RE: Mashburn -Reply

["Sampath, Venkatesh" <Venkatesh.Sampath@microcell.ca>]

Hang on, hang on, there are some of us on this list who are extremely
interested in Popeye and his rehabilitation. Since nobody seems to know
anything about his knee, nothing is being said. If he comes back a
healthy player, he can play the PF position and Walker will (gulp) move
to the SF position. <(Flame shields on)>

Let's take a look at the roster as it might look for the 98/99 season,
based on the players we have today:
PG - Anderson
SG - Mercer
SF - Walker
PF - Jones (comes back healthy)
C - Tabak

Bench:
PG - Barros, Edney (?)
SG - McCarty(?)
SF - Minor , Bowen (?)
PF - Knight (?)
C - DeClerq, Ellison (?)

The question marks indicate positions that are not fixed - players may
be moved around. Except for the C, this is not such a bad list, when you
come to think of it. Yes, the lack of a C is a big deal, but I would
rather have Tabak on the list than Knight or Ellison. We know for
certain that DeClerq is a good back-up. Would the simple addition of
Michael Stewart or Theo Ratliff to the starting C take us to a
championship, or would it require this as well as a deeper bench? My
opinion is that it is the latter.

venkat



>Hey Ryan,
>I guess it is the old case of not seeing the forest for the trees.
>I think the problem with most of the so-called experts on our list, is
>that they rate players from the teams that they come from and not on
>their individual talent or hard work. Also I think people get enamored
>with scorers like a Mashburn I/O with players with blue collar work
>ethics, whose only claims to fame are working hard and doing what it
>takes to add to their teams successes. In Popeye's case he has been with
>2 of the worst teams in the NBA that had only phony talents to work with
>like the Mashburn, Jacksons and the Camby's of the world whose claims to
>fame are individual stats only and not what is good for the team. Why is
>it that Jason Kidd when he was in Dallas couldn't or wouldn't get along
>with the so called great talent of Jackson and Mashburn. I think that
>Kidd realized that his so-called great talented teammates spelled team
>with an I in it and begged out of there, and now is flourishing with
>Phoenix.
>Anyway, enough said, gotta go to business appointment in Miami this AM.
>Regards,
>Hart
>