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**Dre™** · 06-26-2007, 10:42 PM

Alright, whatever. The only replies I got when I posted that in here earlier were to the contrary.

narrator · 06-27-2007, 06:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SoCalfan21

Well, Pierce would have got alot of good help with JO and him being the one two punch in the east in that terrific 4 team trade. Apparently, the Celtics don't like winning too much.

Jermaine O'Neal sucks.

Causeway · 06-27-2007, 06:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by narrator

Jermaine O'Neal sucks.

He hardly sucks.

Causeway · 06-27-2007, 06:44 AM

Nothing surprising in the article.

Bulpett says Pierce, Celtics want the same thing

Quote:

On one hand Pierce was forgoing his opt-out clause, accepting a three-year contract extension for some $60 million, and, in his words, making a five-year “commitment” to the club.

On the other hand, he said they’d better do everything they could to get Allen Iverson [stats].

So this latest round of rumblings from the Pierce camp that he could/possibly/maybe want out isn’t a surprise to anyone. And as much as the captain wants to add pieces to get the club competitive now, those above him may want it even more.

There are three points that need to be made in all this, beginning with that fact. The Celtics are trying to accommodate the wishes of Pierce by making serious inquiries on every top player that becomes available, and even some that haven’t. Danny Ainge, the Celts’ executive director of basketball operations, does not, under any circumstances, want to deal away Al Jefferson [stats], but he’s been willing to discuss parting with him if it brings a Kevin Garnett.

If that move ever went through, the Celts would be an older and more cap-locked team, but it would give them the kind of potential playoff traction that Pierce craves.

Of course, if the Green and White doesn’t strike gold in a few years with the duo, the franchise will be back to square one. That’s obviously a chance it’s willing to take.

If, however, the club can’t swing anything of substance this summer - and don’t forget that people like Rashard Lewis will be in play after July 1 - the Celtics will go into next season with a healthier version of last year’s edition, a more experienced core of youth and a high draft pick that should be able to help.

Considering what we were told all year, that should be enough to pump up the volume right there.

But if Pierce still wants to be moved, then frankly he wouldn’t be helping his cause any to state so, or to let anyone around him do it. The Celtics aren’t about to send away their best player without at least a reasonable return, and the more opposing clubs believe the C’s are under the gun to trade Pierce, the more they’ll try to cash in for pennies on the dollar.

Which brings us to a very critical point No. 3: If this team does not get off to a reasonable start next season, Pierce won’t need to wag the Celtics.

Sure, Ainge will look again for the most timely solution and see what his youngsters could bring in trade, but if he can’t bring in enough to support a run with Pierce, then he will logically have to turn toward a trade with the older of his cornerstones. Pierce could therefore get what he wants without asking, because, as is the case now, his and the club’s wishes are the same.

But if history is any guide, the current situation will blow over in time. There have always been two Paul Pierces in these matters - the one whose competitiveness gets hold of him and wants changes made yesterday, and the one whose counsel is sought by the club and who has signed off on the franchise’s strategy in the past.

And it’s interesting to add that while Pierce is asking for action from the Celts, he may be in the best position to help them get what they want. With Garnett saying through his agent that he doesn’t want to play in Boston and Shawn Marion following suit, might it not be incumbent on Pierce to act as recruiter and convince potential star additions to join him on the parquet?

Causeway · 06-27-2007, 07:25 AM

a trade that would have brought them Chris Paul

Quote:

Principal owner Wyc Grousbeck has said in the past that the team has no intention of moving Pierce, and as if to underscore that sentiment, he authorized the three-year, $60 million extension for his captain last summer. That extension kicks in next season (2008-09) and will make Pierce one of the highest-paid players in the NBA.

How many teams are going to take on that salary if it threatens to put them into Luxury Tax Land? And, frankly, how many teams think Pierce is even worth the kind of money that is being paid to Tim Duncan and Dirk Nowitzki? At the very least, it's a lot of money for another team to take on, and as one league official put it recently, "When you sign a player in his 30s to that kind of money, usually you're married to him."

Quote:

Two years ago on draft night, the Celtics came very close to dealing Pierce in a trade that would have brought them Chris Paul. The team had two ads ready for the next morning's Globe, one with Pierce and one without him. At the time, Pierce was 27, and had played in four straight playoffs and four straight All-Star Games. He had yet to have anything approaching a serious injury and was coming to the end of his six-year extension.

In other words, he was moveable with a capital M and desirable with a capital D, and the Celtics decided not to pull the trigger.

Two years later, the circumstances are quite different, both for the Celtics and for Pierce. And unless the team does something in the next day or two to bring in another decent veteran, it could be the start of something even more different in the days and months ahead.

Jacoby_Ellsbury · 06-27-2007, 07:59 AM

Wow I feel great after reading that

aquaitious · 06-27-2007, 08:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SoCalfan21

Well, Pierce would have got alot of good help with JO and him being the one two punch in the east in that terrific 4 team trade. Apparently, the Celtics don't like winning too much.

We're trying to get better, not worse. We don't need a "star" 6-11 guy who's afraid of the post, is mostly injured, whines and doesn't show up at all in the 2nd half.

