RE: Mercer on the block? One speculative scenario. . .

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

I’ve been trying to wrack my brain concerning what team the Celts might
deal Mercer, Barros and/or Battie to and receive quality in return. Most of
the potential scenarios seems to have significant shortcomings. I’ll
briefly review them.

I have serious doubts about Vin Baker’s value and in any case Seattle gives
all appearances of wanting to build around Baker and Payton. Also at this
point I’d be seriously surprised if Portland were to tamper with this
season’s success. With regards to Houston, Eric Dickerson shows promise and
can already hit the three more proficiently (and more cheaply) than Mercer.
Dale Davis would be a nice addition, but such a trade hardly exploits
Mercer’s full trade value. Likewise with Mitch Richmond who, remember, will
not only be 34 years old by next season but will also not come cheap. Penny
Hardaway would be an intriguing addition, but apart from questions about
his attitude or durability, his addition would not solve our problems at
PF. Anthony Mason has been suggested as one possibility, but why would
Charlotte want to pick up where LA left off and crowd Eddie Jones at the
2-spot when all indications point to their desire to sign him? Danny
Fortson and Keon Clark have also been brought up, but that would require
Denver shifting Mercer to SF and begs the question of whether two players
with a combined three years pro experience are the final pieces to the
playoff puzzle. That same caveat extends to the variety of scenarios
involving the Clippers.

Phoenix has just endured a disappointing season, one in which not only did
they lose out on the Scottie Pippen sweepstakes but also lost their own
free-agent (McDyess) and in consequence had to scramble to save face by
signing Tom Gugliotta. Their first round exit marks the fourth year in
succession they’ve suffered such a fate, a fate which is in some ways the
worst of both worlds: no lottery pick and no chance at a championship. Rex
“Wonderdog” Chapman’s game is not aging gracefully, Luc Longley is not the
answer (there’s a surprise!) and Gugliotta - while putting up gaudy stats -
has apparently not endeared himself to management. Meanwhile Jason Kidd has
run himself into the ground trying to keep the Suns competitive. I’ve
included clips from the Phoenix post-mortem below (The full articles can be
accessed at www.azcentral.com).

If Pitino is looking to solidify the PF spot with a veteran presence Tom
Gugliotta (6-10, 240, 29 years of age) might be the best prospect. He has a
solid all around game (48.3 FG% –> 15th in NBA; 28.6 3FG%; 79.4 FT%; 3.0
OffRb; 8.9 TotRb –> 19th in NBA; 2.8 apg; 1.37 spg; 0.49 bpg; 17.0 ppg) and
possesses the skills, smarts and attitude to be a very complementary player
who could lead through the example of his unselfish play. His major
drawback seems to be the fact that he’s not as beefy as some PFs and was
abused by Brian Grant in the just completed series (but then who hasn’t
been abused by Brian Grant this year?).

Gugliotta has a high price-tag (7.8 mil) but - unlike Mercer - he’s a
proven 7 year vet. The Cs could offer Mercer (2 mil), Barros (3.5 mil), and
cap space (Pervis Ellison’s roughly 2.5 mil represents the last year of his
contract, making it a somewhat attractive prospect). 

Pitino would get a versatile, veteran presence at PF - and perhaps a
reliable go-to guy - who would allow Pitino to shift Walker to SF and
Pierce to SG. All these things would go a long way towards helping redeem
Pitino’s playoff pledge. In Mercer Phoenix would get an up-and-coming SG (a
crucial position in Phoenix’s system), a back-up for Kidd who can drill the
three in Barros (who, since Kidd is 6-4, could play alongside Kidd if Ainge
decides to play small-ball), and a 2 mil slot for the next century.

I’ve noticed that we have some list members from the sunny climes of AZ.
How does this speculative scenario strike you? Is it potentially realistic
or is Gugliotta deemed an untouchable key to Phoenix’s future? Admittedly,
this trade would not address Phoenix’s softness up front, but it would
allow them to start Danny Manning if Ainge were so inclined, or shift Cliff
Robinson to PF and start George McCloud or Pat Garrity at SF. While these
adjustments might not solve the softness problem they do strike me as steps
in that direction.

