Re: Baker's return to Seattle isn't a slam dunk

[Andy Shaw <shaw@transmeta.com>]

|   From: j.hironaka@unesco.org
|   Date: Thu, 08 Jul 1999 11:44:38 +0200
|   
|   In general, I'm tired of hearing about all these "power fairies" out on the left
|   coast along the lines of a Rasheed Wallace or Mo Taylor. These guys struggle to
|   get anywhere near 5 rebounds per game and yet everyone talks them up like they
|   are the prototypical young power forwards. James Worthy was the archetype "power
|   fairy". He made it okay for lesser West Coast power forwards to earn a
|   respectable living cherry picking dunks and not being ashamed of a 5-rebound
|   night.

James Worthy was the small forward for those teams -- the power
forward was usually Rambis, A. C. Green or Mychal Thompson.  I think
the way those teams were constructed, Worthy performed his role quite
well ...

Not every player is Larry Bird ...

|   Rebounding differentials are what won Celtics playoff games in the 60s, 70's and
|   80's. This meant everyone had to haul their own weight on the boards. This is how
|   our Celts were able to show how basically fraudulent all these Brent
|   Musberger-hyped West Coast prima donnas were.

Well, when you've got the greatest front-line in history, that's what
you have to do -- rebound.

However, just because it worked back then doesn't mean it would work
now, nor does it mean that it is the strategy that we should take with
our current personnel.

Finally, Vin Baker was a 20-point, 10-rebound guy a few years ago.  I
don't know what's happened to him, but he's not in the same group as
Wallace or Taylor.  Baker can play center.  Baker for Mercer and
Battie would be worthwhile.  Baker for Antoine?  No way ...

-Andy