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

[Way Of The Ray <wayray@ix.netcom.com>]

Well I have to disagree with what Joe said.
They're not going to be able to move the highly
untradeable Eric Williams, because of his injury
problems and his contract, which spikes up in value during the
next few years.  To deal him, he has to be packaged with a
Battie or Fortson or with the Denver pick, and it's why I 
didn't mention moving him, except as part of a combo trade.

Secondly, any good big person coming out these days,
usually goes in the top five picks. In 2001, when 
the C's will finally have their first crack at the
Denver choice or Denver's pick from Cleveland, I see
the Nuggets finishing between 5 and 11.  Denver's
choice that year is lottery protected for the first
six, so the C's have to hope the Nugz finish around
seven or eight, in which case, all the good big people
will be gone anyways. In 2002, the pick is lottery
protected for the first three, so I suppose if they
waited that long, they might have a chance at the
next high school phenom.....


But the future is now baby. Why wait till 2002, when you can use
the pick to acquire a star player in the next year? Look at what Phoenix
did.
Surely another situation of a similar nature will arrise and the C's
should be able to put a pretty good package together and perhaps even 
dump some contracts.


I'd also keep an eye out on upcoming free agent who are repesented by
David Falk.
I think when February rolls around, he may do to some other club, what
he
did to the Cavs last season with Potapenko, which was to force a
trade.... 

Ray
Josh Ozersky wrote:
> 
> 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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