RE: Walker trade

["Shawn Roth" <ufpdev!shawnr@uunet.uu.net>]

Noah,

I would have to agree with you on this one.  Rasheed Wallace is not the
answer, I don't think he could ever play center in this league.  I think he
is more like a Marcus Camby, I big, skinny stick figure who can block shots,
but can't defend the bigger centers in the league (Shaq, Brian Williams,
etc...).  Anyway, just thought I would chime in real quick.

Shawn

-----Original Message-----
From:	uunet!igtc.com!owner-celtics [mailto:uunet!igtc.com!owner-celtics] On
Behalf Of Noah P. Evans
Sent:	Tuesday, October 06, 1998 3:25 PM
To:	Mark Berry; celtics list
Subject:	RE: Walker trade


>           Look at it: Rasheed Wallace is a center playing small
>           forward on a team loaded with centers and power forwards.
>           Antoine is a small forward of power forward on a team
>           desperate for a center. Both players are young, athletic and
>           bring dynamic skills to a team.

Calling Wallace a center is a bit much. Wallace is a player with a build
like Garnett, Ratliff of Joe Smith. Unless Wallace miraculously became a
player of Parish's caliber, putting him in the center position would satisfy
our need for shotblocking and little more. Antoine is much better at
defending the post(i.e. fighting for position, 2/3ing[keeping your arm in
front of the player you're guarding while still keeping a elbow in his back]
and other post defense). Of course Antoine only places this much defense
when he has the energy(a lot like Charles Barkeley). We need to see how
Antoine does with a competant backup(Popeye), before we say Wallace would be
a better center. Since only a desperate coach(i.e. ML) would ever play
Antoine at center, playing Wallace in that position would be even worse.

>           Wallace's numbers aren't what Antoine's are, but he's always
>           been on a better team. He's never had to be the primary
>           scoring option, although I'm sure he could be.

Are you sure? From the times I've seen Wallace he's seemed to be an
excellent complementary player(ala Robert Horry). The only offense he seems
to have is turnaround and spotup jumpers. When you leave him open his also
has a variety of nice dunks but that's hardly the portfolio of skills you
want in your star player.
	Antoine, for all of his shooting and turnover woes seems to be the
opposite. Antoine possess a myriad of different moves, up and unders,
breaking off the dribble, drop steps, spins and more. He doesn't hit those
shots all the time(mostly because he's the only offensive option so he's
heavily defended) but he's still years ahead of Wallace in terms of offense
moves. I wouldn't mortgage our oft-deferred future to another player he
hasn't proven he can carry a team.


>I've been a
>           backer of his for some time now and believe he could be a
>           dynamite center in this league -- in the Alonzo Mourning
>           class -- if used properly.


>His rebounding numbers are down
>           because he's had to go out on the floor to cover small
>           forwards or to clear space for Sabonis and Grant on the
>           offensive end. Put him in the middle and he'd put up better
>           rebounding numbers.

Rebounding is a matter of desire. Just look at the composure of both
players. Antoine is quite the hellion, insulting his  coach and the refs,
talking trash to the other team, telling off reporters and everything else.
But this attitude is quite possibly the same thing that leads to Antoine's
amazing rebounding ability.
	Wallace, on the other hand, is the archetypal "family-man". He punches his
time-clock, goes out, plays and then goes home to his family at night. While
this might make him a nice person, it does not make him likely to rebound in
Antoine's class, even if Sabonis or Grant were removed. You can tell, just
by listening to Wallace talk, that he is not the type to devote his heart
and soul to basketball.

>           The Blazers would have a dynamic front court, while the
>           Celts would have the young, athletic center they need. We'd
>           have to include several cap "problems" to make the salaries
-------->           work, which also benefits us. It might enable us, with a
>           little creativity, to make an offer to another power forward
>           -- say a Gugliotta or, if you want to risk it, a Coleman. Or
>           we could settle for Popeye at that spot.

That might not be a bad idea. If the Blazers took Perverse, Minor, Knight
and all of our other cap eaters then the deal wouldn't be that bad, but then
only if we could get a player like Austin and a backup or two.
	I, for one, still wouldn't do it unless I were forced. Nice guys are always
good, but they don't win championships. Genuine ref eating headcases, who
want to win above all else, are the prerequisite for a championship. Right
now Antoine is our Isiah Thomas, our ML Carr, our Bird, the player who is
the soul of our team. For all of his weaknesses, giving him up for a
complementary player like Wallace would be foolish unless we got a similarly
devoted player in return.

Noah