as opposed to the "Pierce & Walker Era) and that we should therefore "blow-up" the team. I just don't believe that's true.

Egg contridicts herself by saying "good point" then pointing out what I was going to:

Pierce is only 26. By the time Baker, Battie, Delk & Brown all become FA's -- he'll still only be 29.

In my mind Ainge's task over the next 2 years is to try and purge the team of overpriced talent and add good young talent through the draft (that's been Wallace/Pitino's biggest weak point).

I think Detroit and San Antonio have both showed that you can do both through good overseas scouting (SA: Parker, Ginobili & Giricek (who they actually had at one point), DET: Okur, Rebracca) and solid drafting.

Another example -- though he's been vilified lately -- is to look at the talent Jordan had assembled at Washington before he came back. He was building a nice young team and had about as little to work with as we did.

Its not going to be easy but its hardly undoable. Its not like we're in the situation the Knicks or Jazz are in.

- mark