Beagle thoughts on the trade

[Snoopy the Celtics Beagle <snoopy@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I have some opinions on the reasons for the trade, most of which center 
around Danny Ainge.  For all that I'm sure he's a nice person, he seems to 
be big on discipline.  Walker, for all his talent, is something of a free 
thinker, and doesn't hesitate to say what's on his mind, even if it happens 
to be to a reporter.

On the positive side for Walker, just the other night, I saw evidence of 
his dynamic passing and his ability to go to the basket.  Negatively, he 
also still had a tendency to overcontrol the offense, a job that is no 
longer his.

When you add his recent comments stating that basically he didn't think a 
running game would really happen, Ainge needed to shake his 
complacency--and that of anyone else who thought Ainge was kidding about 
running.

Thus, Ainge could no longer sit and hope Walker would "buy into" the 
running game.  The trade had to happen now.  Also, in an interview with 
Tommy Heinsohn, he did make clear he wanted to do at least one more deal 
for a guard before the season started.

I don't know enough about the former Dallas players to know if they're the 
players Boston needs, either now or long term.  I do think that Ainge felt 
the trade needed to happen NOW, to make the point that the running game was 
hear to stay, and everybody better get with the program.  This thinking is 
of a kind with the trade that got Jumaine Jones to Boston, when someone 
else unwisely decided to test the waters for better offers.

I'll be among the first to admit Walker had some trouble with the 
change.  But to be fair, the C's were asking him to change his game 
completely, and in very little time.  I think if this had been started last 
season, and emphasized through the summer, things would have been much 
different.

I think the C's lose a bit, because for his faults, Walker is a 
tremendously talented basketball player, capable of drawing the defense 
away from Pierce.  Most teams only have one "star player".  The C's had 
two.  It seems to me that Ainge is gambling that Baker will, in fact, step 
up, and the rest of the team will run hard, fast, and smart enough to ease 
the defensive pressure off Pierce.

As to Tony Delk,  I liked what he could do, but I guess he wasn't doing 
enough of it.  As some have mentioned, it will de-murkify the rotation 
somewhat.

I also believe Danny was sending a message to O'Brien.  Walker wasn't 
getting with the program and he's gone.  If I traded him, I'll trade 
anyone, including you.  So put those runners in.

But this could easily backfire, creating bad morale among players that 
liked Antoine and valued his leadership, wondering if Ainge is chasing the 
championship ghosts of the 80's rather than creating a new championship 
team today.

It's an all-or-nothing play for Ainge, and he's betting the house that he 
can win without Walker.  Remind me not to play poker with Danny.  :>)

Snoopy the Celtics Beagle
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