Re: OnHoops is pretty good

[Alex Wang <awang@mit.edu>]

Well, I don't know how much they like the deal if they think the team
will only win 33 games next season - less than Pitino's first season,
when DeClercq and McCarty were starters. We've had a significant talent
upgrade since then. And they were projecting Turner at SG and Clack at 
power forward?? 

Turner does fill a need although perhaps not a short term one. Pitino
is probably not going to keep Barros around after his contract expires.
In fact I'd expect him to be traded when he has a season or less on
his contract. In the meantime, Turner is groomed for the backup point, 
and can hopefully play a role in defending the bigger, post-up point 
guards in the conference, which was a problem that Pitino mentioned
last year.

I did propose a Mercer for Fortson trade on this list in April or May,
to little enthusiasm. If you believed that Mercer needed to be traded
for a power forward (as many on the list did), it wasn't too hard to
see this as a possibility. You figure that Pitino would want to acquire
a young, starter quality power forward, who happens to play on a team 
that needs a swingman more than a PF. It's a pretty short list and Fortson
is probably the best player on it.

Alex

> I know I posted about a month ago, but I found it pretty interesting that
> OnHoops.com predicted that we would trade Mercer for Fortson.  They weren't
> exactly right in the deal and the draft pick wasn't included, but they got
> the two big names Mercer and Fortson.
> 
> And they really like the deal.
> 
> Tell me what everyone thinks.
> 
> >>>>>>Atlantic
> 
> July 20, 1999, GM.
> BOSTON CELTICS
> 
> PG:
> KENNY ANDERSON
> DANA BARROS
> CORY ALEXANDER
> 
> SG:
> PAUL PIERCE
> GREG MINOR
> (IL)WAYNE TURNER
> 
> SF:
> ANTOINE WALKER
> WALTER MCCARTY
> 
> PF:
> DANNY FORTSON
> POPEYE JONES
> KRIS CLACK (CN: Hope you grow a good five inches this summer, Kris, Pitino
> wants you at the 4)
> 
> C:
> VITALY POTAPENKO
> TONY BATTIE
> (IL)ERIC RILEY
> 
> RECORD: 33-49
> FUTURE: ++
> 
> And Mercer left beantown. The rumors were true and after getting spurned by
> the Heat Pitino took his trade offer elsewhere. When he talked to the Nugs
> about getting the best rebounder in all of basketball (Danny Fortson),
> Denver was very willing to part with him (Fortson wants out). Also included
> in the deal were Cory Alexander and Pervis Ellison to not only make the
> money work, but also to extinguish the problem children on both the Celtics
> and the Nugs. So now Paul moves to SG, Toine moves back to SF and all looks
> very, very good in Boston.
> 
> P.S. Despite having no apparent need for Turner, Pitino opens his loving
> arms to this former Wildcat. <<<<<<<<<<<
>