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

["Josh Ozersky" <jozersky@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Ray Allen isn't a real star; he's just a quality NBA starter
at this point.  His upside is used up; he's another guy who
doesn't want to be the Man.  If we trade Paul, I want Desmond
Mason too.

Josh

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Mark Piotrowski" <markp@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: "Celtics" <celtics@xxxxxxxx>
Sent: Monday, March 22, 2004 11:10 AM
Subject: Carroll is an Idiot...and owes me $60


> 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.