RE: Center

[John Lyell <Jlyell@concentric.net>]

>
> 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.

His contract has him getting a 15 % raise if he is traded.  I would move 
Jones & Barros for him.  Jones could give the lakers the physical 4 they 
need, and as you have stated, his salary is not too outrageous any longer, 
but would he be able to play in Pitino's workouts ?  Even though not always 
impressed by him, I would take him before the Geigers, Reeves, etc. and 
someone will eventually take him and if playing full time he will be a 
15/10 person or better as he was for the Lakers when Shaq was injured. 
 Might as well offer Declercq also.





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??