http://realgm.com/src_wiretap_archives/409...ave_to_move_on/ <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>Boston Globe - Antoine Walker plans to sit down with his ex-teammate Paul Pierce over the summer and offer the Celtics star some advice, according to a report in the Boston Globe. Exactly what they may talk about may not make many Celtics fans happy. When asked what advice he might give Pierce, Walker said, ``It's hard to say. He's already made a lot of money, but he has an opportunity now to sign an extension. He has to sit down with Danny [ Ainge] and the owners and really see where they want to go, if he wants to be part of a rebuilding process. If he wants to get to this level [and play for a title], he may have to move on. I don't know if he can be that patient.'' ``To get to this level, you've got to be deep. Look at both our teams. We're very deep teams. You've got to be talented. I don't believe [Pierce] has that other piece yet. You can't just do it by yourself. When you think of Boston, you just think of Paul Pierce solo."</div> The sad thing is, he may be right. Unless Danny pulls the trigger on some sort of deal that gets us a valid 2nd option, and also a PG, then I don't think Paul will sign that extension and I don't know if he will want to stick around for the rebuilding process. The thing is, yes we have potential. But none of this young potential is guarenteed. The only thing you can really guarentee is Delonte will be a solid player, and Gomes will be a solif role player if anything. Other than that it's all young athleticism/potential. We don't have a young guy who is guarenteed to excell like a Howard, Bosh, Hinrich, etc. We have Al Jefferson, Gerald Green, Tony Allen, Kendrick Perkins, etc.
This is scary. I gotta say. If he turns down the extension, we'd better make a deal as fast as possible, bc if we wait until the deadline next year or next off-season, we won't get jack for him.
This is scary but the Celtics have a bunch of players thank don't put up star numbers. They don't have the people to help Pierce. They have done nothing in free agency and the draft picks they have have largely been slow in helping significantly. Pierce will always be a Celtic but they cannot afford to lose him.
Yeah, this is very scary: 1. Antoine Walker, one of his best friends, said this and is in line to "give him some advice" which in translation means "Leave Boston if you ever want to win." 2. Peter Vescey reported his name was being thrown around in the Orlando Pre-Draft camp last week. 3. In January someone asked him if he would ever sonsider playing somewhere else if this team doesn't meet expectations. He sort of worked his way around the question and said "I don't know. I'm just trying to help these guys learn and get better everyday. But I mean in the longrun, it might be something I could have to consider." But then, oddly, after this season was over, Pierce was all smiles, happy and guarenteed we would be in the playoffs next year. Maybe he knows about a trade we don't. Or maybe it was just him being optimistic, or even knowing in his mind he wouldn't be here? I don't know. All I know is the Celtics would not be the same without #34.
The Peter Vescey thing scares me. He called both 'Toine trades before they happened, and i believe he called the Wally trade. He's a smart guy.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (nba dogmatist @ Jun 15 2006, 07:59 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>The Peter Vescey thing scares me. He called both 'Toine trades before they happened, and i believe he called the Wally trade. He's a smart guy.</div> Yeah. People over at CelticsBlog really hate the guy and call him unreliable. I think he has inside sources, even though nobody else thinks so. I remember laughing at the Antoine trade he called. Then it happened, and I was blown away (and pissed). But I hope Pierce gets help. Work your magic Danny!
I realize Pierce and Toine are good friends but seriously I don't think a convo between him and Pierce is going to swade Pierce one way or another. He'll make his own decision. Pierce has been an all-star five times here in Boston, EVERYONE loves what he has done for the Celtics, unlike Toine where a lot of people hated his style of ball. And by the way, I was a little suprised by this. Since when has Toine garnered all this accountability to start giving better players advise. He's not some unbelivable player, he signed into a stacked team that is built around one of the best up and coming guards in the league and perhaps one of the most dominant centers of all-time. Take it easy Toine
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (WELCOMEtotheJUNGLE @ Jun 15 2006, 11:53 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>I realize Pierce and Toine are good friends but seriously I don't think a convo between him and Pierce is going to swade Pierce one way or another. He'll make his own decision. Pierce has been an all-star five times here in Boston, EVERYONE loves what he has done for the Celtics, unlike Toine where a lot of people hated his style of ball. And by the way, I was a little suprised by this. Since when has Toine garnered all this accountability to start giving better players advise. He's not some unbelivable player, he signed into a stacked team that is built around one of the best up and coming guards in the league and perhaps one of the most dominant centers of all-time. Take it easy Toine</div> Sorry if I come off rude, but last time I checked I didn't know a player's basketball skills had anything to do with giving someone advice . They are good friends. That's like me giving advice to one of my friends or teammates. Just because I am not the best basketball player in the world doesn't mean I can't help out a friend with my opinion on a matter. But yes, I agree that this conversation with Toine is not going to make Paul's decision. But it could cut him straight to actually realize: "Hey, I love Boston and the Celtics, the fans love me, I've done a lot here. But at the end of the day, I'm not winning a championship here." That's what scares me. Not the fans perspective, but the reality of it. Paul Pierce will not win a championship with a roster similar to this. He is 29 years old getting 33 wins with non-guarenteed "potential." To be honest and real about this situation, maybe it's best for Paul to move on and move to a contender to get that championship ring he deserves.