[Berry, Mark S]

LA has Odom and Bynam; we have Big Al and 
the #5. -- Egg

And if we had Kobe Bryant, maybe I'd feel differently. We have Paul
Pierce. Big difference.

Mark

-----Original Message-----
From: celtics-bounces at igtc.com [mailto:celtics-bounces at igtc.com] On
Behalf Of Eggcentric at aol.com
Sent: Monday, June 25, 2007 4:49 PM
To: celtics at igtc.com
Subject: Re: RE:

> 1. Danny overpays for a veteran to appease Pierce
>       - MarkB

I don't think Pierce is the villain he's being painted out to be
in this "we must trade for a vet" stuff.   He, the owners, Doc R ... 
they are all on the same page.   And aside from 90 per cent of 
the online serious Celt fans who see Big Al as our only saving 
grace and thus untradeable, Danny, the owners, and Doc are 
not the only basketball minds who feel we desperately need to 
add a significant vet rather than another upside rookie or two. 

Any "outsider" looking at our team could quickly figure out we 
need a few productive vets, not more youth added for the fifth 
straight year. It would be terrific if we could obtain an all-star 
vet without giving up Big Al or the #5 ... but sadly, that's all any 
other team wants.   LA has Odom and Bynam; we have Big Al and 
the #5. 

It looks to me like the Garnett trade is our BT's numero uno option
and has a very good chance of going through.   Although most of 
the mock draft gurus no longer have us taking Jianlian at #5, 
barring a trade, I still think Jianlian is Danny's guy and has been 
all along.   If Yi is drafted ahead of us, then the choice would 
likely be Jeff Green at #5... not Brewer, Brandan Wright, Noah, 
or Thornton.   I'd also, as mentioned previously, still look for 
Danny to make a trade to obtain Sean Williams somewhere around 
#21, #22, etc.   Things are so fluid that I'll probably have egg all 
over my face come draft night now, but ... oh well ... who cares 
what I post anyway?

FWIW, Peter May (6/25) agrees with you and most Celt fans about 
not trading Jefferson, even for Garnett.   He also points out:

     " It also defies logic -- then again, we are dealing with the 
     Timberwolves and Kevin McHale -- that Minnesota would 
     even talk to Boston (or anyone) about trading Garnett without 
     first running it by the big guy."

But the Herald's Mark Murphy has a different view (see below), 
I loved his: 
     
     "So what if he {Jefferson} gives up as much as he scores." 

Celt fans seem to overlook this little flaw in Big Al's game, which 
in approaching his fourth season, might well be a permanent flaw.

SNIPS FROM MURPHY'S COLUMN of 6/24

< As of Friday afternoon, in response to a question on bostonherald.com 
asking whether the Celtics should trade Jefferson and the pick, the
answer was an 
emphatic no.
     Out of 2,146 votes, an even 90 percent weighed in against a trade, 
leaving a Ralph Nader-sized 10 percent in favor.
     Unless Big Al was at home on his laptop, voting and voting often in
an 
attempt to swing the election, this unscientific poll made an
interesting 
statement.
     The oft-maligned "You'll Love the Kids'' line that this
organization fed 
to the crowd for three years actually grew some roots.
     They believe in Al. They believe that some hope can come in the
form of 
a Corey Brewer, Joakim Noah or Jeff Green on Thursday night, and they'd
rather 
witness growth than a quick-fix attempt like the 31-year-old Garnett.
     Of course, we've witnessed this kind of parochial madness before.
     It wasn't that long ago when the Red Sox [team stats], in trade
talks 
with the Cubs, heard that many of their fans didn't want to give up
their 
lovable but inconsistent right fielder, Trot Nixon, for a future
Hall-of-Fame 
slugger named Sammy Sosa.
     Well, Jefferson is no Garnett. Jefferson plus the No. 5 pick is not
the 
equal of Minnesota's future Hall of Famer, either.
     Ted Williams was wrong. Boston fans do not always eat their young.
In 
this case, the kids are being allowed to sit at the adult table. It's as
if 
Celtics fans performed a body swap with the folks from Oklahoma City.
     Jefferson blossomed into a legitimate double-double guy last
season. Two 
reporters in Cleveland, after watching his performances against the 
Finals-bound Cavaliers, even cast their votes for Jefferson as the
league's most 
improved player.
     So what if he gives up as much as he scores and needed Greg Oden 
knocking on his door to cover up all of those defensive mistakes.
     Offensively, Jefferson is one of the league's most unique talents.
He 
scores with great touch and finesse out of the post. Put him on the
floor for a 
full season with Paul Pierce [stats], and you could have the best 
inside-outside tandem in the Eastern Conference.
     For now, it doesn't seem that Celtics Nation is pressuring the team
to 
break up this potential. But the Celtics have put pressure on themselves
to 
make a trade for an impact veteran." - Mark Murphy

Egg






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