Re: Pitino Pissed Off At Walker: Jersey Red's Killer Column: Very Good StuffSeriously

[damekmo@teleport.com]

>Jersey Red comes through with an excellent, well written column.
>Walker out of shape, C's interested in Baker...



This appears to be getting serious. Or am I wrong for taking JR seriously?
In any case, a few thoughts. I don't think Pitino trades Walker before next
season starts...or at least before training camp. I think it's insane not
to give Walker a full off season to get into shape. His trade value isn't
going to take a nosedive between now and the beginning of training camp.
I'm a little confused however, because to be honest, I figured my cynical
uncle would be all over a "Walker's a lazy fat slug" article after the
Bulpett report. I mean...this is the kind of thing Uncle Peter lives for.
So I'm not sure about all this trade talk. However....Let's pretend for a
few seconds that JR has the inside track on this "problem," and Pitino's
solution to it. This may be total wishful thinking on my part, but I don't
think Wally Walker makes this trade. Wally traded four players for an aged
Horace Grant because he believes he can actually compete now. Assuming
Wally actually believes this, and the word "deluded" comes to mind
considering the Sonics didn't even make the playoffs last year, who does he
have to play center on that team? How does he plan to compete against teams
like LA, the Spurs, and the Blazers without as much size as possible up
front? Now, off the top of my head, I don't know who his sf is, because I'm
not sure they're going to re-sign Schrempf...he is a free agent, yes? I've
heard Wally interviewed and he continues to drive around the block when
talking about Schrempf...but my impression is that Detlef's breaking down
fast and Wally has no intention of keeping him unless it's on the cheap. So
perhaps he and Detlef work something out. However, Wally's also said that
the trade gives the Sonics cap room to sign a free agent. A sf,
perhaps?...although I'm not sure how much $$$$$ he actually has. I don't
know what Wally Walker was doing making that trade for Grant, but I can
only believe it means that he's decided to make Gary Payton happy and delay
rebuilding, which means he continues to fill in the blanks around Baker and
Payton. I think you can forget Payton going anywhere. And of course, Wally
didn't trade for Grant only to ship him to Boston for Walker?...Right? Now
concerning JR's blurb about Vince Carter:

>      Don't forget, they (Toronto) also have the second-best player in
>basketball in Vince Carter.

While I was never willing to believe Carter to be second best in the
league, I was, until this morning willing to go with him as the best young
player at his position. Now that it seems JR also believes this...Dear
God!...What was I thinking!

Paul M.