Center

[peter delevett <pdelevett@amcity.com>]

>this was our last year to get
>anything done in the free agent market.  Next season
>Walker's extension goes into effect, starting at $9 mil against the
>cap.  The year after that, Mercer.  Then two years later Pierce but by
>that time it won't matter.  Unless we get lucky through the draft again,
>the talent base you see is the talent base you get, or the talent base
>you reallocate, through a trade for a center perhaps. 

Chris - I agree wholeheartedly with this. And that's why I keep bringing up
trade ideas that are unpopular with many on this list. The fact is, the guy
who wrote that OnHoops article was right: we do have, arguably, the weakest
center rotation in the league. I pray to God Schintzius will stay healthy, but
even if he does, he is a backup at best -- he could be a very GOOD backup, but
he is not a starter on a championship team. Battie is not a starting center on
a championship team. And I really doubt Evan Eschmeyer or any of the college
centers whose names we've been kicking around recently are starters on a
championship team, at least in our system (I watched highlights of Eschmeyer
last night and it looked like he was really chugging up the court -- sorry to
his supporters, but I have a hard time seeing him run and press for long stretches).

The fact is, decent starting centers in this league are commanding a minimum
of $8m-$10m a year -- and I'm talking about the Matt Geigers and Bryant
Reeveses. We will never have enough cap room to sign one of these guys, even
after Pervis and rolls off the cap in 2000 and Dana & Minor roll off in 2001.
The reason: we will have too much invested in our young perimeter players (and
rightfully so). 

That is what makes -- prepare for a collective groan -- Elden Campbell so
attractive. Hate to break it to you, but $7 mil a year for the next 5 years is
not overpaying for a player of Campbell's size and skills -- hell, it's a
bargain. Leaving aside anyone's preconceived feelings about him, here are the
facts: 7 feet, 255 pounds, just 30 years old; a huge wingspan, very athletic,
able to defend against the bigger centers in the league as well as the faster
ones. He averaged 22 minutes, 10 points, 5.6 boards and 1.3 rejections last
year, which is better than anybody on our current roster; even better, the
year before he averaged 32 minutes, 15 points, 8 boards and 1.7 blocks. (Stop
to look again at those numbers.) Best of all, when Shaquille went down
Campbell averaged 20 and 10. A young, 20 and 10 center! How could people on
this list not want someone like that on this team, which so desperately needs
it?! How could anyone label "lazy" a man who clearly was able to produce when
given the chance?

The most attractive thing about Campbell is that he is available. Just because
Minnesota wasn't willing to give up Guliotta for him or the Kings Chris Webber
doesn't mean he is worthless. Let's look at what the Lakers need most: a solid
point guard, outside shooting, a rugged PF to help on the boards. We have
those commodities in Dana Barros and Popeye Jones. They are good players who
can help us, but they are not untouchable like the Big Four. They could help
the Lakers get over the hump, which is why West might be willing to exchange
for them a player who could help US get over the hump. Even better, to make
the deal work salary-cap wise, the Lakers would have to be willing to take
either Ellison or Minor; either could help the Lakers, so it's not like we're
simply asking them to take on trash. 

Take a look at this starting five: Walker, Pierce, Campbell, Mercer, Anderson.
Show me a better, more athletic lineup anywhere in this league. Look at our
bench: Battie at PF (making Popeye expendable), Schintzius/DQ at C, McCarty at
SF, Bowen at SG. The only missing piece is a backup PG, and that's a hell of a
lot easier (and cheaper) to find than a starting center. (As has been
mentioned, Sherm Douglas is still available and could certainly be had for the
greater of the 2 exceptions, which is all he's likely to get from anybody at
this point). Douglas could be a very good fit for us filling in for Kenny for
ca. 18 mpg; and if Kenny goes down, he's savvy enough to run a team in the
interim. Anyway, if it's not Douglas there are other candidates.

The biggest thing we're losing here is outside shooting, but really, do you
want your backup PG to be flinging up treys? Especially when he's too small to
play two guard? There are three-point specialists to be had for a lot less
than $3.4 million.

I realize this is all a lot of hot air in the final analysis, that West might
be able to get better offers for Campbell, that both he AND Pitino might not
want to deal with "the enemy" (although the Travis/Battie deal broke that
historical barrier). But as the season goes on and West still doesn't have his
banging PF, and Derek Harper & Derek Fisher aren't able to get it done at the
point, I will be burning incense to the leprechaun, praying he will plant this
seed in Ricky's Brylcreemed head. Christ, what really have we got to lose??