Kenny Anderson and Ron Mercer. . .

["Thomas Murphy" <tfmiii@worldnet.att.net>]

. . .could provide an older team with a brand new backcourt - if the rumors
of their being on the block are true. 

Just quickly glancing at the standings, I notice two teams struggling out
West in the Pacific division and in danger of not making the playoffs: the
Suns and the Sonics. Both teams are a bit long in the tooth and could
really use a young hot-shot shooting guard to make their up-tempo offenses
hum (Sorry, Rex and Hersey). 

Also both, as you no doubt know, have all-star caliber pointguards who are
currently grinding themselves into dust trying to carry what are otherwise
mediocre (and rapidly aging) squads. This could be a chance for the Cs to
acquire a tested, tall (both Payton and Kidd stand 6'4"), and talented
pointman. 

The only hitch? Convincing one of the above mentioned teams to part with
their best all-around player. The numbers could be made to work - with a
little tinkering (Kidd $6.041 mil, Payton $8.715 mil, Kenny Anderson and
Ron Mercer $7.878 mil combined for *this year*). Kidd is five years younger
than Payton ('73 versus '68) but otherwise there seems little to
distinguish between them: they're both topshelf, in their own way!

I haven't thought this through in any great detail. I just thought I'd
throw it out there to see what kind of reaction it would get. The key, of
course, are the sinking fortunes of two once proud franchises - *despite*
career years from their pointmen - and the subsequent reaction of their
GMs. If both continue to sink and miss the playoffs - who knows? Wally
Walker is a stiff, but he may also lack the gumption to pull the trigger on
such a daring deal. Colangelo is no stranger to gambles - having once
traded his best player (PF Larry Nance along with a PG by the name of Mark
Price) for Kevin Johnson. Kenny should flourish in the loosey-goosey
up-tempo West Coast style employed by both teams (and I suspect that there
wouldn't be any problems with his reporting to his new team) and Mercer, if
he to ever do more than scratch the surface of his potential, should be the
featured player on a fastbreaking offense (the type of offense Pitino
promised us before he became Pat Riley's kid brother).

Off the wall or what? At least Mercer would be on the WC, where he could
only torment us twice a year for the next fifteen (barring a Finals
match-up, of course). What d'ya think? 

Best wishes - Tom Murphy