RE: Cleveland game, Rasheed trade, etc.

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

I'm going to respond to several different posters here:

1. Why didn't the Celtics do a similar deal with Antoine? Ainge didn't
want to wait another year and a half. Antoine wasn't on board with the
style changes and was sabotaging the changes Ainge was trying to make.
He didn't want that kind of influence around for 18 months. If it had
just been a bad contract, maybe he could have waited. But he wanted to
change the culture of the team, and that wasn't happening as long as
Antoine was around.

2. Egg, on Brent Barry and would he eliminate plans to use the mid-level
exception. That's not what Ainge has said. He has said he'd like to use
Mills' contract to get one mid-level type player (let's say Barry) and
use the actual mid-level exception to get another player (let's say a
PF) this summer. Now, you probably don't believe him and you may be
right. That's what he has said. I think if you can sign Barry for
something in the neighborhood of four years/$23 million (what Barry is
asking for from the Sonics), that's probably fair market value. That's
mid-level money. Is he my first choice? No, but he might be my first
choice of what's available. We just don't know what's available. And for
all the complaining about his defense, has anyone watched Mike James
play defense? He's no Gary Payton himself. Banks is a good defender
against small guards, but he's no point guard on the offensive end. I
think Barry could be a nice fit.

3. Sean, on using the Dallas pick as sweetener for a Barry deal... The
Dallas pick has little value. You're talking about a pick in the
25-or-later range. It's nice to have so you can take a flyer on a HS kid
or a Euro player, but if you can trade it to land you a four-year
starter, you do it. And Daniels isn't nearly the player Barry is. He's a
better defender, but he's a tweener guard with no real point guard
instincts. He's Alvin Williams, without the outside shot. If Antonio
Daniels is your point guard, you're still looking for a point guard.

Mark 


-----Original Message-----
From: Sean Giovanello [mailto:sgiovanello@xxxxxxxxxxxx] 
Sent: Tuesday, February 10, 2004 1:56 PM
To: Eggcentric@xxxxxxx
Cc: Berry, Mark S; Celtics@xxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: Cleveland game, Rasheed trade, etc.

***

Seattle may still opt to re-sign Barry, yet they really don't need him 
as they have Daniels (yet another player Ainge coveted) and Ridnour at 
PG, and Allen/Lewis/Murray at the wings.  They would like an asset in 
return for Barry, and certainly Mills is no asset except for that $$$$ 
insurance covering most of his contract.  So likely we would have to 
sweeten the pot with something like our #1 Dallas pick.
***

I laughed at those who thought the Dallas pick would land us a key part.
However, I am amazed that people are talking about throwing it in for a
JAG (just another guy in parcells terminology) like Barry.  If they do
this, I will officially announce I am part of the fire Ainge club.  I
would much rather see them get Daniels than Barry in the first place to
offer a #1 for Daniels would be ludicrous.



Eggcentric@xxxxxxx wrote:

>< Brent Barry would be an upgrade. > - Berry
>
>As Danny contemplates his next chess move in the ongoing Baker saga, 
>the Brent Barry/Chris Mills trade is apparently still alive and well.
>
>Will the Barry trade come off... who knows.  Due to several factors,
>I have mixed-emotions over it short term and don't like it long term.
>
>Seattle may still opt to re-sign Barry, yet they really don't need him 
>as they have Daniels (yet another player Ainge coveted) and Ridnour at 
>PG, and Allen/Lewis/Murray at the wings.  They would like an asset in 
>return for Barry, and certainly Mills is no asset except for that $$$$ 
>insurance covering most of his contract.  So likely we would have to 
>sweeten the pot with something like our #1 Dallas pick.
>
>Barry's biggest LIABILITIES appear to be his age, his poor defense 
>(which doesn't seem to bother Ainge), and what he might demand in a
>future contract.  Also, after all these years, the jury is still out on

>whether Brent is a PG or basically a natural wing, a position we 
>already seem full up with Pierce, Welsch, Davis, McCarty, Jones.
>
>Barry's biggest ASSETS appear to be his slick 3-point shooting ability 
>and that when he comes off the IL, he could apply an immediate band-aid

>to our sorry ass season vs. Mills who is all out of band-aids.  Such a

>midseason temporary fix would likely help us win a few more games 
>and canbt hurt except for costing our owners a few bucks and lowering 
>our position a few notches in the upcoming draft. 
>
>As for trading for Barry with the intent to re-sign him, well that is 
>a different story.  Silly me, I thought Ainge had finally realized the
>importance of obtaining a real PG  and distancing our team from all
>that nasty 3-point stuff.   As for Brent becoming a team leader, 
>do not mistake his standup comedian flakeism for instant team 
>chemistry. 
>
>Additionally, if re-signed for approx. $5 mill, do you feel Barry would
>thus destroy all hopes of us then still utilizing our 2004 mid-level 
>exception?
>
>Egg