Re: traded who for what?

["Jim Hill" <jahill199@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

> >The main reason Red made those great deals is he suckered the
> >other teams.  Nobody had any desire to give him anything of value, and he
> >outsmarted them.
>
> >Danny isn't an idiot, but he's NOT as smart as Red at making deals.
>
>Well that is like comparing footballs to The Big Pumpkin Snoop.

That's "GREAT Pumpkin".

**Oop's.  My bad.


>In the first case:
>
>Red operated before cable, before video tape, before large teams of
scouting
>assistants, before big money college coaches and their large scouting
>networks, before the industry based on rating potential NBA players came
>into being, etc ... .

Not when he landed Larry Bird.

**He took advantage of a quirk in the draft rules at the time.  And it was a
huge gamble that Bird would even come to the NBA after bailing on his first
college and his first child.


>Way back when, Red made deep friendships among college coaches by traveling
>in the off season and giving basketball clinics etc...  It is said that in
>some cases, a clinic by a NBA coach, like Red, brought enough credibility
to
>a college coach for him to retain his job.  These coaches then contacted
Red
>when they thought they had a sleeper. And Red saw guys himself that other
>NBA coach's didn't.  That's a huge benefit.

But that's part of my point--Red didn't wait until guys were already IN the
NBA to get them--he looked early and often and made moves to acquire
players before other coaches knew anything about them; something Ainge has
not evidently done.

**That isn't something that happens anymore.  Though, Ainge traveling to
scout in person as has been reported seems to refute that assertion.

>The most recent example of this is our own Kedrick Brown and Wallace.
Proof
>enough that this isn't a working option anymore.
>
>In the second case:
>
>There weren't as many teams drafting from the same shallow pool back then.
>And the teams worked together rather then against each other.  I doubt the
>same level of collusion would be found "acceptable" or allowed today.

The very fact that there are more players out there means we need to keep
the good ones and train them up--granted, a lot of that problem is properly
laid at the feet of ML Carr and Rick Pitino, but I still think we gave up
on Walker too soon.

**Not me.  I am happy with trading Walker.  No way he is worth max money and
max years, IMO.


>The third case:
>
>There isn't now, nor will be another "Red".  But he did not hit a home run
>each trade and had a few clunkers as well.

Absolutely--but with Red, there was always the sense that he knew what he
was doing--even when he missed.  Ainge doesn't have that cachet.

**Well I'm not sure Red had that his first year or even when he objected to
Cousey coming to Boston.


> >I love the Celtics, and I've always rooted for them, even when things
were
> >going badly, but Danny's going to have to work really hard to convince me
> >this latest trade is a good idea.
>
>Well I am disappointed as well.  However, except for Detroit getting
signing
>space for Okur next year and a chance at resigning Wallace, who I don't
like
>anyway, what else was actually done that benefited anyone as a current
>talent upgrade?

Why trade at all, then? To get "good will" from Detroit??  A possible back
scratching down the road? Unlikely.

**A pick and another trade body Vs. losing Mills contract for nothing.  The
potential for a back scratch has value in "paying your dues" up front.  And
what other trades out there brought value to their teams.


>The potential of gaining a "chit" from Dumars and sticking it to NY has
>potential value as well.

I'm more likely to believe that Joe Dumars is on the phone with Isaiah
Thomas and laughing at Danny Ainge.

**I would see Dumars laughing at Thomas as more likely.

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

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