On Hoops Season Preview Response

[tom bisson <tbisson@doe.state.vt.us>]

The "On Hoops" Celtics' season preview which was posted to his list last
week generated quite a reaction from Celtic fans on this list. It also
generated a heated response from Prasad Hari (phari@lucent.com) Thought
you might enjoy his reply...
By the way, the "On Hoops" site is...
http://www.onhoops.com

- - tom
_______________________________________________________________
August 2, 1997 

Travis Knight was second on the Lakers in rebounding per 48 (to Shaq) As
a rookie starter (when Shaq was out) he averaged
6.9 points, 5.6 rebounds in 25.6 minutes over 14 games. Plus, he runs
the floor and makes great outlet passes off the rebound
in addition to solid defense. Stats alone are not sole indicator of
talent. I watched Knight when the Lakers played in NJ this
year and he had a monster game, 18 pts 14 rebs and 4 blks. He is being
paid on potential, no doubt, but good young big men
are hard to find. Knight will be a valuable role playing center on a
team led by young stars Billups, Walker and Mercer.
McIlvaine averaged less than 3 pts and 3 rebs yet was given 5 mil by the
Sonics. And the premier centers like Ewing and Shaq
make over 15 mil per season. If Knight is one/fifth the player that
these guys are, then he is a bargain at three mil.

Andrew DeClerq is a hustle player and quality defender. If you need
proof, check out sfgate.com and look up Warriors news
search. It describes how strong this young player came on when he
overcame injuries and got a feel for NBA play (only his
second year). Here's an excerpt: 

    DeClercq, an unheralded second-round pick out of Florida two years
ago, continued his recent string of
    inspired performances with 10 points and a career-high 15 rebounds. 
    Most significantly, he took over for his more celebrated teammate
and shut down power forward Antonio
    McDyess just when the Nuggets were threatening to run away with the
game. 
    It took McDyess less than three quarters to firmly establish that he
would have been a superior choice to
    No. 1 pick Joe Smith when they both came out of college in '95. 
    Freezing Smith with his spin moves to the hoop, then frustrating him
with a smooth jump shot, McDyess
    blistered Smith for 30 points through two quarters and the first
10:56 of the third. At that point McDyess
    slammed home his third straight dunk, putting Denver up by eight,
and something hit home in coach Rick
    Adelman's head. 
    "We had to do something," Adelman said. "(McDyess) was scoring
pretty much at will. Andrew was
    active, we got more ball pressure on them and it worked out."

DeClerq averaged 5.3 pts and 4.2 boards in 15 minutes. As Pitino said,
he has terrific upside, and he will get a chance to
display them on the Celts. When DeClerq started, the Warriors actually
had a winning (2-0) record, as opposed to their
abysmal 30-52 finish. DeClerq is an active rebounder and defender, a
terrific prospect for Pitino to mold and develop. The
Lakers, Sixers, and Knicks all pursued DeClerq, but he chose Boston so
he could play a larger role. 8.4 mil over 5 years could
very well turn into a bargain.

Tony Massenberg- This guy is a disguised Derek Strong. They're both 30,
and 6'9 250. Last season with New Jersey,
Massenburg appeared in 79 games and averaged 7.2 points and 6.5 boards.
He finished the 1995-96 season with a
career-best 10 points and 6.5 rebounds per contest. The 29-year old
University of Maryland graduate has averaged 7.4
points, 5.3 rebounds and 22 minutes played per contest in his NBA
career. The 6-9, 240-pound Strong, appeared in 82
games and averaged career-highs of 8.5 points and 6.3 rebounds per game
during the regular season. Very similar players, yet
Massenburg signed for 2.7 mil over three years, while Strong has been
promised a multi-year deal by the Magic for the league
average (over 2 mil per). I remember the Bulls getting beat in NJ, and
in particular Tony' s 14 rebounds and a swat on Michael.
Good pickup by the Celts.

On Chauncey Billups --> Allen Iverson??? 
On a team with no NCAA appearances in over 40 years and no other
outstanding talents, Billups almost singlehandedly led the
Buffs to a national ranking and NCAA birth. He averaged 18.5 pts, 5.6
rebs, and 5.1 assists. In fact, Larry Brown toyed with
the idea of drafting Billups to play Iverson off the ball, knowing the
talented, mature Billups would be better equipped to run an
offense. He became a second-team All-American as a sophomore on an
otherwise average team. In time, he and Mercer will
team up to be one of the better backcourts in the NBA.

Ron Mercer- the comparison to Greg Minor is simply amazing. Was is not
Mercer who scored 20 points off the bench to lead
Kentucky to a national championship in 1996? HE WAS A FRESHMAN!! And in
his second consecutive championship game
(minus Antoine, Tony Delk, Mark Pope, and Walter McCarty and injured
Derek Anderson) he courageously played with leg
cramps to score 13 pts, 9 rebs, and six assists and nearly pull out a
win in OT. Not bad for a SOPHOMORE! Care to
remember that clutch three-pointer towards the end of regulation?
(Questionable perimeter shooting, right?) As for the Chuck
Note regarding Tim Thomas, check back to the Villanova-Kentucky regular
season game as Mercer (23 pts, 11 rebs 6 assists)
torched Thomas (2-7 fgs 9 pts 1 reb 1 ast 6 TO's) in a 93-56 Kentucky
romp (Tim who?) (CN: Thankyou!). First team
All-American, What more needs to be said? (Greg who?)

        -Prasad Hari