RE: Holley: Stewart To Decide Between Boston Or Sacramento

[Gregory Odegaard <grodeg@kalama.com>]

Sorry to post this entire Holley article, but I am going to print it out, have it framed and hang it on my wall.  The significance of the material noted can't be understated.  Miracles can come true, if this becomes reality.  I love the new cba with all my heart, if Mr. Stewart will come to Boston for the 1.75MM exception, and not go elsewhere because the cap space shrunk up for the rest of the league, with the lower overall cap total.  

Keeping Popeye and being able to use over 1MM more with Pervis being ruled unable to play is a stroke of luck and brilliance of the same degree.  

Save the cap space (unlikely with RP history) use it next summer and then give AW all the riches the law will allow, and 2001 in June will be very very possible.  Can you believe w/ me?

Put the pieces together folks without a trade and any other major FA pick-up:

Center: Stewart/Declerq/Popeye/Travis
PF: AW/Popeye/Declerq/Travis
SF: PP/AW/McCarty
SG: Mercer/PP/Bowen/Minor
PG: Kenny/Dana/FA pick-up (my dreams will be complete w/ Alvin Williams)

This adds up to 10 stud players (plus Dana, Minor and Travis (who can be traded to LA for at least a pick or will develop a bad case of hang nail to start the season, maybe Minor will join him).

With Geiger obviously being courted at obscene levels by Philly and others, or Campbell going there, maybe this scenario I present is closer to reality, as the other 2 players of "interest" won't even be around.  A risk to look at one guy only, sure, but if he is "the" guy, then we need only one anyway. I guess a 2nd guy does exist in Theo Ratliff, if reports are accurate RP is looking at him too.  He is a better option than the other 2 for sure, IMHO.

BTW why can't the media (who is this Karen scribe anyway) leave AW alone if his bosses for freaking sakes have done so.  Too bad they can't trip over their pins and stick their head in some convenient snow bank.

In the spirit of the new year, thanks for your clear headed feedback Claudia, and to Ray thanks again, as I wouldn't have found this brilliant article as quickly or easily without your appreciated service. Oh and Warwick, regarding Corliss being able to use a few extra inches, couldn't we all?

17th in 2001,
Ode


>>"Celtics have some big plans for Stewart"

 They're heavily courting center

 By Michael Holley, Globe Staff, 01/16/99

 Michael Stewart has a decision to make. Two teams are very interested
  in signing him and he has to choose which one he likes. One team
 plays its home games close to the North End. The other plays in Northern
 California. By Tuesday - perhaps sooner - Stewart will be the starting
 center for one of them.

 Which one? That's the question of the next 72 hours. Rick Pitino certainly
 has a large Celtics jersey ready for the 6-foot-10-inch Stewart. The Celtics
 president-coach hopes the 23-year-old free agent will choose to wear it
 rather than the purple-and-black garb of the Sacramento Kings, whom Stewart
 played for in 1997-98.

 It is now apparent that the Celtics are pursuing Stewart, most likely by
 using their $1.75 million exception as a starting point for a contract. As
 of yesterday, the Celtics and Kings were Stewart's top suitors.

  Stewart has an affinity for the Kings because he was their ball boy as a
  teenager and attended college at the University of California in Berkeley,
  just over an hour from Sacramento. But the Kings are unsettled in several
  areas. They have ownership woes, basketball operations chief Geoff Petrie
  was recently talked out of resigning, former coach Eddie Jordan was fired
  after only one season, and they still have to find a way to sign forward
  Corliss Williamson and Stewart.

  When contacted last evening, Pitino confirmed that he is interested in
  acquiring Stewart. But he did not mention any specifics. ''We're looking at
  a lot of options right now,'' he said. ''We certainly have a lot of work to
  do yet. But Stewart is someone we've been looking at for a while.''

  Efforts to reach Stewart's agent, Bill Duffy, were unsuccessful. But it is
  known that Stewart would like to have his contract situation resolved before
  camps officially open next week (most likely Tuesday). It is also known that
  the Celtics are far beyond the initial stages of courtship when it comes to
  Stewart. Apparently, they have told him he is the man they want in the
  middle.

  A few things make Stewart attractive to the Celtics. He weighs only 230
  pounds but he is a legitimate center. He averaged 6.6 rebounds per game last
  season and was one of the NBA's top shot-blockers, rejecting an average of
  2.4 in 81 games. That shot-blocking mark was seventh in the league. Stewart
  had 11 fewer blocks than San Antonio's Tim Duncan and averaged more than
  Miami's Alonzo Mourning.

  If he does become a Celtic, Stewart will find himself at the free throw line
  a lot after practice. He was among the league's worst free throw shooters
  last season, making just over 40 percent.

  But Pitino will worry about the shooting later. In Stewart, he would have a
  center with the athleticism to play his running and trapping style. More
  important, he would have a defensive presence at the center spot. Scan the
  Celtics' roster and you will find no one with a reputation as a
  shot-blocker.

  In addition to signing Stewart, the Celtics would like to find a way to
  re-sign forward Popeye Jones. Those signings would immediately improve their
  defense. Boston had the fewest defensive rebounds in the NBA last season.
  Obviously, the Celtics would like to change those numbers. But first they
  have to reorder their salary cap numbers.
  Nearly $1.3 million will become available when Pervis Ellison is declared
  out for the season in the next couple of days. Ellison is still bothered by
  his surgically repaired right ankle. Because of his injury, the Celtics will
  be permitted to use half his salary to sign someone else (they cannot,
  however, combine the $1.3 million with the $1.75 million exception).

  Also, there is still a possibility of the Celtics making a trade. At this
  point, they would be interested in even the most minor deal, just so they
  can clear some additional cap space.

  So now the Celtics wait. Stewart will make a decision in the next couple of
  days. The Celtics hope he makes the decision that will require him to board
  a plane leaving the West Coast, heading east.