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>Sorry if I come off rude, but last time I checked I didn't know a player's basketball skills had anything to do with giving someone advice . They are good friends. That's like me giving advice to one of my friends or teammates. Just because I am not the best basketball player in the world doesn't mean I can't help out a friend with my opinion on a matter.</div>Wait a minute, yes they are friends and yes that is fine if Antoine gives him some advice. But CelticBalla, why is he telling reporters this stuff? If they are FRIENDS, then shouldn't he do all this behind closed doors. It is a pretty serious thing, he could stay in Boston and maybe rebuild a team and be a hall of fame player if he wins a ring. He could be one of the great stories of our era of basketball if you really think about it. Or he could go to a stacked team and win a ring like that. It's a decision that could decide Paul's career, if I were Toine and I really wanted to give him the advice I wouldn't start blabbing about it to the press. I realize you like Toine a lot Celticballa, but if you remember correctly Toine never wanted out of Boston when Ainge traded him to Dallas and now he's trying to tell Paul to leave here. Shut the f*ck up Antoine, go chuck up some more 3's.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (WELCOMEtotheJUNGLE @ Jun 16 2006, 08:04 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Wait a minute, yes they are friends and yes that is fine if Antoine gives him some advice. But CelticBalla, why is he telling reporters this stuff? If they are FRIENDS, then shouldn't he do all this behind closed doors. It is a pretty serious thing, he could stay in Boston and maybe rebuild a team and be a hall of fame player if he wins a ring. He could be one of the great stories of our era of basketball if you really think about it. Or he could go to a stacked team and win a ring like that. It's a decision that could decide Paul's career, if I were Toine and I really wanted to give him the advice I wouldn't start blabbing about it to the press. I realize you like Toine a lot Celticballa, but if you remember correctly Toine never wanted out of Boston when Ainge traded him to Dallas and now he's trying to tell Paul to leave here. Shut the f*ck up Antoine, go chuck up some more 3's.</div> I realize that Toine never wanted to leave Boston, and I for one think they should have built around him and Paul, but I won't get into that here. Antoine just wants best for Paul, like he said in the Craig Sager interview, he wants Paul to be the best he can be, he wants him to make all the All-Star teams he can make, he wants him to contend and win a ring. But he is being straight out honest, he probably isn't going to do that in Boston if Ainge continues with the rebuilding with all this youth. This young core has a chance to be special, but it will not be in the near future. The reality of the matter is, Paul Pierce will not win a championship in Boston most likely. There is talk about Raef/young player/#7 pick for a star. But I don't see it. Paul needs a valid 2nd option (post man) and some proven players. But at the same time, if we try and do that, and trade all of our youth for veteran pieces now, then we will do EXACTLY what old management did. We will trade a Chauncey Billups for an aging Kenny Anderson, and make some noise for a couple years, then have to rebuild all over again. Do you want to do that again? I sure as hell don't. I would rather build and wait for 2-4 more years, and be valid contenders for a decent span as opposed to dumping our youth now, getting some veterans, but have to rebuild all over again in 4 years. My humble opinion, Danny Ainge has 2 options: 1. Build with youth and develope our young talents. 2. Win now and waste our young talents, pawn them off, and hope for the best with a group of veterans. Ainge's whole philosophy of "rebuilding while making the playoffs" is NOT going to work. And this year proved it. Even both Doc and Danny said before this season: "If we don't come out on top of the Atlantic division and make the playoffs, then we will no have a successful season." Well, we won 33 games, 3rd in the Atlantic. My point is now taken: we can not be playoff competitors while rebuilding with the youth we have. It's not going to happpen. Now, it's up to Paul. Does he really want to waste him prime years rebuilding with this young core, with questionable playoff appearances? Or does he want to move on and go to a better situation, and be in the playoffs? As hard as it is for me to say this, I honestly believe it would be the best for both worlds if he moved on. Jesus christ that's tough to say. But it's true. We are not going to contend and rebuild at the same time, and we also aren't going to win with Pierce playing as.. well.. Paul Pierce. If he decides to stick with this team, and we keep this youth movement, Paul may never know what it feels like to be in the NBA Finals. EDIT: Another note. People always talk about how good Gerald Green is gunna be. How good Big Al/Delonte/Allen are going to be. They are not going to reach their full potential feeding behind Paul Pierce (let alone Wally Szczerbiak). That's why a rebuilding team always turns out best if they build fully with youth. Everyone gets their touches, their time to shine, and experience on the floor. Gerald Green is not getting any more than 7-8 mpg next year unless Paul, Wally, or TA go (AND assuming they don't get a wing in return). I seriously believe it's best for both Paul Pierce and the Boston Celtics organization if we parted ways. As hard as it is to say, it's the truth (no pun intended).
lengthy postI think the most important thing here is Toine and Pierce have two different personalities. Toine is a charasmatic guy, who can pretty much play anywhere and he will have no problem mentally and socially. Pierce on the other hand, is to himself, he's never been a big talker, he doesn't do sh*t like what Toine did going to the press and trying to give advice to people. Pierce is comfortable here in Boston, I think he realizes that, I think it's important in his mind to be in a place where is comfortable. He's not the everyday fan's favorite player, he'll never be a LeBron or a Vince Carter in the fan's eyes. It's different though in Boston.
