Plan B

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

Well, Pitino's chance to land Tim Duncan and turn the C's around almost
instantly has gone by the boards.  Now, he is stuck with too many
overpaid, untradeable players taking up cap room to go along with two high
draft picks in a weak draft.

At the same time, the best players in this draft seem to be at the 3-4
spots, where most of the C's "talent" lies.

So, what should Pitino do?  My suggestion would be to make an all out
attempt to get out of the salary cap trouble that the team is in.  Since
the C's overpaid playerrs are not very tradeable, Pitino will have to do
this by not signing any big name free agents until he has more cap room. 

I think the Celtics should renounce al of their free agents, including Fox
and Wesley.  Dee Brown and Dana Barros can play the point for the season.
Neither is a true point guard, but even Gary Payton could not lead this
team to a title, so who cares?  After this season, Brown will have two
years left on his contract, and Barros will have three.  With the way
prices are skyrocketing and point guards are in demand, a good season from
either of them would increase their trade value.

Assuming the C's do not end up drafting a center, they would have Ellison
and Radja at that spot.  Neither is a true center, but Ellison did play
well for the Celtics in 1995-96, and his salary is probably low enough
(with only 2 years left after 1997-8) that a reasonable season from him
would increase his trade value as well.  Radja is probably still too
expensive to ever trade, but he is talented enough to be a good role
player for the next three years.

That would leave the C's with Minor, Walker, Williams, and the 2 draft
picks to man the 2,3, and 4 spots.  Each player could still get almost 30
minutes per game, which should give Pitino enough of an impression to
decide which of them to keep and which to get rid of.

By the end of next year, Pitino will have a better idea of which players
should be kept and which should be let go.  Some of the current players
will be more tradeable, and the C's may have another shot at landing a
real center or point guard through the lottery.

They won't win a champoinship, but they will still win more than 15 games,
and they will be preparing themselves for a shot at adding a key free
agent or two in the next few years.

Michael Byrnes
mbyrnes@stanford.edu