Re: #1 Pick, etc.

[Matt Healy <mhealy@welchlink.welch.jhu.edu>]

>Hi, guys.
>	I'm with Ray.  I'm sick of losing.  They have a good chance of winning
>quite a few of the games coming up this month.  We know at this point
>they'll get a good pick, and possibly #1.  I still believe that we have
>a good base from which to build.  These guys have laid it all on the
>line most every game this year, and I applaud them for it.  They need
>about 3 more players, good ones, namely center, tall power forward and
>another point guard.  With those players, whoever they may be, they'll
>compete and be fun to watch.  Winning championships, for Celtics fans,
>is a part of it, but watching a good basketball game is what it's also
>about.  I enjoy the season, good and bad.  Whatever will be, will be,
>there's nothing we can do about it.  The Celtic brass will make the
>decisions and we'll have to live with them.  Whatever happens in the
>lottery, we should get good picks. We'll have some missing pieces next
>year and be rid of injured players who have contributed nothing.  I give
>credit to players like Wesley, Fox, Williams and Walker who have given
>it their all this year.
>	Dorine

I applaud them for it, too.  And thats why I'd like to see them rewarded
with some talent to help them win.  I'm interested in the Celtics winning,
both game-by-game, but ultimately, a championship.  If they can get into
the playoffs, then I certainly would not want them to tank games.  In fact,
I would not want them to lose games intentionally under any circumstances.
But in this case, it is clearly better for them to finish with the worst
record in the NBA, rather than the second worst (among non-expansion
teams).  It may seem backwards, but it is not inconsistent with being a
true Celtics fan, to be pleased to see the losses add up this late in the
year.  Game by game, if I watch them on TV, I root for them to win, because
they are my team, always have been and always will be.  But I know what is
most important.  And if I look in the box score in the paper the next
morning, rather than seeing the game on TV, I'm willing to accept that a
loss is better for them.  What good is it doing to have a hot streak at the
end of the year?  Nothing really.  People are fooling themselves if they
don't admit that there is a tremendous drop off after the top pick in the
draft.  Ron Mercer may be a good shooting guard.  Van Horne could be Detlef
Schremp, but equally Michael Smith, as someone pointed out.  People
rightfully raise doubts about Antawn Jamison.  Foyle may turn out to be a
serviceable center in the NBA, or not.  Tim Thomas looks for all the world
to be a star someday, but he certainly isn't one yet, and you just never
know with somebody that young.  Of course Tim Duncan is not an absolute
lock to be a superstar.  But he is pretty darn close, and worlds apart from
anyone else in the draft, in my opinion.  No, I do not take joy in seeing
my team race for the #1 pick in the draft, year after year, like one
self-righteous post put it.  And I don't give credit to Orlando for winning
that championship twice.  I point to Orlando, rather, for the significance
in having the number one pick.  And that significance varies by year.  This
year, with Tim Duncan, not unlike the year Orlando got Shaq, there is a
tremendous amount to be gained by having the top pick.  I hardly think of
anyone being a superior fan because they want the Celts to get 24 wins this
year rather than 20.  What the heck is the difference?  Besides the
likelihood of drafting the best player to come out of college in the 3
years (would have been the#1 pick each of the last two years), nothing
significant.

Matt