Ford: GMs say Pierce no longer untouchable

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

The bulk of this is a rehash of the Pierce quotes after the Portland
game. The interesting tidbit, which I think will surprise no one on this
list, is the mention that "rumblings" from other GMs suggest Pierce is
no longer untouchable.



My belief in Pierce is shaken more and more as this season unfolds.
Watch him during the games. How can he possibly call out teammates,
coaches or management when he's going through the motions out there -
and that's exactly what he's doing. Pierce desperately needs a fiery
leader on the floor with him and a tough, disciplined coach on the
bench. Maybe Ainge can fill those holes and salvage Pierce. The more
likely scenario is Ainge sees how Pierce is handling this season (badly,
and Ainge intimated as much the other day), and he moves him during the
offseason. That's what I'd do.



For who? That's the hard part. Kobe in a sign-and-trade? Maybe it's a
combination of players and picks. By all accounts, the Bulls are in the
market for a star swingman. Would a package of Hinrich, Chandler and the
Bulls' No. 1 pick work for either team? I honestly don't know. But I
know this: This season hasn't been a complete loss. We've learned
something about Paul Pierce.



Mark



P.S. Steve Oulette, great take on rebounding. It's mystifying to me. If
this team slips away and we go into the offseason without an idea of
what Brandon Hunter can do in game situations, it will be a tragedy.
Maybe he's a garbage time player. Maybe. But let's find out. We know
what McCarty and Jones bring. We don't know about Brandon Hunter yet.
Let's find out. As good as he is in limited minutes, I'd like to see him
when he builds some confidence. I'd like to see him with a little
swagger.







Pierce grumbling in Boston: There was a lot of rumbling in GM
            circles before the trade deadline on Thursday that Celtics
star Paul
            Pierce wasn't untouchable anymore. With Danny Ainge
completely
            overhauling the Celtics, Pierce has suffered the most, and
his
            grumbling has gotten more vocal in the past few weeks.

            Pierce blasted his teammates, and more subtly Ainge, after
the
            Celtics were blown out in Portland on Saturday.


            "We don't have no continuity on defense," Pierce told the
Boston
            Globe. "Guys don't know what they're doing. We're just not
playing
            smart. You just don't give yourself a chance. We went away
from all
            the things we learned in training camp, regardless of the
coaching
            change and everything. We went away from everything that we
learned,
            every concept that we've done. We're just throwing it out
the
            window.


            "Things changed. Personnel's changed. Coaching's changed.
New
            concepts. It's hard to do when you've got a young team,
eight or
            nine different players, and you try to change things in
midseason.
            It's difficult. I mean, you guys are watching the same thing
I see."



            Ainge claims he understands the frustration from Pierce and
the
            fans, who have begun chanting "Fire Ainge" at the Fleet
Center.
            "Everybody's frustrated," said Ainge. "But I think I'm in a
position
            where the plan and vision has not been lost on me. But the
            short-term plan and frustration is not fun for anyone to go
through.
            I anticipated when Jim O'Brien resigned that there was the
            possibility of it being a long season. I would never use the
[term]
            lost season, because I think there are still things to do.
There are
            things every single player can get better at."


            The challenge for the Celtics is how far off the future
actually is.
            There's a decent chance they'll lose starting center Mark
Blount in
            free agency this summer. The Celtics won't have cap room to
make a
            major free-agent signing. They will have their mid-level
exception
            and, if they win the Vin Baker arbitration, they'll have the
money
            to use it. The team also has three first-round draft picks
this
            year, but with two of those in the late 20s, it's unlikely
they'll
            find a player who is able to come in and contribute right
away. That
            means the Celtics might be in the rebuilding mode for the
long haul,
            something Pierce apparently isn't up for.