Re: `Re: The Peril Of Too Many Large Contracts or More Trades On The Way

[Josh Ozersky <josh_ozersky@yahoo.com>]

I love this post.  It's good news, believeable, gibes
with my own hopes, and makes a good suggestion about
Eric Williams and our own pick, which is now quite
expendable with the Denbergs of the world underrating
us.


--- j.hironaka@unesco.org wrote:
> Way Of The Ray wrote:
> 
> > I firmly believe that one of the
> Battie-Fortson-Potapenko trio will have
> > to be traded before the February deadline. I can't
> see the C's paying
> > all three
> > of them, yearly salaries in the $5 - $7 million
> range. So it's either
> > move
> > one of them or lose one of them. Included in a
> deal could be some combo
> > of
> > Kenny Anderson, Cheaney, the Denver pick, Barros,
> McCarty, Pervis, and a
> > C's pick
> > for an established star player making around $7
> million and rapidly
> > expiring cap
> > crap. That way, the C's reduce their budget, but
> still maintain or
> > increase the
> > present talent level.
> 
> I wouldn't panic about the Celts trading any of
> their only three valuable big guys
> before they explore every avenue to trade the
> higher-paid Eric Williams, whom Way
> doesn't mention but whose minutes can be replaced
> more easily by either Adrian Griffin,
> Walter McCarty or Cal Cheaney. I don't think there
> is a basis for the Celts to worry
> about a financial shortfall next year over a full
> regular season. The salary cap does
> NOT represent some sort of break even profitability
> line....IMO owners' set it
> artificially low to balance out the effect of the
> Bird exception (or whatever it's
> called these days). I think this whole debate is all
> made up in our heads. If we trade
> one of our big men at midseason, it will only be
> because they are not playing well in
> Pitino's system and thus won't be worth re-signing
> or losing at year's end.
> 
> Regarding the Denver draft pick, the Celts might
> want to sit tight and wait for one of
> the rare center prospects heading our way in the
> next several years. According to TSN's
> Brick Oettinger, the "prep classes of 2000, 2001 and
> 2002 all look to be quite strong
> compared to the past couple of years." In
> particular, the 2001 class (I realise that's
> a long way away) reportedly held their own at the
> Nike All-America Camp and features
> "once-per-decade" center talent.
> 
> For example, Oettinger (who's really not prone to
> using exclamation points) writes that
> Compton, CA's 7-2 Tyson Chandler is a "remarkably
> talented and athletic player who
> looks like the next Kareem Abdul-Jabaar or Wilt
> Chamberlain!" and "6-11, 284 South
> Holland (Ill) Thornwood junior center Eddy Curry is
> a beast in the paint who reminds us
> of Shaquille O'Neil." Both players ranked behind
> fellow Junior 6-3 Dajuan Wagner from
> Camden, NJ, who scored 50 points in a Nike
> All-America game and was described as
> perhaps "the best prep point guard, including the
> seniors." Again, Oettinger by
> temperament seems to understand the business well
> enough to not engage in too much
> hyperbole. In fact, he pretty much trashed Jonathan
> Bender's game (or at least his
> fitness to enter the NBA) last Spring. Anyway, some
> of the guys mentioned above
> probably don't even have a driver's license yet.
> 
> The more typical 2000 class has no big centers but
> sounds deep at power forward with
> kids named Eddie Griffin, Mario Austin, Zach
> Randolph, Alton Ford plus the 6-10
> Bloomington, Indiana, combo forward Jared Jeffries,
> rated the #1 player at the Nike
> camp and described as an unselfish player who scores
> from all over the court. There are
> also plenty of impressive sounding wing and point
> guards.
> 
> I'm not saying the Celtics should draft ANY of these
> kids straight out of high school,
> but rather that they should let that Denver pick age
> like a fine wine. Frankly, I don't
> think the Celtics will even qualify to use the
> Denver pick next season (because I
> believe Denver is a bottom 5 team under D'Antoni)
> and I don't see Denver improving
> markedly with Issel at the helm. As I think Alex
> Wang said, I wouldn't be surprised if
> Ron Mercer signs as an unrestricted FA with the
> Bulls next summer (unless the
> HorriBulls show enough improvement this season
> behind Elton Brand to make Chicago an
> even remotely attractive choice for FA's Grant Hill
> or Tim Duncan).
> 
> This is probably the most boring post any of you
> have ever read, but hey it's the dry
> season.
> 
> 
> Joe
> 
> 
> p.s. AP reported that Don Nelson and Ross Perot's
> trip to woo center Zhi Zhi Wang to
> Dallas has failed and that this kid will remain for
> at least another year with the Red
> Army Banyi Rockets. Oh well.
> 
> p.p.s. There maybe something to be said for trading
> the Celts' own first rounder in a
> package this summer (with Eric "Hans & Franz"
> Williams). Many GM's should regard this
> as a likely lottery pick and compensate us
> accordingly. So if we make the playoffs,
> great. If we don't, the team will get blown up
> anyway.
> 
> -------
> 
> 
> 
> 

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