RE: Trades - be patient

["Sampath, Venkatesh" <Venkatesh.Sampath@microcell.ca>]

While I agree with the general sentiment of having to be patient, I have
been patient for the last 6 years at least. We now have the nucleus of a
pretty good team that might just be able to make the play-offs this year
and I for one am keen to see that happen. The Bulls won a heck of a lot
of championships with their best centre being Bill Cartwright; the
Pistons won theirs with Bill Laim(me)beer. However, I don't see us
getting a good centre (of the calibre of a Hakeem or a Duncan) in the
near future. We were lucky to some extent in landing Walker (the Mavs
made a silly deal for Montross) and dashed lucky in getting Pierce.
However, we could moan about losing Tim Duncan, so on the whole, I think
the C's are sitting pretty. 
I also don't see why Walker is a poor captain and how Pierce merits this
better. Yes, Walker has a wiggle. He also has a great work ethic and is
willing to exhort his team-mates to win. Pierce is only in his first
season as a pro and - while he's done damned well - has to show that he
can do it on a night-in and night-out basis before becoming captain.
It's the same question of patience. 

Utah's centre is Greg Ostertag. They also have Todd Fuller and a third
guy whose name escapes me. I was surprised to learn they have released
Antoine Carr!  

venkat
>----------
>From: 	Stathis Avgoustiniatos[SMTP:stathisa@email.msn.com]
>Sent: 	Sunday, February 28, 1999 5:17 PM
>To: 	celtics@igtc.com
>Subject: 	Trades - be patient
>
>You need time to build a good team, even to get a good idea about what is
>the real nature of your team.  With Mercer being injured most of the games
>until now, we haven't seen Walker-Pierce-Mercer playing together for more
>than 4-5 games.  We have to let them play together for at least 1-2 seasons
>before we can decide whether we can build a championship team around those 3
>with less than top-quality PG and C, or trading one of the 3 is necessary.
>
>In my opinion Walker is an excellent player, but he is NOT the player that
>can lead a team to a championship.  Shooting freethrows the way he does and
>with his at best mediocre middle-range shot, he is a few years and a lot of
>talent away from being a Shaq-alike questionmark as far as leadership is
>concerned, when it comes to winning championships (and this is quite a
>different beast than making it to the POs - ask Barkley, Robinson, O'Neal,
>Webber, Strickland, the Hardaways etc, etc).  But he could be an excellent
>co-leader, if Pierce can evolve to what we all dream.  Pierce has apparently
>everything: outside shot, inside moves, can take the opponents one-on-one,
>plays excellent defense, rebounds, and can shoot the damn freethrows.  Don't
>dare comparing him to Dee Brown.  Dee was playing next to Bird and McHale,
>even at the low-side of their careers.  And I was much surprised by the
>level of high praise Bird had given him (one single time that I recall).
>
>As far as centers are concerned, who's playing center for Utah?  We have the
>player and coaching material to build an excellent team if we have patience
>and we don't go after the quick fix shopping for a "good" center or
>center-substitute that will condemn us to be an eternally PO-bound but not
>championship team.  I don't want to see Baker-like players playing for the
>Celtics, I don't care how "good" they are.  And certainly I do not want to
>put an expiration to this young team by giving too much for Robinson.
>
>And we should keep looking for a PG that could carry us to that
>championship, even if it takes several years for that, cause I doubt Kenny
>can.
>
>SA
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