Re: Billups trade final.

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

On Wed, 18 Feb 1998, Cecil Wright wrote:

> Thanks for providing Kenny's stats Mike.  As regular members will attest, I
> have been pro-CB from day one.  I wish him all the best and I know he will
> respond accordingly.  The ironic thing for me is that because I live in
> Canada, I will have an opportunity to see him in action hopefully.  I'm
> looking forward to it.

This is the kind of trade where we will have to wait and see which side
"won".  Will Anderson return to his pre 1997-8 form?  Will Chauncey make
the transition to PG?  

> Kenny's stats clearly illustrate one very valid reason for keeping Billups.
> Have a close look at Anderson's first year.  Now draw a comparison to the
> year Billups is having THUS FAR.  Anderson has been a point guard throughout
> his basketball life, while Chauncey is making his first shot at it.   All
> things considered, Chauncey is doing better at this stage of his career that
> Kenny did statistically, despite the fact that he is a novice at the
> position.

True, but that doesn't mean that Chauncey will eventually become a point
guard.  (Though he very well may!).  Anderson probably would have done
better in his first year had he not been stuck behind Mookie Blaylock (who
is not a bad PG himself).

> I think this is one of Billups' strongest characteristics.  He obviously
> takes care of himself and his body.  He is a strong guard right now and I
> think his strength will be a key element to his success in the future.

Agreed.

> >Height?  I'd rather a guy taller than 6'1", but better a 6'1" guy with
> >talent than a taller guy who can't play.
> >
> 
> If anyone closely scrutinizes CB's play, even his harshest critic would not
> state that he can't play.

My comments above were poorly phrased, I guess.  I was only referring to
Kenny Anderson with these remarks, since he has been criticized for being
too short and not durable.  I was in no way commenting on Chauncey Billups
at all.  

> I cannot, for the life of me, accept
> a player who refuses to report to any team in the NBA, unless there's a
> life-threatening reason.  

I think that players refuse to report to their new teams all the time
these days.  I am not just referring to basketball, either.  Many high
profile players have refused to report to a new team at one time or
another:  Eric Lindros, Rony Seikaly, Adam Oates, Adrian Dantley, etc.  

I don't *condone* that sort of behavior, and I wish their were less of
it in sports, but I don't think it brands a player "forever an attitude
problem".   

> Anderson's refusal to report to the Raptors does not,
> AND SHOULD NOT, endear him to Celtic fans as a true team player, 

Agreed.

> That's not a classy, team-first guy.

One point that should be made in Anderson's favor, though, is that he said
he would not report to the Raptors *before* they traded for him.  Thus,
the Raptors traded for him knowing that they would have to either sweeten
his deal (is that permitted in the NBA) or trade him, and they chose to do
so anyway.  

Compare that to Rony Seikaly, who simply refused to report to a
*contender* until they fork over some more cash.  

Neither player's action was commendable, but at leasat the Raptors knew
what they were getting into.

 
> I wish Chauncey Billups, Rogers, Thomas and Dee Brown well.  

I wish them all well, too.  (Though I'd prefer that they not make Rick
Pitino and the Celtics look like fools in the process).

> Though I knew
> Dee was going, I have a great deal of empathy for him because say whatever
> you like, he swallowed his pride, sucked it up and never complained once
> about his lack of playing time early in the year.  And after making his
> trade demands in the past, whether it was because of the money he's making
> or not, he shut his lips and did what he was asked to do.  I've dealt with
> pro athletes before, and what Dee Brown did this year is a credit to his
> maturity.
>
> I cannot say the same about Anderson's behaviour.

Again, though, I think you are being too hard on Anderson.  Brown has
handled his situation with maturity this year, but, for the past two years
he did not.

Remember when Sherman Douglas was in his first full year with Boston and
unhappy with his playing time?  He showed his dissatisfaction by taking
his shoes off on the bench during a game.  To me, that is at least as bad
(probably worse) than what Anderson did.  The talk at the time was that
Sherman was through as a Celtic.  However, instead of being the malcontent
eveyone expected him to be, Douglas *forced* his way back into the Celtics
starting job with effort, determination, and good play.  In the long run,
the Celtics were wise to forgive him his error.

And there had to be *some* reason why a former playoff MVP was referred to
as a "cancer" to his team before he was traded to the Celtics.

> Having said all this, I remain a staunch supporter of the Boston Celtics and
> always will be.  They are my team.  But please don't tell me what a good
> trade this is for our team.  We are losing a fine player, but according to
> Pitino, a finer person, in Chauncy Billups.  Why even Pitino's wife and
> daughter are mad at him for trading Chauncey.

You have to give value to get value.

> I'm hoping we ship Kenny to NY or NJ for Childs or Houston or Cassells.

I would like to keep Kenny, and see how he does with the Celtics.

Michael Byrnes
mbyrnes@stanford.edu