Fun with logic

[peter delevett <pdelevett@amcity.com>]

>His roster has been in turmoil, the result of poor drafting, =
>bad trades and horrible free-agent signings.=20

Poor drafting: Yeah, that Paul Pierce move was really a boner. Taking Kris
Clack, who many thought would go in the late first round, at #55 sure was
silly. Ron Mercer, boy that guy couldn't play ... but, uh, wait, if he
couldn't play why does this writer lambaste the Celtics for "dumping" him? As
for Billups, wasn't he a first-team All America that year? Weren't a number of
other teams vying to get him? Just whom would the esteemed Mr. Dumberg have
had the Celtics take, Antonio Daniels (#4)? Tim Thomas (#7)? Adonal Foyle
(#8)? The point guard on the All Rookie team that year was Brevin Knight, who
lasted all the way to #16, behind such luminaries as Austin Croshere and The
Artist Formerly Known as Olivier St Jean. So there were plenty of other people
besides Pitino who missed that one.

Bad trades: You'll get no argument from me on the first Eric Williams trade.
But washed up, overpriced Dee Brown and "poor" draft pick Chauncey Billups for
Kenny Anderson (and two decent big men who, unfortunately, never panned out)
is a trade I'd still make today. Andrew DeClercq and the pick for Vitaly
Potapenko was a friggin' stroke of genius as far as I'm concerned ... unless
Mr. Dumberg thinks Andrew would have sufficed in the middle while Andre Miller
was being the "ideal playmaker." Banana Boy for Battie was a heist, even if
Battie couldn't play. And considering that our other reported options were for
stiffs like Jim Jackson and Spankmi the Fishman, getting the #4 rebounder in
the league, a lottery pick and two guys who could still have serviceable
careers for a guy who was determined to leave and two cap anchors doesn't
sound all that "bad" to me. Oh, but wait, I forget, Fortson is only 6'6. By
that logic, Shawn Bradley must be the best player in the game.

Horrible free agent signings: Let's see, if Travis and Chris Mills were
"horrible signings," how could getting rid of them be "bad trades?" Bargain
basement types like DeClercq, Bowen, Tyus Edney, Riley and Damon Jones all
overachieved, and it's tough to sign bigger names than that when you're capped
out (thanks in part to a previous regime's mistakes). The jury's still out on
Calbert Cheaney, but if El Greezo wanted him he might not be a total bust. And
maybe he and Pervis Ellison will adopt a child and name him "Pervert Chellisey."

Look, I don't consider myself a Pitino apologist by any means, but Tim Lynch
and Champ 17 were right on: This guy's doing nothing but rehashing old crap.