Re: Will McDonough: Jordan's Return May Affect Walker To Miami Deal

[j.hironaka@unesco.org]

I  refuse to lose sleep over this one.  I personally refuse to believe
that Will 6-Piece-Chicken-McNuggett-head is in the loop when it comes to
the NBA. I remember reading one report someone posted suggesting that
"El Mucho Greaso" Pat Riley would gladly give the Celtics any four
players on the Miami roster (other than Tim and Alonzo)  in exchange for
Antoine Walker.

Incidentally, one clear  thing about Pat Riley's alleged offer is that
it clearly illustrates the most fundamental, no-brainer axiom of
championship basketball common-sense:  namely, that when you happen to
have a forward on your team who can deliver the statistical equivalent
(for good and bad, I guess) of both starting forwards (PJ and Mash) on a
solid playoff team, then you improve your team's advantage over all its
opponents by whomever you can plug in at the other forward slot (last
year, pitifully, it was 6-6 Greg Minor).  This is why dorks like Mark
Iavaroni and Kurt Rambis played for championship teams.

"El Greaso" is no dummy in making his hopeful offer. Like it or not,
basketball is fundamentally different from other pro team sports in the
sense that a core group or superstars makes all the difference in a game
that permits only five players on the court at the same time. Getting
Antoine in exchange for two, four, five or even six replaceable
role-players would be a wet-dream come true for Pat Riley, especially at
the expense of a division rival like our Celtics.

Joe

***



Jim Meninno wrote:

> God I hope this isn't true.  Apart from it being a bad trade, I'd
> never
> hear the end of it from Paul M.  Hey, Paul, how about starting a group
>
> meditation session aimed at stopping this from happening.  You can
> count
> me in.
>
> Jim
>
> >Date: Sat, 21 Nov 1998 06:25:58 -0500
> >From: Way Of The Ray <wayray@ix.netcom.com>
> >CC: celtics@igtc.com
> >Subject: Will McDonough: Jordan's Return May Affect Walker To Miami
> Deal
> >
> >From Will McDonough's Boston Globe column today:
> >
> >"If the NBA season resumes, the Celtics hope to complete a trade that
>
> >would send Antoine Walker to Miami for Jamal Mashburn and P.J.
> >Brown.
> It will be up to Pat Riley and the Heat to pull the .trigger.
>
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