The View from the "Big D"

[JASPINDLER@aol.com]

Here's an interesting news article about the Montross trade and Antoine
versus Samaki Walker from the Dallas perspective....ML a Genius?  Antoine at
6'7"? read on!!!

CELTICS - The Dallas Morning News (DAL)                   STORY 5

SPORTS DAY
 RANDY GALLOWAY
 Boston's visit brings back trade winds
 Randy Galloway
 Staff Writer of The Dallas Morning News
 4769 Characters
03/13/97
 (Copyright 1997)
   For those of us with an appreciation for history, the NBA
standings are upside down.
   The Boston Celtics in last place?
   The Boston Celtics with almost the worst record in the league?
   The smoke from a Red Auerbach victory cigar has been replaced by
a five-alarm blaze. The most storied franchise in the NBA has
officially burned down.
   It's hard to believe, but a case could be made that even the
Mavericks are a more stable franchise. I know, I know . . . that's
a staggering statement. But despite all  this season's upheaval,
the Mavericks have eight more victories, and with Don Nelson now in
place, seemingly much more direction for the future.
   Even so, the Celtics' lone visit of the season to local climes
is Thursday night at Reunion, and there will be some bitter
reflection in Dallas  with Boston being in town.
   The reference here, of course, is to the Eric Montross deal of
last summer - boy, does that thing still sting, and, yes, stink.
This is the only place in the league where Celtics GM-coach M.L.
Carr can walk on the floor as a basketball genius. M.L., no doubt,
will savor the Thursday night moment.
   The Montross trade with Carr ended up costing the Mavericks what
will be their own fat lottery pick, and also cost them 6-7 forward
Antoine Walker, who has had an outstanding rookie season for the
Celtics. Let it be noted, however, that an asterisk is attached to
Walker as far as Dallas is concerned.
   But . . .
   Of all the basketball bodies that have been shipped out of here
in various deals, you can make a positive point for the Mavericks
in each case.
   Even the Jason Kidd deal - as questionable as it was and is -
did fetch Michael Finley and a very useful A.C. Green. Plus, you
can substitute Robert Pack for Sam Cassell as a part of that trade.
   Dumping Jamal Mashburn on Miami was definitely addition by
attitude subtraction, even though the impact of Kurt Thomas and
Sasha Danilovic is still unknown because of injuries.
   The New Jersey trade was a steal for the Mavericks - give it a
year and every national media type that hooted on Nelson will be
dining on chicken-fried crow.
   But Montross? Here is a trade that remains hung around the neck
of Jim Cleamons, Frank Zaccanelli, Mark Aguirre and, to a certain
extent, short-time general manager Keith Grant.
   As the reasoning went last summer, Montross was needed here as a
big body to center for the Three Js. It was also assumed the Js
would return to previous basketball form, which none did. Montross
therefore became useless as a role player and his departure in the
New Jersey-bound contingent was viewed as a blessing.
   But the fallout will come in the June draft. In exchange for
Montross, the Mavericks gave Boston their sixth pick in the '96
draft for the Celtics' ninth pick, plus their first pick in '97.
Lottery protection was asked for with the '97 pick, but Carr
refused, and Dallas did the deal anyway.
   Lottery protection could have included several options - the
pick reverted to '98 if the Mavericks were among the 13 teams in
the lottery; or if they were top five; or if the Dallas pick came
up No. 1. Carr said no, no and no to each option. And he won that
round.
   To hear NBA people from other teams, the criticism of the
Mavericks is surprisingly mild on the New Jersey and Miami deals,
and the Mavericks even have some supporters for their side of the
Kidd trade. But doing the Montross trade without lottery protection
left these same NBA types shocked over the shortsightedness.
   Then, going back to last summer's draft, the Celtics used
Dallas' sixth spot to select Antoine Walker out of Kentucky. And
now, on a real bad team, Walker has averaged 16 points and nine
rebounds while playing all three positions on the front line,
despite being only 6-7. Antoine is a rookie-of-the-year candidate.
The Mavericks, meanwhile, went with another Walker - Samaki. At the
moment, the talent gap between these two is huge.
   The Mavericks, however, had crossed Antoine off their draft list
when he loafed through a private workout in Dallas. But that's
probably the way he planned it, trying to position himself
elsewhere in the draft.
   The comparison of the two rookie Walkers, combined with the loss
of a quality first-round draft pick, labels the Montross trade as a
total disaster.
   In a dismal season, it's one of the few victories for the
Celtics, while serving in Dallas as yet another reminder of a new
regime's darkest early days.