Re: Ainge On WEEI

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

>- Team needs players who can create offense for other players.

Agreed. This is a glaring need. They need a real point guard.

>- Offensively the Celtics struggle - no playmakers for Toine or Pierce.

Agreed. But would Obie allow a playmaker to do his thing? He (and Antoine)
didn't allow Kenny to do it.

>- Area of greatest need is easy baskets: offensive rebounding, fast
>breaks, etc.

Agreed. This comes back to point guard and power forward. The point guard
gets you a lot of easy baskets, and if your power forward is hanging out at
the three-point line, your offensive rebounding is going to suffer.

>- Ainge wants players who can play both fast break and half court
>basketball;
>doesn't want a Dallas situation of years past, where Don Nelson had to
>choose
>players based on situations: half cout, offense, defense.

Agreed.

>- Views Pierce and Walker (ugggh) as the cornerstones of the
>team, and he's here to build around them.

Disagree strongly. Walker does as much damage as he does good. We've been
over this 100 times.

>- Plans to give Vin Baker the full monty.  Exploring ways of getting him
>into condition
>to play in summer league, and says Baker has to earn back respect of
>teammates and
>the shitty of Boston ( my own Kevin White reference). Of course, Ainge
>is concerned
>about his mental well being and future basketball contributions.

This is the only thing he can do. Vin's not going anywhere.

>- THE CELTICS ARE NOT USING THE MIDDLE CLASS EXCEPTION.

Take Vin Baker off the books (and add Vitaly) and I wonder if this is still
true. Tell us again, Chris Wallace, how the Vin Baker trade didn't hurt the
team on the floor.

>- Ainge looking to save $4 million off payroll to avoid luxury tax and
>$17 million tax
>penalty, as the Celtics are $4.5 mil. over the luxury tax base.
>- Every dollar over the luxury tax is 4.5 million for every million you
>spend.

It's amazing how this luxury tax penalty keeps increasing. So now we're in
cost-cutting mode? Sounds like another minimum-wage bench. In fact.

Ray, are you sure this was Ainge? It sounds a lot more like Chris Wallace.

Mark