RE: Sam Smith's Draft And Trade Scenarios

[John Lyell <Jlyell@concentric.net>]

If we move Mercer I could live with Christie or Derek Anderson. How about Anderson & Mercer for Anderson & Brevin Knight ?





On Tuesday, June 15, 1999 10:31 AM, Way Of The Ray [SMTP:wayray@ix.netcom.com] wrote:
> He's always injured and he's represented by Master P.
> The C's have enough trouble with one client of his, I
> don't think they want two. Plus, everyone would be bitching
> about Il Duce adding another Kentucky player to the team.
> Ray
> 
> skmishra wrote:
> > 
> > If the Cavs are in a mood to trade Anderson, they should offer him to Pitino
> > for next years 1st rounder and some player whose name is not <Mercer,
> > Potapenko, Battir, Walker, Pierce>. I would do the trade too.
> > 
> >       - Mishra
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: Way Of The Ray <wayray@ix.netcom.com>
> > Newsgroups: alt.sports.basketball.nba.boston-celtics
> > Cc: <celtics@igtc.com>
> > Sent: Monday, June 14, 1999 5:13 PM
> > Subject: Sam Smith's Draft And Trade Scenarios
> > 
> > > The Celtics, fortunately or unfortunately aren't mentioned...
> > >
> > 
> > ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
> > ----
> > 
> > >
> > >       NBA Report
> > >       Workouts will be crucial to Bulls draft
> > >
> > >       By Sam Smith
> > >       Tribune Staff Writer
> > >       June 14, 1999
> > >       One longtime Eastern Conference general manager was musing about
> > this
> > >       year's draft as the NBA predraft camp came to a close last week at
> > Moody
> > >       Bible Institute.
> > >       "Drafts usually go in tiers," the team official observed. "You have
> > a top
> > >       tier of players, like with Tim Duncan and Keith Van Horn two years
> > ago,
> > >       then a dropoff to another tier, than another dropoff to a third
> > tier. This
> > >       year you start at the second tier."
> > >       Which is why these next few weeks of continuing individual workouts
> > will
> > >       be crucial for the Bulls, who have the first pick.
> > >       There is not a lot of demand for the top players in this draft in
> > trades.
> > >       Several teams, such as Cleveland at No. 8, Toronto at No. 5 and
> > Charlotte
> > >       at No, 3, want to move up, but they aren't making significant
> > offers.
> > >       However, one deal reportedly being discussed appears appealing to
> > the
> > >       Bulls.
> > >       According to team officials, the Hornets are trying to trade Anthony
> > Mason
> > >       to Washington for the Wizards' No. 7 pick in the first round. They
> > then
> > >       would deal Nos. 3 and 7 to the Bulls for the No. 1 pick and
> > presumably
> > >       would take Maryland's Steve Francis. That would leave the Bulls with
> > a
> > >       chance to get Elton Brand at No. 3 and Corey Maggette or Wally
> > Szczerbiak
> > >       at No. 7.
> > >       Toronto also would like to get the athletic Francis, but has only
> > been
> > >       offering Doug Christie and its No. 5 pick to move up. Toronto's
> > feeling is
> > >       it still will get a good point guard--Utah's Andre Miller and
> > Arizona's
> > >       Jason Terry should still be available--even if it stays at No. 5, so
> > the
> > >       Raptors don't want to part with much.
> > >       Cleveland is desperate to get Szczerbiak, who played college ball in
> > Ohio,
> > >       both for the public relations impact and his scoring ability. But
> > the
> > >       Cavaliers have been offering Wesley Person, who has a big contract
> > through
> > >       2004, and the often-injured Derek Anderson. Neither draws any
> > interest
> > >       among the top teams, even with Cleveland's Nos. 8 and 11 picks
> > thrown in.
> > >       So the Bulls still may end up making the No. 1 pick and keeping it.
> > >       In fact, rarely in the history of the NBA has a team with the No. 1
> > pick
> > >       not used it and kept the player. It happened in 1993 when Orlando
> > traded
> > >       Chris Webber to Golden State for Anfernee Hardaway and future draft
> > picks,
> > >       but no other team has done it in the last 20 years.
> > >       The general consensus of general managers last week was that the
> > Bulls
> > >       were leaning between Rhode Island's 6-foot-9-inch Lamar Odom and
> > Brand,
> > >       though don't be surprised if Francis' athletic ability is too
> > tempting to
> > >       pass if they stay at No. 1.
> > >       Is Odom the best? Most team officials here last week believe that
> > Odom is
> > >       the most skilled player in this draft.
> > >       "He's probably the most gifted player in this draft," said one
> > general
> > >       manager. "He's more basketball player than athlete. He has a
> > tremendous
> > >       skill level for a player his size. But in temperament he's someone
> > who
> > >       would be served better by setting up his teammates than by being the
> > >       proverbial 'main man.' You can't expect him to carry a team on his
> > >       shoulders, but he can enhance a team."
> > >       For the Bulls, the question would be whether he can make Kornel
> > David and
> > >       Corey Benjamin better.
> > >       Odom also is considered a poor defender, though scouts point out
> > that
> > >       big-time offensive players in college often are asked to rest on
> > defense
> > >       and not be too aggressive so they'll stay out of foul trouble. And
> > several
> > >       liken him to Toni Kukoc, a tall player who is best on the perimeter.
> > He's
> > >       even left-handed. And comparing the two now, Kukoc is better.
> > >       Plus, Odom appears to want to go to Vancouver, which has the No. 2
> > pick in
> > >       the draft.
> > >       Odom studied the team before his workout last week, prompting
> > personnel
> > >       director Larry Riley to remark, "I would say he knows more about the
> > >       Vancouver Grizzlies than any other player that ever visited us. He's
> > ready
> > >       to embrace what's going on here."
> > >       But there appears to be a tug-of-war going on in Vancouver over
