Re: I Don't Think The Celtics Will Do The Fortson/Mercer Trade

[j.hironaka@unesco.org]

Way Of The Ray wrote:

> Joe,
>
> Here are my problems with the trade:
>
> Pitino doesn't want Williams' hard to deal contract or influence:
>
> - We all complain about the long term cap crap deals, and you want the
> Celtics
> to add another one in Williams.  Plus, Williams had been a bust in
> Denver.

I don't believe this trade will happen in a million years and so I shouldn't waste
my breath, BUT my point is that EWilliams is not the point. Fuhgettaboutim. Pitino
can keep him at arm's length from the team if he's such an awful influence or he
can buy out the rest of his contract like he did with Dino. If they reach some
sort of rapport, then Williams will surely try hard to prove Pitino was wrong
about him. As out-of-shape as he supposedly was when Pitino traded him, he still
managed career highs in scoring (19.8) rebounds (5.3) and assists (3.0) before
blowing out his knee in Denver. Personally, I don't mind if he's washed up so we
can put him on our IR for the entire season. Maybe he even qualifies as a tax
write-off. Anyway, this trade is not about Eric Williams or Popeye Jones.


> - Pitino and Antoine are at war at the moment - He's not going to bring
> in
> one of Antoine's pal so he'll have even less control over the situation.
>

"At War"?   Fill me in, Mr Bulpett.  :-)   I think you are letting wishful
thinking get the best of you.


> The C's aren't sure how Pot and Fortson we'll work out:
>
> - Exactly.  Can they coexist together or will they both need to be down
> low to be effective?
>
> - Pot and Fortson could be a defensive liability. A 6-10 and 6-6 C/PF
> combination
> is worrisome from a defensive perceptive. Two guys who aren't
> shotblockers,
> and possess a lot of beef, are not exactly what you envision for a
> pressing
> system.

Fortson weighs 260, Potsie weights 300. Basically you need guys with oak-tree legs
to wear down opponents. That's why Battie will never project as a shutdown
defender, and 6-11 guys like McCarty or Anstey have even less hope. Battie will be
useful in certain matchups against height and speed. Say, Marcus Camby. IMO,
Battie's a great change of pace and our best/only shot blocker but he's useless
against the Charles Oakley's of the world.


> Battie's Time to Blossom:
>
> - Yes it is. How much will bringing him off the bench retard his
> progress?
> - The C's need his shotblocking and quickness in the starting lineup.

Whether he starts or comes off the bench, Battie will still get a lot of minutes.
I would guess around 30 minutes next year, up to half just backing up the center
ahead of Duhwayne Shintzius.


> Mercer Traded for a future All-Star:
>
> - I don't quite think Fortson fits into that category.

Mercer for Fortson is the mirror image of "Sidney Wicks for Paul Silas". It is
about trading style for substance. IMO, it's a return to glory.


> Battie and S. Walker will be fine at power forward:
>
> - I believe if the club can acquire S. Walker without giving up Mercer,
> it would be of benefit to the C's frontcourt.

Compared to Spankmi, at least Pervis Ellison had an All Star appearance and a full
healthy season in his resumé when ML Carr signed him to the type of long-term deal
Smackmi has already turned down.


> Mercer may bring in more value than Fortson:
>
> - Sure why not.  As teams keep offering deals and Pitino turns them down
> or
> says they don't exist, Mercer's value goes up.  It's a group GM
> mentality.
> If GM's A, B, C, and D offer deals, then GM E figures he must get on in
> the
> bidding, because the player up for bids obviously has a high value as
> so many teams are interested in him. If Pitino is smart, he'll play the
> bidders
> against  one another.
> Ray

Any player we can afford who averages 11.7 rebounds in limited minutes is going to
have some sort of baggage. Usually, it's a bad attitude, or foolish/indifferent
play, or a history of injuries. In this case Fortson is "too short".

Well then I guess he must have a chip on his shoulder, since this didn't stop him
from delivering some whoop-ass last year with remarkable consistency. Some of his
best games were against teams featuring such diverse All Star talents as Webber,
Garnett, Barkley. This is why I frankly doubt this trade will go down, much as I
personally wish it could. The following stats are from NBA.COM:

Recorded 21 points (8-15 FG, 5-5 FT) and a game-high 18 rebounds against the
Sacramento Kings on 5/3
Registered 20 points and a game-high 23 rebounds, including 9 offensive boards,
against the Golden State Warriors on 4/15
Scored 18 points and grabbed a game-high 17 rebounds in a 120-97 victory over the
New Jersey Nets on 4/14
Posted 22 points (10-17 FG) and a game-high 17 rebounds against the Sacramento
Kings on 4/10
Totaled 21 points (8-11 FG, 5-5 FT) and a team-high 12 rebounds against the L.A.
Lakers on 4/5
Recorded 19 points (8-11 FG) and a game-high 17 rebounds against the Minnesota
Timberwolves on 3/19
Registered 15 points and a game-high 21 rebounds, including 11 offensive boards,
against the Houston Rockets on 3/9
Converted the game-winning tip-in with 5.0 seconds left, posting 16 points (6-8
FG, 4-4 FT) and 11 rebounds in his first start of the season, in a 95-93 victory
over the Milwaukee Bucks on 2/26
Totaled 15 points and a career-high 24 rebounds, including 8 offensive boards,
against the Dallas Mavericks on 2/25