Re: Ainge Watch Ainge Watch Ainge Watch

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

Ray wrote:



- If the Celtics end up with one of the Top 3 picks in the draft
who would Danny draft?  Personally, I'd be leaning towards
Chris Paul over Okafor or Howard, as he seems more likely to
be a franchise player than the other two.  Not to take anything
away from Okafor and Howard, who can be All-Stars in time,
but Paul seems to be the best non-NBA PG of this Millenium.
Telfair is pretty good too by the way, and if he were playing at a
higher level, we might be saying the same thing about him.

BERRY: I love Chris Paul. Absolutely love him. But you have to take the
big guy. And this is coming from someone who values point guards more
than Obie values Mark Blount. Paul says he isn't coming out, but you
know what that means - I'm not coming out unless I'm a top-five pick.
Oh... I'm a top-five pick? CYa.

- Is there any doubt Ainge should have dealt Blount before the
deadline?  Can he whine anymore about being elsewhere
after the season? And to even do a Sign and Trade with him, you
would have to use the Mid Level Exception.  So Very Gone, Daddy Gone.
Let him go and move on. Bring Barry in via a sign and trade and
get someone who can make a difference with the MLE like Nocioni.

BERRY: It's easy to say now that Ainge should have traded Blount, but
Blount wasn't playing like Bill Russell back then. Sure, they could have
gotten something for him, but it wouldn't have been much. I think he's
gone. The Celtics can't keep him unless they use their mid-level
exception, and even then some other team might offer more. If they do,
let him go. No Calvin Booths! Besides, Blount took off when Chucky got
here. Does anyone else think Mihm might put up similar numbers with
increased minutes? I think Mihm is a good pick-and-roll player. He has
great hands and is a good finisher. I expect good things from him next
season.

- Danny Ainge has been heavily scouting Sebastian Telfair.  What does
that
mean in the grand scheme of things?  Well, I'd trade up in the draft for
him. He's Sneaky Isiah Evil and that means a great deal of NBA success.

BERRY: I have no problem with Telfair outside the top 10, although any
Isiah comparisons are wayyyyyyy too early. But taking a point guard to
develop behind Chucky is OK in my book. In case you're wondering if I've
given up on Banks ... almost. I think he'll be a nice backup point guard
for years, but never more than that - think Tyronn Lue.

- Right now it looks like both Ivan Chiriaev and Kosta Perovic will be
in the
draft. Perovic seems a definite Top 7 Pick, while Chiriaev's placement
depends
on the All Star games and his team workouts. But someone grabs him  in
the
Top 20, perhaps even the Celtics, as he fulfills a Kukoc-Divac great
passing
Big Person role, but he's raw, very raw.

BERRY: Chiriaev is interesting. Sounds like he has all the talent in the
world, but may be years away. Jonathan Bender? Again, I'd be worried
taking him in the lottery, but mid-first round sounds like a reasonable
gamble.

- Paul Pierce campaigns for Dennis Johnson as the next Celtics coach:
Ainge
thinks, "Fat Chance in Heck (Mormons don't swear), Pierce".

Hard to believe it won't be Westphal.

BERRY: Westphal seems like the popular choice at this point. I approve.

Methinks, the Pierce Rebellion
against Ainge has started and he might in all actuality like to be
elsewhere. Ainge I'm sure can
arrange it and there may be some interesting offers from clubs like
Chicago: Pierce for that top pick?  Then Berry can have his precious
Okafor, though he's not much of a scorer. Which leads to the question,
Would Ainge, who desires a scoring PF, draft Okafor (think Buck Williams
with better shot-blocking skills) with the top pick?



BERRY: You're going overboard saying there is a Pierce rebellion. In
fact, Pierce seems to have rededicated himself down the stretch. He's
still not playing great, but he's playing harder. I can't see Ainge
trading Pierce for just a draft pick. A player and a pick, maybe. But
I'm guessing if he trades Pierce, it's for an impact guy - McGrady,
Kobe, etc. As for Okafor, do you really see Buck Williams? I think
that's selling him awfully short. I see him as Alonzo Mourning. No, he's
not the scoring, ball-handling big man Ainge wants, but you don't pass
up an Alonzo Mourning. Probably a moot point anyway, unless the Celtics
miss the playoffs and get monumentally lucky in the lottery.



Mark