Re: Beagle thoughts on the trade

["Dan Forant" <dforant1@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Snoop, could you elaborate on "For all that I'm sure he's (Ainge) is a nice
person" Does he have a record (not basketball) or something?

DanF

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Snoopy the Celtics Beagle" <snoopy@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <celtics@xxxxxxxx>; <celticsstuffgroup@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Monday, October 20, 2003 1:03 PM
Subject: Beagle thoughts on the trade


> 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
> Please visit the <http://www.celticsbeagle.net/>Celtics Beagle Website