Re: Me and Paul... Stockton and Malone, Blanchard and Davis

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

Kestas, you're depressing me. Here I am trying to stay positive in the face
of these "announcements" and you're bringing me down.

I just refuse to believe that Ainge thinks things can change just by wanting
them to change. We know he hates the style of play. We know he doesn't
believe in Antoine. We know the things he said yesterday are the same things
Wallace would have said, and he definitely wasn't brought in to maintain the
status quo. We know this stuff. But what advantage would he gain by saying
them? I think the fact that he didn't say "I will not trade Antoine Walker"
says more than what he actually did say. No, Antoine remains in play for a
trade, but Ainge is trying to avoid the implication that he's available for
a bag of sweat socks.

Ainge is smart enough to see the Antoine-Obie dynamic. He knows they can't
continue to be together, because if they are, nothing changes. He'll give
Obie a chance with a different roster and without Antoine. If he still
insists on the same style, he's gone after next season. Do I wish it was
sooner? Absolutely. But the only offseason outcome I won't be able to accept
is a return of both Obie and Antoine. If that happens, well... I don't even
want to think about it.

Mark