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Re: Ford: GMs say Pierce no longer untouchable
Ah, the inevitable and obligatory Trade Pierce debate.
Who didn't see this coming? We need more meta-list
banter (it would be infinitely more enjoyable than
talking C's), btw.
I'm not even going to speak out on this (because I'm
on a self-imposed silent crusade until we win another
game), but it's pretty sad when Mark identifies the
silver lining of the season as being that we "learned
something about Pierce."
You know what I learned? How not to run a franchise.
How to bad mouth players as they head out of town, how
to alienate co-workers (and, not to mention,
fans)...but I didn't learn a thing about Pierce, other
than how to make him look really bad.
Simple fact: people need to be put in a position to
succeed (yeah, I'm thinking that's Ainge's job
description). Ainge has not done that for Pierce;
instead he's put him in a position to fail. Then what
does he do when he fails? He trades him (or at least
contemplates it) for 50 cents on the dollar. Excuse
me while I kill myself....
Lastly, if we are trading Pierce, the only player I
accept is Kobe--post rape acquittal, of course.
Ryan
--- "Berry, Mark S" <berrym@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> 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.
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