I wouldn't give up Jefferson nor the 5th pick for JO, nevermind the both of them and Theo's insurance money on top of that.

Quote:

Originally Posted by #1AntoineWalkerFan

he wouldnt have unless he was guaranteed that the team was going to compete sooner than later...but we all know that ainge is a lying snake...so yes noone held a gun to his head but everyone knows that he wouldnt have signed it if ainge said "yea paul we are goin to rebuild for another 5 years...if you want to suffer through 20 win teams for the next 5 years sign here"

You cannot honesly believe that AWF. Danny promised Pierce he'll have a better team around him, and Pierce believed him?

Causeway · 06-27-2007, 08:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by #1AntoineWalkerFan

he wouldnt have unless he was guaranteed that the team was going to compete sooner than later...but we all know that ainge is a lying snake...so yes noone held a gun to his head but everyone knows that he wouldnt have signed it if ainge said "yea paul we are goin to rebuild for another 5 years...if you want to suffer through 20 win teams for the next 5 years sign here"

AW, are you actually Kobe?

Causeway · 06-27-2007, 01:21 PM

Ainge says trading No. 5 pick unlikely

Quote:

WALTHAM, Mass. - The Boston Celtics [team stats] expect to keep the fifth pick in the NBA draft despite speculation about trades for veterans Kevin Garnett and Shawn Marion, the man who will make the choice said Wednesday.

"I think it’s unlikely," the pick will be traded, Danny Ainge said. "I’ve felt that way from the beginning, that these trades are hard to come by."

Ainge, the executive director of basketball operations, scoffed at reports of possible deals and refused to comment on any of them. What appears certain is that he knows who he’ll take Thursday night depending on who’s available. And he said he’s convinced that player can make a major impact as a rookie.

On Tuesday, he and coach Doc Rivers were in Phoenix watching a workout involving Corey Brewer and Joakim Noah of Florida and Jeff Green of Georgetown. At least two of the three are expected to be available with the fifth pick.

"You hope to see somebody really jump off the charts and make my job a lot easier, but that hasn’t been the case. They all played well," Ainge said.

He appeared unconcerned with reports that veteran Paul Pierce [stats] might ask to be traded if the Celtics don’t obtain a veteran who can help sooner than a rookie. He said Pierce has not demanded a trade and that the two spoke Tuesday.

"It was a great conversation and Paul was very enthusiastic," Ainge said.

DaBosox · 06-27-2007, 01:40 PM

Let me preface this: back in 2004 Kerry was unfairly labeled as a "waffler". What the republicans actually meant to say was that, like the rest of us, Kerry learned as the situation changed. The same here applies to Paul.

When he reupped 3 or 4 years ago, things were looking rosy. ECF was a recent memory, Danny hadn't completely gone bat**** insane, and he had some promising teammates. Well, since then we've had a whopping one playoff appearence in which we got trounced by an inferior team, Danny has proven how special he is by taking the short bus to work everyday, and most recently we've put our entire future in the hands of ping pong balls. Well, if I saw that happen and my career was turning into the basketball equivalent of the careerbuilder.com commercials, well I'd want out too.

He's taken the high road so far by keeping this as much on the down low as possible. No Kobe tapes, no mutterings, and no degradation of the C's. This is a classy play, I'm all for the dude leaving town for his career's sake.

BackwoodsBum · 06-27-2007, 03:33 PM

I've said for as long as I have been on this board that I will be one of the first to cheer when Pierce is finally out of Boston. Despite his obvious talent he has never shown me he can be a superstar as many have been so gracious as to lable him. In his mind he is one of the top players in the league but I can think of MANY players I would rather have than Pierce.

I said months ago that Pierce wanted to have his cake and eat it too, he willingly signed a ridiculous contract then started making demands and crying about how he wasn't happy. I challenge any of you to go to your boss and demand that he do more to make you happy...see how long you have a job. Personally I wish that the league would put an end to the whole issue of guaranteed contracts and make the players earn their contract but that's a whole different issue.

As I have said many times in the past, if Pierce is so concerned with winning a title he could renegotiate his contract so that the C's would have money to get some veteran help instead of being handcuffed by the salary cap and the luxury tax as they are now. If he's not willing to put his money where his mouth is he can take his complaints and shove them up his pompous ***.

Personally I hope the C's call his bluff and ship him out. Keep Jefferson, the #5, and whatever you can get for Pierce. Better that than ditching any hope for a future for another early playoff exit.

Rainman, you won't find many here who will agree with you but if you want to check out the following threads you'll see that we seem to share the same basic opinion.

http://www.basketballforum.com/bosto...ds-fed-up.html

http://www.basketballforum.com/bosto...rustrated.html

**#1AntoineWalkerFan** · 06-27-2007, 03:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BackwoodsBum

I've said for as long as I have been on this board that I will be one of the first to cheer when Pierce is finally out of Boston. Despite his obvious talent he has never shown me he can be a superstar as many have been so gracious as to lable him. In his mind he is one of the top players in the league but I can think of MANY players I would rather have than Pierce.

someone is quick to forget the pre-ainge pierce that helped lead is team to and through the playoffs when he had players that knew how to play aroung him and a coach that knew how to coach

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