Let me conclude by answering Jim Mennino’s Question: although this would
represent a major shakeup of the Celts, the quality and complementary
nature of Gugliotta’s skills and his veteran experience - in combination
with a full training camp - makes this trade one that in my opinion would
improve the Celts’ chances at making the playoffs next year as well as
enhancing the team’s fortunes in years to come.

Best wishes

Tom Murphy
-----------------------------------

By Dan Bickley
The Arizona Republic
May 13, 1999 

“The Suns have two draft picks. One [from Dallas] is guaranteed to be in
the top 11 and has a 36-in-1,000 chance to be the No. 1 pick. The other is
their own, a No. 16 selection they will likely ship off to the Bulls as
payment for Luc Longley. If they get lucky, maybe Corey Maggette or Elton
Brand or Wally Szczerbiak lands in Phoenix. The Suns also have two NBA
exceptions for next season, and with one-third of the league about to turn
free agent, their $2 million slot could attract an impact player. But the
warning signs are everywhere. And if the younger Colangelo doesn't hit on
every maneuver, this may take a while. "The front office has to do what it
can to make the team better, not one that can't get out of the first
round," Kidd said. "The biggest thing is we have to be a lot tougher on the
inside." If nothing else, you can marvel at the foundation. Kidd's
emergence as an MVP candidate and humble leader was breathtaking, inspiring
and Jordanesque. His relentless drive fueled everything that was good about
this basketball team. But against the Trail Blazers, he was nowhere near
the force he had been for 50 games. And maybe all those abusive minutes
finally took their toll on his legs.”

“Oh, and another thing: If there is an unsung hero of this disjointed
season, it's Cliff Robinson. All season, he provided the courage and the
glare and the rare element of toughness. He has grown up significantly
since he wore a headband and the enemy's jersey. He has steadily climbed
into a wonderful comfort zone, quietly ascending to the elite group of
players in the NBA. It is nothing short of a travesty that Robinson was
left off the NBA's all-defensive team, especially since Karl Malone landed
on the first unit. "Cliff did everything humanly possible to help us win
tonight," Kidd said. Yet, in many ways, Game 3 was a microcosm for the
entire season. The mystery of Rex Chapman. The struggles of Longley. The
wavering effectiveness of Tom Gugliotta. The lack of minutes given to Pat
Garrity, who continues to play with extreme confidence. A huge deficit and
a gutsy rally. And, in the end, a team that couldn't make plays down the
stretch. "We have to understand that you have to execute to be successful,"
Kidd said. "This team is going to be together for a while." Only time will
tell whether that's reason to cheer. Or cover your eyes.”

By Norm Frauenheim
The Arizona Republic
May 13, 1999

“For long stretches in the season, Chapman tried to deny that he was the
key to the Suns' chances at successful season. Basketball is not a one-man
game, to be sure. Nonetheless, Chapman's jumper was the key, simply because
the Suns weren't built with an inside component. As it turned out, there
was no complement to Chapman's jumper. The Suns had some hopes center Luc
Longley might prove to be that other piece when they signed him. But
Longley has become just another former player with championship rings, from
his days with the Chicago Bulls. He got all his help from Michael Jordan.
He didn't prove to be much help at all. Suns Coach Danny Ainge even
reverted to a version of small ball against the Blazers. In Game 3,
swingman Danny Manning, instead of Longley, got the start against mammoth
Arvydas Sabonis. In the end, as in the beginning, all eyes turned to
Chapman. In Game 3, he was 2 for 7 from the floor. For the series, he was 6
for 21 and averaged 5.6 points. In regular-season play, the Suns were 8-1
when he scored at least 16 points. When he didn't, there was only
futility.”