We're left with blind faith. Egg's right.

["pmaurice" <damekmo@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Shawn Niles" <shizzjr@xxxxxxxxxxx>


> It's going to be so much fun to hear all of the naysayers backtracking at
> this time next year.

And Shawn, I hope you're right. But I've just spent some time with the
in-laws in Texas. Don't hate me because I've been watching good basketball.
But all is not lost, yet. From Gerry Callahan via Way:

- Ainge was brought here to blow things up and rebuild and he's doing that,
"and for the most part it's too early to pass judgment...."

He's right. For the most part it's too early to pass judgment. Danny might
turn this whole thing around. He might make the right trades. He might know
exactly what he's doing. Maybe. But right now, as much as it pains me to say
this, Egg is right. Egg's been right about everything, the whole time. When
Danny started making trades, with every trade there was almost a universal
belief around here that there was an upgrade in talent. I keep waiting for
the this upgrade in talent to translate into wins. When the team kept
looking like crap, everybody blamed the coach. Get rid of that coach, and
now the new coach is the problem. In the past week we've read how the team
is trying to figure out a way to use Paul Pierce effectively. For the past
three years Paul Pierce has had "Hall of Fame" written across the back of
his jersey, and now the team has to figure out how to use him effectively? I
thought they already knew how to do that? He looked pretty good to me.
What's the problem? Here's a quote from this list, post-Ricky Davis trade:

"The knee-jerk, idiot talking head analysis of 'Pierce needs more help and
misses Antoine' is ridiculous."

That very day, on the Globe website, from Paul Knee-jerk Idiot Pierce:

``It's just tough on us right now, because there's no one else on this team
who is commanding a double team, like in the past,'' Pierce said in obvious
reference to Antoine Walker [news].

And yes Mark, that first quote is from you. Look, I read every one of your
posts Mark. You're brilliant, a great writer, very insightful. I look
forward to every one of your posts and learn a lot reading them. If I were a
real man I'd fly out to Ohio and show you how I really feel, but
unfortunately I'm spending all day making Valentines for Antoine. But you
don't have to be a "knee-jerk, talking head idiot," to think that Danny made
the trade for Ricky Davis to get some scoring help for Pierce, and take some
of the scoring pressure off him. It's not working. I never liked Williams or
Battie that much, and at the time I liked the Ricky Davis acquisition. Ricky
can play. But the stiffs that came along with him are just that, stiffs.
When the trade was made suddenly I'm reading how Mihm's career is going to
be rejuvenated. We're going to love him. He's a big body with lots of skill
and just needs a change of scenery. He was going to really help up front.
Chris Mihm is nothing but a very large, stumbling foul machine. He's
miserable. Worthless. Jumaine Jones is worthless. "But Raef's coming back!"
Raef is an inconsistent, disappointing, foul prone, backup who might give
you something one day and disappear for two more games. Raef and Mihm are
nothing but trade bait because they're big, so by definition, "seemingly"
have potential. Jiri Welsch is a nice player and after his little spurt of
great play he's come back down to earth. Mark Blount is the team's best
frontcourt player. Think about that. And no, you aren't getting Josh Howard
for Mark Blount. I just read another post blaming O'Brien's system and
O'Brien-lite for the team's most recent loss.

"I guess Carroll is the one left holding the Obie bag and he decided he will
take the responsibility and go down with the ship. Such an honorable man,
just like Obie. Convinced they are right, regardless of circumstance,
stubborn to the
end...."

Please, I'm getting a headache. Who's name is missing from this list of
honorable but confused, stubborn and clueless men? How about "Danny Ainge?"
This team needs a center, a power forward, rebounding, a point guard,
leadership, discipline,....am I leaving anything out. Oh yeah, talent.
There've been no upgrades in talent around here. When Egg wrote about the
one-dimensionality of the majority of these players, she wasn't kidding.
Don't keep blaming the coach. Here's something I heard down in Texas: "Don't
pee on my head and tell me it's raining." Don't keep telling me they have
more talent now that Danny's made all these moves when they keep losing,
looking worse and worse with every game. Danny Ainge might turn things
around. But Egg is right, pointing out that there are an awful lot of  "red
'flags" flying right now. Does Danny care about chemistry? He says all the
right things, but can he actually put the right players together to make his
vision come true? If we're to go on what he's done so far you I don't think
it's unreasonable to think that Danny might be the wrong man for the job.
And it's not just chemistry. This team has two players who would be starting
on a "decent" NBA team. One of them has proven to be an idiot every now and
then, and unfortunately the future Hall of Famer might heading in that
direction. Every other player has "maybe," "potential," "might be,"
"someday," "could be," "career disappointment," or "just another stiff,"
written next to his name in the box score. We're (and I'm including my self
here) looking for signs of hope from garbage time players during garbage
time which seems to go on forever these days. Pitiful. If Danny actually
thinks this team should be winning more this year, he's a fool. And the real
problem isn't the coach. That's the least of Danny's worries. If Danny cares
anything about chemistry, I haven't seen it. It's too early to pass final
judgment on the Danny Ainge era. That's true. I hope things work out. Maybe
his next few trades will actually put more talent and the right chemistry on
the floor. Maybe his draft picks will work out. But I was told that if you
were naive enough to think this team, pre Danny Ainge's sweaty little grip,
was going to get better, you were kidding yourself. No discipline, no
leadership, less talent, no chemistry, fewer wins. Pretty funny.

Paul M.