Re: Duncan still trade bait

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

- ----------
> From: Lance Gee <FrannieG@msn.com>
> To: Celtics digest <celtics@igtc.COM>
> Subject: Duncan still trade bait
> Date: Thursday, May 22, 1997 7:31 AM
> 
> People are giving up too early about getting Duncan.  First of all Duncan

> cannot play power forward in the NBA.  He will get pulvarized by Malone
and he 
> is not fast enough to get up and down the floor.  Secondly the Spurs at
best 
> would finish 4th behind Utah, Los Angeles, and Houston because they have
no 
> backcourt and no bench.  Lastly the Spurs owner Peter Holt is a
cheapskate and 
> will be unwilling to pay 2 franchise centers what they are worth (~20
Mill).
> He wants Duncan so he can built that new arena.

I don't agree at all about your thoughts on Duncan.  Duncan most certainly
can play fower forward at the NBA level, and in fact some NBA scouts think
he's more suited to being a power forward than he is a center.  Maybe he
would get pulvarized by Malone, but last time i checked everyone else who
tried to guard Malone did also.  He is plenty fast and can run the floor,
he can even push the ball up the floor if he needs to.  

Maybe your right about the owner being a cheapskate, but if that's true
then it's to his advantage to KEEP Duncan, not to trade him.  Under the
rookie salary cap, he can expliot Duncan for three years and use him to
generate revanue for his new stadium.  He won't even have the option of
paying Duncan 20 million until after his first three years because there is
a limit as to how much a rookie's first contract can be worth.

> MSNBC is already reporting trade rumors between Seattle - Duncan for
Kemp.  
> Duncan will not like playing back-up center to Robinson.  Our deal is the
best 
> because San Antonio can get two quality college players without messing
up 
> their salary cap.  They could get Mercer and Daniels, then pick up a
power 
> forward on the free agent market after dumping Smith.  

Duncan is worth way more than #3 and #6, and even if the Spurs did the deal
there would be no guarantee than they would be able to get Mercer and
Daniels, because Philly could snatch Mercer at 2 and Denver could get
Daniels at 5, so they wouldn't make a deal where they could end up being
shut out like that.

But that's not even the direction they are looking.  They want a big guy,
and even before they won the #1 pick they were talking about getting
Battie.  They don't want Mercer and Daniels, they want a big guy.

> Lastly picking an immature high school player who has not even proven
himself 
> against Division 1 college players is a lot more risky than taking Foyle
who 
> has at least proven himself.  Let's let Pitino worry about developing
him.  
> Remember you can't teach height.  And one more thing...Let's reacquire 
> Montross.

True that taking McGrady is a big risk, but the rewards could also be big. 
Ideally if everyone stuck around until senior year, in this year's draft
getting #3 and #6 wouldn't have been such a big loss because  Rasheed
Wallace, Joe Smith, Jerry Stackhouse, Marcus Camby, and Ray Allen would
have all been available.  The point is that the celtics have watched these
players come and go right before their eyes.  Sooner or later they are
going to have to grab one of them, so why not take a chance with a kid who
has a world of talent?  Granted Foyle would be a good pick also, and that's
a choice that Pitino will have to make.

Jeff