rumors

[mberry@journalink.com (Mark Berry)]

I have to say, I was fired up when I started reading posts about the Mercer/
Battie/No. 1 for Taylor/Wright deal. Then I realized it was just a figment of 
someone's imagination. 

I can't believe any Celtics fan wouldn't love this. I'd hate to see Mercer go, 
but he's basically all we'd lose and we'd pick up a young Otis Thorpe (Taylor) 
and a young Jayson Williams (Wright). It would be a great deal. Too bad it's not 
going to happen.

I'm steadfastly against dealing Antoine for Robinson. Mercer, I might do (I'm 
not going to get into the Walker/Mercer comparisons here). 

Finally, someone mentioned a rumor about a possible Ervin Johnson deal and that 
probably makes the most sense. We'd most likely get him for something other than 
one of the big four and he would be a definite upgrade at the center position. I 
think this was lost in the Barros-Wesley rumor. I'm also against that by the way 
(because of Wesley's contract) unless Wesley then was to be shipped out for a 
frontcourt player (the Clippers maybe?)

Anyway, I'm leaning toward shopping Mercer for a big body. This team gets killed 
inside, which forces them to collapse and leave perimeter people wide open. We 
desperately need big people, or at least one big person, who can defend a post 
player one-on-one and not force the rest of the team to compensate for his 
deficiency.

My take,

Mark

P.S. Lottery watchers should check out ESPN. Wally Szczerbiak's Miami RedHawks 
are playing in the MAC championship game.