From: Eggcentric@xxxxxxx
To: Celtics@xxxxxxxx
Subject: Is it all worth it?
Date: Fri, 20 Feb 2004 13:37:31 EST
If you find yourself suffering from Celt nightmares, just remember that
none of us are hypocrites in our sleep.
Danny's ego has needed assuaging since that dark day back when
Auerbach dumped him. And what better way to heal himself and play
God than through the draft. After all, it allows him a 3-5 year window
before the "Ainge is a Fraud" posse has enough evidence to go ahead
with the lynching.
James is no loss even if Danny, pissed that Travis Best had the audacity
to say "I'll let you know," quickly signed James claiming he had been
his first choice of PG all along. So what if Danny made offers to at
least four other PG's ahead of James, Mike was his guy all along.
But that was yesterday. Today Danny says we have someone even better
than James, we have Atkins, the quintessential example of the veteran
PG we need to mentor Banks AND, wait till you hear this, another
first round draft choice. YIPPEE! Bring on the Perrier-Joukt; this
calls
for a bit of the bubbly.
Ainge has dealt our most valuable trading cards (with the exception
of PP)
with a keen eye focused upon his infamous "Vision." Yet what
position of
importance - PG, PF, C - has Danny yet to permanently fill after all
this
maneuvering, all this disruption? I asked this before and one of
you answered that you felt these important voids will be filled through
the innate talent and future maturity of Banks, Hunter, and Perkins.
I disagree.
Banks sure is speedy but has a grating 'tude, a Bball IQ of about 85,
and
narrow court vision which may or may not be expandable or even
coachable. By all accounts, Perkins is a great kid with a great 'tude,
but who knows if that will eventually translate into his becoming a
top NBA center. Hunter is Hunter, a 6 ft. 6 inch (He's shrinking by
the minute) one-dimensional rebounding machine who adds little
more to the court than a few "duhs." I would rather have the more
well-rounded Songaila.
Now the development of yet three more first rounders threatens to
set us back even more years at a time when the casual Celt fan along
with many ticket-buying zealots have all but given up on this team.
Call it impatience with the poor misunderstood Ainge "Vision" -
the five-year plan of trading mediocrity for mediocrity while praying
that eventually a couple of darts hit the sweet spot on the draft
target.
Ainge's hubris/arrogance of course goes way beyond that. He and Wyc
and Pag(liuca) honestly assume that several years from now, no other
NBA team will be ahead of us in talent, coaching, or year-end record.
It all makes me want to scream, "Hey, Holy Trinity, there are no
guarantees. Ask any aspiring actor, final success doesn't automatically
go hand-in-glove with years of sacrifice."
Egg