LB rule adaptaion

["Nathan A." <nj13@navix.net>]

Here's my idea for a compromise on the LB rule. I don't know if anyone would
go for it but it just popped into my head.

I would like to have Team A be able to go over the cap to sign players that
were drafted by Team A. This would cut some of the team hopping of free
agents, and teams would be able to build with their own players. This is a
lot like the current LB rule, but would only apply to the team that
origionally drafts the player.

My reasoning is this:
There is a reason why the draft order is set up as it is. The worst teams
need the most help, so the system gives them the top spots in the draft so
they can get the best players to come in and help them improve. The Celtics
have recently played this system just as it was designed. We were bad for
several years, therefore we got high draft picks. With those picks we got
Antoine Walker, Ron Mercer and Paul Pierce. With these three players as
building blocks, we should be able to play ourselves back into contention
someday. BUT, if there is a hard cap, there is almost no way that we will be
able to keep all three building blocks. The system gave us these three
building blocks to give us a chance to compete. Then, because the system
worked well for us, the same system will likely take one of these three
players away from us, thereby making it harder for us to compete. I think
that it is a cryin' shame that we will not be able to keep all three players
that we got fair and square through the draft. If we can't afford to pay
outside players to come in and help us, that is one thing. But I think it is
another thing if we cannot keep the players that were brought into the
league as Celtics for the purpose of helping the Celtics. So I say give the
teams that did the origional drafting the best chance at keeping their
players. Don't penalize us for taking advantage of the sysetem that was set
up for the purpose of helping weak teams get out of the lottery. If you
happen to draft only one good player in a while (like the Spurs and Tim
Duncan) then you don't have a problem. But if like the C's, you are lucky
enough to draft three good players in a row, you get no advantage because
you probably won't be able to keep all three.

On another depressing level, is the fact that even if this rule were put
into effect, the Celtics still might not be able to keep all three of these
important draftees because Gaston wouldn't pay the bill.


Nathan A.
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