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

[Josh Ozersky <josh_ozersky@yahoo.com>]

Believe me, if Eric Williams starts tearing up
opponents as a scorer off the bench, he won't be
"untradeable" for long.  Not every team is so focused
(if indeed that is what we are) on the bottom line.  I
for one believe that the "creative accounting" used by
NBA teams makes a lot of clubs look much poorer then
they are.


--- Way Of The Ray <wayray@ix.netcom.com> wrote:
> 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.
> 
=== message truncated ===

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