> > whether to
> > >       trade the pick.
> > >       General Manager Stu Jackson says Odom "is the type of player who
> > stirs the
> > >       drink. He's not necessarily the main course. It's interesting to me
> > his
> > >       favorite players were Larry Bird, Magic Johnson and Scottie Pippen.
> > That
> > >       tells you who he identifies with."
> > >       That being the players who like to pass the ball.
> > >       Jackson foresees moving Shareef Abdur-Rahim to power forward and
> > playing
> > >       Odom at small forward, where Pippen played for the Bulls.
> > >       But coach Brian Hill prefers to deal the pick for a player such as
> > Miami's
> > >       P.J. Brown after seeing the success Toronto had after adding Charles
> > >       Oakley to a young team.
> > >       "I'm more concerned with defending and rebounding," Hill said. "We
> > don't
> > >       need an All-Star-caliber player. What we really need is somebody who
> > can
> > >       do what we want done, and that is defend and rebound."
> > >       Given that division, it's hard to imagine that the Grizzlies would
> > offer
> > >       much to flip positions with the Bulls, who have to have questions
> > about
> > >       Odom, anyway, given their emphasis on defense for top young players.
> > >       Francis update: With Vancouver unlikely to trade up to No. 1,
> > Maryland's
> > >       Francis becomes an intriguing prospect. "He's incredibly explosive,"
> > >       marveled one general manager. "He's a player who is the epitome of
> > the
> > >       term 'upside.' At one point in high school, he was 5-3. He didn't
> > play
> > >       four years in high school, wasn't a big name, not nationally
> > recruited.
> > >       But you look at his athleticism and then review his career and it's
> > >       natural that he could become a heck of a lot better. That's what
> > happens
> > >       with the influx of young players. It's more projections."
> > >       There's much the same feeling about Bellwood's Maggette, who had a
> > >       somewhat unimpressive workout for all teams last week. Those
> > workouts are
> > >       at the player's option, and Maggette did little more than shoot,
> > which is
> > >       not his strength. For example, Miami's Szczerbiak also had a general
> > >       workout here last week and said he was disappointed when he hit
> > "just" 35
> > >       of 50 three-pointers. Maggette's shooting wasn't that good.
> > >       But Maggette is expected to impress more in individual team
> > workouts. It's
> > >       possible if the Bulls could get Toronto to give up Tracy McGrady and
> > No. 5
> > >       for the No. 1 pick, they'd select Maggette, who fits the athletic
> > profile
> > >       of the type of player the Bulls like.
> > >       Szczerbiak doesn't, but he works out for the Bulls this week, and if
> > he
> > >       should impress them, he also could fit in that No. 5 spot if the
> > Bulls
> > >       could make a trade.
> > >       Szczerbiak No. 1? One Eastern Conference general manager said last
> > week if
> > >       he had the No. 1 pick, he'd select Szczerbiak, because a potentially
> > great
> > >       shooter like Szczerbiak would fit his team the best of the top
> > players.
> > >       If Szczerbiak winds up No. 1, it would shake up the top of the
> > draft.
> > >       Right now, the consensus among general managers is, on talent, the
> > draft
> > >       should go like this: Odom, Francis, UCLA's Baron Davis, Brand,
> > Szczerbiak
> > >       and Maggette.
> > >       The next tier of players would include Connecticut's Richard
> > Hamilton,
> > >       Miller, Terry, Duke's William Avery and perhaps high-schooler
> > Jonathan
> > >       Bender or Yugoslavian center Aleksandar Radojevic.
> > >       The Bulls have needs at every position.
> > >       But Vancouver has a top guard in Mike Bibby. Both the Hornets at No.
> > 3 and
> > >       the Clippers at No. 4 favor a guard, though Charlotte could go with
> > >       Atlantic Coast Conference favorite Brand and try to move Mason.
> > >       The Hornets fear bringing the volatile and selfish Mason back into a
> > good
> > >       group they had after the trade for Eddie Jones and Elden Campbell
> > this
> > >       year.
> > >       The Clippers are eager to draft local favorite Davis, whom one
> > general
> > >       manager labels the best pure point guard in the draft, while Toronto
> > seeks
> > >       a point guard, and could settle for Miller, who is mature and
> > skilled at
> > >       running an offense already.
> > >       Minnesota, which could lose free agent Terrell Brandon, also wants a
> > point
> > >       guard at No. 6, though bad decisions and bad luck have robbed them
> > of
> > >       talent with which to trade up. Washington, at No. 7 is uncertain
> > because
> > >       of the possibility of Isiah Thomas taking control, while the
> > Cavaliers
> > >       yearn for Szczerbiak.
> > >       "Toronto needs a point guard, Minnesota wants one, so does Golden
> > State
> > >       and the Clippers," notes one personnel director. "If you are on the
> > verge
> > >       of making the playoffs, once you get past the first few in the field
> > and
> > >       don't think there is anybody whose upside is so dramatic, then you
> > abandon
> > >       the best athlete and fill your need."
> > >       First-rounders: At the predraft camp, where mostly lesser-known
> > players
> > >       vie for a chance to move into the first round, it was generally
> > agreed
> > >       that players such as Calvin Booth of Penn State, Michael Ruffin of
> > Tulsa,
> > >       Lee Nailon of TCU, Roberto Bergersen of Boise State and Chris Herren
> > of
> > >       Fresno State, Melvin Levett of Cincinnati, Lonnie Cooper of
> > Louisiana
> > >       Tech, Vontego Cummings of Pittsburgh and Kenny Thomas of New Mexico
> > should
> > >       find themselves in the first round of the draft.
> > >
> > >       (C) Chicago Tribune 1999
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
>