Carroll is an Idiot...and owes me $60

[Mark Piotrowski <markp@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

1.  On Carroll Being an Idiot and owing me money

On Mar 21, 2004, at 10:33 AM, Celtic4Hire@xxxxxxx wrote:

> Walter was so tired with about six minutes left last night that he was
> waiting at the top of the three point line with his hands on his 
> knees. Not good
> that you are going into crunch time with what you (Carroll in this 
> case) think is
> your best power forward and he is totally fatigued. You can get away 
> with
> that on a highly skill set player but on a limited player like Walter, 
> it can
> kill you. Coaching error.

As i've said before (coined the phrase?) Carroll is an idiot.  It's not 
a coaching error Celtic4Hire, he's just an idiot who doesn't know how 
to coach.

And he owes me $60.

After the stretch of games where Hunter actually was let off the bench 
I was so excited about this team -- i didn't care about wins or losses 
just that Hunter, Banks, Davis and Welsch were being given the chance 
to play -- I went out and got cable to see the 4 ESPN games this month 
(usually i'm relegated to going to the bar and seeing the C's play.)

After the Mavs game I vowed I would not watch another Celtics game 
until John Carroll is gone.  I seriously can't handle it -- i'm afraid 
i'm going to have an annuerysm or heart attack.  Its so much different 
than even the ML Carr days -- which i got to see in person.  At least 
then you knew the problem was the talent level -- all you could do was 
wait till next season.  The problem now is not the talent level -- but 
Carroll's butchering of that talent.  I hate him.  And would like it if 
he'd reimburse me the money i wasted on cable (the silver lining is 
getting to watch actual NBA teams with coaches who have a clue).

I TOTALLY disagree with the suggestion that Hunter has played his way 
back onto the bench.  No way.  You simply cannot tell me that someone 
can go out and average 10 points and 10 rebounds a game deserves to be 
playing 0 minutes when our biggest problem is rebounding.  And throw 
that "it was against weak teams" argument out the window.  9 rebounds 
against the (Playoff-bound) Bucks and Brian Skinner (7.4 reb/gm), 16 
against the Raptors who have good rebounders in Chris Bosh (7.5 reb/gm) 
and Donyell Marshall (10.5 reb/gm).  And what about 8 rebounds in 9 
minutes vs. Portland () or 9 in 19 mins vs. that horrible team the 
Nets. Even in the T-Wolves game -- the game that started Hunters fall 
from grace b/c supposedly he didn't match up with Minn. big front line 
-- he got 6 boards in 13 minutes.

C'mon.  Hunter *might* be undersized but you don't play the games on 
the height/weight chart.  It's what you do on the court that matters.  
Carroll, being the idiot he is, is creating a self-fulfilling prophecy 
by not playing Hunter more than 3 minutes.  I almost kicked the TV in 
when Walter came in with 6 mins. left in the 1st Quarter against 
Dallas.

The thing i fear the most -- and what i'll never forgive Carroll for -- 
is that Hunter loses his confidence with this starting, playing 5 
minutes then sittting bullsh*t.  Or that he ends up starring for 
another team b/c our coach was too stupid to play him.


1a.  On Blount

As much as I love what Blount's doing on the court I'm getting sick of 
his wanting to leave.  Too bad the Cleveland deal couldn't have been 
Davis +Mihm for Blount + Battie -- letting us keep EWill.  I agree with 
others that to overpay Blount would be a horrible choice -- esp. 
considering we have some talent to fill the hole left by his departure.

But can anyone clarify if we have the ability to sign-and-trade him for 
more than he might make by straight-up signing as a FA with another 
team?  If we can sign + trade him and if he really wants to go to 
Portland if O'Brien lands there, i'd really, really push for a deal of:

Pierce + (resigned) Blount  + 1 or 2 #1's --> Z. Randolph + Derek 
Andrson + Ruben Patterson  (then waive Patterson -- i don't want him on 
this team at all).

PG:  Atkins / Banks
SG: Anderson / Welsch
SF: Davis / (Welsch) / Jones
PF: Randolph / Hunter
C: LaFrentz / Mihm / Perkins

1-2 #1s + MLE

I said a month or 2 ago -- one of the few types of players i'd trade 
Pierce for is a young PF or C.  Randolph is that type of player -- and 
might be a tad more available now since the arrival of Abdur-Rahim and 
Ratliff.  I may have to concede to Mark B. and others that Pierce is 
not the player he was and that he *may* not get back there.  I'm so 
torn on him right now.  But also think that his stock is still about as 
high --- and that he might fetch as much now as ever, esp. when bundled 
with some of our assets.  And the presence of Welsch and Davis makes at 
least looking around possible.


2.  On Pierce & McGrady

I was never one to want to trade Pierce -- and still hope/think that 
with a proper coach he CAN return to form -- but (along the lines of 
Chad Ford's column that Mark B posted) I would very seriously 
consider/persue a deal for McGrady, something like:

Pierce, (resigned) Blount, Michael Stewart (to give them cap room next 
summer), and our 3 #1 picks for

McGrady, Gooden and their 2nd round pick

If our offering isn't enough to get it done, i throw in our #1 in 2 
years too (you can't trade #1 picks in successive years). Or throw in 
Davis or Welsch (since McGrady would leave them few minutes).

We'd have a beautiful, running lineup of:

PG:  Atkins / Banks
SG: McGrady / Welsch
SF: Davis / (Welsch) / Jones
PF: Gooden / Hunter
C: LaFrentz / Mihm / Perkins

A team too that would match up well against Detroit and Indiana -- the 
new power brokers in the East.  Orlando has to get some more talent 
(our picks) and we'd still be able to add a good player/decent project 
with Orlando's 2nd rounder (Kirk Snyder?), our 2nd rounder and our #1 
next year.

Orlando gets an NBA all-star signed long term, a starting Center, 3 #1 
picks to go with their #1



3.  On Barry & Pierce

Failing getting McGrady -- i'd have to seriously push for widening the 
Barry pursuit to include a Ray Allen - Paul Pierce swap.  Something 
like

Barry + Ray allen for Pierce + (resigned) Blount + Stewart + Jumaine 
Jones + a #1 pick.