http://celtics.bostonherald.com/celtics/vi...rticleid=181104 <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>?I know how people are thinking with us maybe getting a high pick and all that, but I really don?t look at it like that,? said Pierce. ?I don?t put my faith in the draft. I don?t count on landing the No. 1 or No. 2 pick, which everybody is hoping for. It?s hit or miss either way, whether you make trades or whether you draft. Everything is a gamble. ?My thing is to go out there and play every night and for guys to develop and get better. I want the guys we already have to get better. Everything else is a gamble, and if you really want to get better, I think you have to do that through trades and through veterans. ?I?ve never seen a team grow just from draft picks. If you look at all the guys we have, they?re all first, second, third and fourth-year guys. You?re not going to be able to financially keep everybody.? But wouldn?t a defensive force like Oden allow the Celtics to take a quick and quantum leap forward? ?It sounds good,? Pierce said. ?It sounds really good. In a perfect world, hey, that would be great, but as we all know, it?s not a perfect world. You can?t bank on that with the lottery. The chips got to fall where they may, brother.? ... ?I just think it?s difficult times right now, but I think we have the chips to where we can make a major move maybe this summer,? Pierce said. ?It?s probably not best with the team in the situation that it?s in right now to do something before the trade deadline, but in the summer I think we?ve got to sit back - the owners and Danny (Ainge) - and really look at this roster and see what they can do to improve it. And we?re going to have to. We?re going to have to.? ... ?Those guys who could be in the draft look great, but I just think making a deal might be more realistic for us,? he said. ?If you just keep waiting on draft picks, that takes a long time.?</div> It's hard to disagree with him, but on the other hand there are some potential superstars in this draft. However, it's clear that Paul wants to win now. It's clear that he wants to go out and cash in some of this young talent for veterans (well, obviously, he said it above lol). Paul knows that his prime is closing in soon, and I don't blame him for wanting to get veterans to make a run. This is Danny Ainge's make or break time. What does he do? Does he make the big decision or does he kind of play it day-by-day and sit tight for yet another full year? He NEEDS to make a decision: cash some of these young players in for good/solid veterans to help Paul Pierce out, or go with a full-fledge youth movement and feed off of our current young players and the draft. The time is now. I'm a patient person, and I'll most certainly be behind this team no matter what, but come on. Make a decision. Does Ainge make a deal for Gasol within these next couple weeks? Does Ainge seriously pursue KG this summer? Jermaine O'Neal? I mean there aren't many options out there, and only one of those 3 guys I just listed are sure things to get traded. The other 2 (KG and JO) haven't asked for a trade (although it is very possible). If Paul wants to cash it all in to make a big run, I guess do it... BUT do not throw away our whole future.
I don't know where to stand hereI agree we need to win now but is the cost of the team's future at jeapory if we do make a move for a veteran?I mean I know Pierce isn't getting any younger but is one year of false success gonna be better than maybe a few years of real successI'd much rather cash in on the draft and land a Durant or Odenbut I don't agree with making a deal mid-season while we're nearly 25 games under .500we should just wait for the season to play outI've also been thinking..if we get the #3 pick we should use it as trade bait for a vet because honestly Brandan Wright is great and all but he won't have the impact a Durant or Oden wouldI'd rather wait until the offseason to trade for a vet big man if that's what we're gonna doand if we are gonna make a deal midseason I want it to be for a veteran point guard and get rid of Bassy and Wally..if any team would bite on that
The Celtics, supposedly building with youth, as we heard with the Bulls for so long, have lost a franchise-record 14 consecutive games and counting. That prompted an interesting comment from forward Brian Scalabrine that with so many players from "the AAU generation," the losses often didn't seem a big deal.http://chicagosports.chicagotribune.com/sp...-home-headlines I dunno what he's talking aboutHe sucks
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (playaofthegame @ Feb 5 2007, 03:53 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>The Celtics, supposedly building with youth, as we heard with the Bulls for so long, have lost a franchise-record 14 consecutive games and counting. That prompted an interesting comment from forward Brian Scalabrine that with so many players from "the AAU generation," the losses often didn't seem a big deal. http://chicagosports.chicagotribune.com/sp...-home-headlines I dunno what he's talking about He sucks</div> Topic merged. But it's understandable. Scal is a guy that has been to the Finals, he is a veteran, and he wants to win in Boston just like Pierce. No problems there, but again: don't throw away our entire future like old management did just to make a run. If you are going to deal for veterans, make sure you still keep a couple young pieces.
I bet Pierce just wants to have playoff success as soon as possible. But if the Celtics get the first or second pick, no way in hell should they trade it. If they get the 4th or 5th..... maybe....
I would have thought Pierce would see by now that trading youngs for yets doesn't usually work so well. Just think...BillupsJoe JohnsonPierceWalkerHell who cares....BattieDamn.But anyways I think they should wait to see what pick they get and if they are gonna deal wait till draft night. If the right deal came along tradin the pick could be great for the C's, maybe this time we can move Wally and a pick for a better partner for Pierce.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (playaofthegame @ Feb 5 2007, 10:51 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>and if we are gonna make a deal midseason I want it to be for a veteran point guard and get rid of Bassy and Wally..if any team would bite on that</div>I agree with this, Bassy and Wally are good players, Bassy still young and has a lot of potential, if the C's can get rid of them I think they should, don't get me wrong, I like these players, but they are both known offensive forces, which the C's aren't lacking. The C's have proven that they can score, Gerald Green, Big Al, Gomes, even Rondo can pull off the points when it comes down to it.The C's have a young team, but if you want to replace the young one's with some vets, who are you going to drop? Green, Jefferson and Rondo are all in terrific form at the moment, god knows if the C's get rid of any of them, they may end up being all-stars like Chauncey Billups, the C's don't want to repeat that again. Of their players like Delonte West, Tony Allen and Ryan Gomes, they are all a part of the Celtics, still showing plenty of potential, it is too much of a risk to get rid of any of these players for a mid-class vet who is going to retire and be out with injuries 2-3months a season down the track.Young teams spark up, like the Bulls coming from nothing, to one of the top teams. As the young players develop over one off-season, they will come back as a much stronger team, veterens will most likely only deprove over the time. Vetrens on the other hand will help these young players develop much faster.Rondo is 1st in NBA for steals/48mins, Pierce is terreific when it comes to steals, Big Al is one of the top big men on the boards and on post defense for his age, Celtics will only backpedal if they trade off any of these players.To the point, Celtics have only a few players that would be suitable to trade, Bassy, Wally and Perkins or if they can get good value for West or Allen. This only leaves draft picks (which will probably be great this year) as the top option to get a vet and develop the young players they already have. Also Olowokandi and Scalabrine.... dammit just drop them!
