Pitino's trade-a-rama

["Rob Tisdale" <rtisdale@wws.net>]

As a long-time lurker, I seldom have much to offer the list since I am not
in the know, I don't get to see the team nearly as much as I'd like to, and
someone else usually beats me to any point I think of.  However, one point
that hasn't been made about this trade is that we could have had Battie and
Fortson in the 1997 draft instead of Billups and Mercer.  If we trace the
trades around, I think this may sway even some of those who aren't that
thrilled with the trade (small though the number may be!).  Please feel free
to correct any mistakes, but I figure you can break down who we 'had' and
who we 'have' as follows:

We had:
Billups (#3 pick)
Mercer (#6 pick)
Eric Williams - WASH
Dee Brown
Chris Mills
John Thomas
Roy Rogers
Dwayne Schintzius
and Didn't have Popeye Jones - WASH

We have (or in some cases, had):
Battie (#5 pick)
Fortston (#8 pick)
Eric Williams - WASH
Kenny Anderson
Zan Tabak - GONE
Eric Washington
Walter McCarty
Dontae' Jones - GONE
Scott Brooks - GONE (never really arrived)
and Don't have Popeye Jones - WASH
1st round draft pick
2 2nd round draft picks (aren't these the ones NY got for Walter etc.?)

Williams and Popeye are non-factors since we had Williams then and now, and
we didn't have Popeye then or now.  Is the rest of this accurate?

If Pitino just drafts Battie and Fortson, that's that.  Instead, he's made a
number of deals which amount to trading down a few spots in the 1997 draft.
The major players involved, other than the draftees and the non-factors, are
Dee Brown and Chris Mills versus Kenny Anderson and Walter McCarty  Other
than that, Pitino basically traded a bunch of bench fodder for more bench
fodder and some draft picks.  Yes, I believe Washington is nothing more than
bench fodder, and I did see him play a few times while living in Denver.  I
agree with whoever pointed out that he is more of a slasher/scorer than a
3-point threat.  If AG is as good as they say he is, EWash probably won't
make the team.

Okay, it's not as convincing as I was hoping for, but I still like the
overall changes.  I guess if you buy into the 'we were only able to sign
Mills because we traded Eric Williams for nothing theory' that bounced
around at the time, you could also count Mills as a non-factor, making the
bottom line look much better.  Anyone know how John Thomas did last year
with the Craptors?

Bottom line is that we got Anderson who at least SHOULD be able to be a
capable point guard in this system for Dee Brown (who I was a big fan of)
who probably couldn't be a capable point guard (or shooting guard after his
injury) in any system.  We also got Walter, who Pitino and Heinsohn both
seem to like for either nothing or Mills depending on how you look at it.

Obviously I've ignored the draftees, which you just can't do.  Having
attended CU during Billups' tenure there, I like the guy a lot, but having
seen him play, I was really nervous about his prospects at point guard in
the pros, especially for Pitino.  At CU he did a lot of work all by himself
since he had few decent teammates to pass to/from.  His best moves were to
dribble down, stop and pop the three; take a pass behind the three point
line, fake a drive, pop a three; and drive the lane. attract three guys,
drop it to some stiff standing right under the hoop for a jam.  Sort of a
poor man's Tim Hardaway.  I do have the guy on my keeper fantasy league
team, and have no plans to let him go anytime soon, but that's solely based
on statistics, not on what he can do to help a team.   I tend to think that
Mercer is and will be the best player out of these four, but I also think
that with Billups' shortcomings Battie and Fortson are roughly equal to
Billups and Mercer.  This is mostly based on what I've heard about the
latter two from the list - I haven't seen either play that much.

With all that said, I like both the immediate trade and the overall
long-term trade I hope I've accurately listed here.  I'm really excited to
see the team in action next year.

I'd like to get in on the prediction action this year, so assuming no other
major moves or signings, I'll predict 45-39 and Pitino's promised playoff
perch.

Back to lurk mode, where I've been watching the action comfortably for over
two years.  Thanks for all the good info, everyone.

Rob