Chris Wallace

[Michael Joseph Byrnes <mbyrnes@leland.Stanford.EDU>]

Dave Joyce wrote:

> Was getting Chris Wallace worth a shot a Anderson? The guard from Kentucky
> is likely to go as low as the second round with his injury, but only just.
> There's no way in San Antonio, (hell, same thing), that he's gunna be
> around at 55. My coach, a former NBL, (Australian national league and under
> 20's national represantative), says that under no circumstances should
> players be traded for personnel. What are your thoughts?

I disagree.  I think that in this day and age it is very possible for a
coach/GM to be more valuable than many players.  One way to see that is in
the salaries.  The Celtics have made a greater financial commitment to
Rick Pitino than they have ever made to a player - clearly, they view
Pitino as more valauble to the organization than any current player.

As for Wallace, I think the "trade" was a good one.  Realistically
speaking, an NBA second-round draft pick is worth very little.  Any
"sure-thing" type of player is usually going to have been chosen long
before the first round is over.  Even lottery picks often turn out to be
busts.  If Derek Anderson is so valuable, he wouldn't be there at 30.  The
only thing second round picks are good for (other than landing a cheap guy
who can play in gaqrbage time) is capitalizing on the occasional mistake
of a good player slipping through.  Of course, in order to do that, you
need a good personnel guy, such as Chris Wallace.  

Without Wallace, Isaac Austin and Voshon Lenard, two key contributors for
the Heat, would likely have been playing elsewhere.  Those two players
alone have greater value than a pair of high second round picks in any
draft-year.

I think that with his personnel skills, Wallace will be able to help bring
in players who are better than whatever the C's would have gotten with the
30th pick in the draft.

Michael Byrnes
mbyrnes@stanford.edu