Re: Ike

[Alex Wang <awang@mit.edu>]

Peter,

I'm sure the Celtics were aware of this; I doubt that Orlando made it a 
secret that they were trading him. I think Ben Wallace is the key to the
trade, as others have mentioned, and I wouldn't dismiss him as nothing.
He can't shoot free throws but is rebounded very well and blocked shots
to boot; in fact he had more blocks per minute than Tony Battie. I would
guess that it would have taken Battie (and Pervis' expiring contract) to 
snare Austin, and Orlando may not have considered that a better deal.

Alex 


> Man, I wish the Celtics had known there was a fire sale for Ike Austin.
> Considering that the Wizards gave up basically nothing for him, and that Ike
> is a relative bargain for a starting-caliber center at around $5 mil per, I
> sure wouldn't have minded seeing him backing up Vitaly.
> 
> This could convince Richmond to stay in Washington, which would make the
> Wizards tougher this year. But the Magic could give the 97 Denver squad a run
> for its money.
>