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