Walker for Olowokandi

[Alex Wang <awang@mit.edu>]

Chris Mathew writes:
> I really worry about this team...I dont understand how you can even think
> about trading an all-star, the player the Celtics have needed for the last
> few years for a guy whose never even played a game of NBA basketball.  

I wouldn't say it's crazy to consider trading All-Stars for unproven draft
picks. We can't say whether Olowokandi for Walker is good or not; we have 
really no way of accurately evaluating the talent of these draft picks
(other than what we have seen or heard, which is nothing compared to what
the pro evaluators know). All that I've heard of Olowokandi is that
he's got the body of a dominant center, is strong and agile, good jumper,
great wingspan, but very raw in skills and untested in good competition. 
He seems to have his head on straight. This sort of description could mean
anything from a complete bust to an eventual All-NBA superstar.

And consider last year's draft: you could have traded almost any of last 
year's All-Stars for Tim Duncan (a player unproven in the NBA) and come
away looking pretty smart. Krause was considering trading Pippen (all-NBA)
for Van Horn. If Olowokandi is a top five center down the line, someone who
can dominate on both sides of the floor (and I have absolutely no idea if 
this is the case; I trust Pitino to evaluate that) I would say he is easily 
worth trading Walker for.
 
Mishra writes:
> What has Olowokandi done to merit consideration as a franchise center?
> Regarding potential he has it, so did  Chauncey Billups, tell me what
> happened? We know what Walker can give us every night, can you guarantee
> that Olowokandi will average 20 pts, 10 rebounds, 3-1/2 assists a game?
 
Of course trading for Olowokandi would be taking a risk and no one can 
guarantee anything. Signing Walker to a $100M contract would also be a 
big risk. Most people on the list seem to be pretty averse to risk but
Pitino is not, so this trade certainly seems possible, depending on what
Pitino thinks of Olowokandi's upside.

Alex