Re: Article out of Denver on Battie, Billups, Draft.

["Jeff Tepper" <jaytee@itasoft.com>]

- ----------
> From: JLyell <jlyell@concentric.net>
> To: Celtics@igtc.COM
> Subject: Re: Article out of Denver on Battie, Billups, Draft.
> Date: Saturday, June 28, 1997 1:53 AM
> 
> > I don't like this trade you propose at all.  Jackson was a great
college
> player, but there is doubt about whether or not he can be an NBA level
> point guard.  Billups is a much better pro prospect, and also a more pure
> point guard.  There's a reason Billups was a top 5 pick and Jackson was
> taken where he was.  
> 
> They said the same thing about Damon Stoudamire & John Stockton but both
> have had good careers. With the exception of his size I would not say
> Billups is a that much more of a pure point guard.  He team sure had an
> early exit in the tournament.   I hope he doesn't get "Iversonitus" and
> hurt the team by ball hogging & making too many turnovers.  that is not a
> point guards job.  I'd actually like to see us use Wesley or Eisley at
the
> point , Billups at 2 . Mercer at 3  There is doubt on just about every
> player in this draft except Tim Duncan.

I don't know about Stockton, but Stodamire was considered the best PG in
the draft the year he came out, and was chosen 7th overall.  If i were to
compare Jackson to someone in That draft it wouldn't be stoudomire but
rather Randolph Childress.  In my opinion both were great college players
but not NBA types, at least not right out of college.  Both were considered
"tweeners" between the 1 and 2.  I have some of the same doubts of Billups
that you have but i'd still take him over Bobby Jackson any day.  Time will
tell whether or not i'm right, or more importantly whether Pitino is right
with the decision he made.  


> > 
> > Williams for McDyess straight up would be okay,
> 
> Why would anyone trade a #3 pick with great athletic ability & upside for
> an out of shape guy who has an inside game, but can't play the 4, and is
> too slow and can't shoot good enough to play the 3 ?

In another part of the message i said that they wouldn't do it.  I just
wonder why they are trying so hard to get rid of this guy...is there
something they aren't telling us about him?

> To me a Joe Kleine or Danny Schayes doesn't cut it at the center
position,
> but maybe Pitino is waiting a few years for Baker ?

Those guys would obviously be quick fixes and not long term solutions.  My
best guess is that Pitino will grab someone from the rookie/free agent camp
to play behind Pervis.  That's where Brett Szabo came from and there's tons
of other big guys out there (granted none of them are very good).  Another
guy who didn't get drafted than might be worth a look is Keith Closs.  He's
7-2 and he played a couple of years at Central Connecticut St.  He's very
skinny but he has height and can jump, although he would be a quick fix
also.  I don't think there's a good solution right now for a long term
center, so in the meantime i'd like to see Pitino go with someone young and
athletic over someone like Kliene.  

Jeff