Re: Center

[Josh Ozersky <josh_ozersky@yahoo.com>]

I would make this trade, but I take issue with two parts of Peter's
argument.

1)  Campbell is a bum.  As soon as he got his big contract from the
Lakers, he went back to his Valium game.  I really think this is a bad
guy, and can't believe that he is necessary to winning.  Which brings
up my second point.

2) Where is it written that you have to have a big bad center to win a
championship?  The Detroit Pistons didn't have one.  Other teams, like
the Celtics and Bullets of the 70s, had 6'8" centers in the pivot. 
Where is it written that Battie will never be a starting center?  Or
that we won't be able to acquire a Dale Davis somewhere along the way,
particularly after the cap rises and Dino, Pervis, Minor, etc. are
finally off it?

Josh





---peter delevett  wrote:
>
> >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??
> 

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