Since the Red Sox continue to hold the best record in baseball, Dan Shaughnessy has set his negative sights on Danny Ainge and the Celtics.
Ainge has overhauled the entire roster (except for Pierce) since taking over the Celtics. He has talked about a “vision,” while appearing to be blind a good deal of the time….He has presided over a train wreck of a team that won only 24 games last season.
Actually, that’s some fair criticism. We think Danny should get one of those F-You shirts made popular by A-Rod’s wife. But I digress. Shaughnessy wants you to believe the trade for Ray Allen takes some pressure off Ainge, and sets it squarely on Paul Pierce’s shoulders. Whatever. The only useful information in the column is the near-trade for Chris Paul two years ago.
“Everybody’s been saying, ‘We’re too young. We’ve got to make a choice — Paul or go young.’ Two years ago, we thought we had the opportunity to get Chris Paul for Paul Pierce. That was something we wanted to do, but it fell through, not from our doing. Since that time, there’s been nothing tempting regarding moving Paul Pierce. We made a choice to keep Paul and try to get an opportunity to win in Boston.”
I must admit the prospect of a Chris Paul-Al Jefferson tandem intrigues me. Ainge vaguely talks about the prospects of adding other players to this roster. For those seeking information minus the opinion, I would read Steve Bulpett’s interview with Ainge in the Herald.
In other news: Schizo Kobe Bryant apologizes to the Lakers, Jerry Stackhouse has re-signed with the Mavericks, Grant Hill moves to Phoenix, and Mikki Moore is in demand.