Re: Griffin

[opi@unesco.org]

> Also, one thing I've been wondering about is when are the Celtics going
> to sign Griffin to a contract extension?  This guy is too good to let him
> go.  We've got to sign him up long-term.  I think they should do it now
> before everyone in the league knows how good he is and his price goes up.
> As a non-starter, his value will be slower to go up in the minds of other
> teams.

I would think that if the Celtics can make the playoffs and win a few playoff
games, Gaston will be willing to sign the 23-year-old Fortson and 25-year-old
Griffin long term (Pierce is okay for another two seasons after this) with a
lot less hesitation than we'd imagine, based on his ultimatum (a total budget
not exceeding the NBA salary cap plus two veteran exemptions).

IMO, what probably most upset Gaston in the recent past was paying out fat,
longterm contracts to other young players prior to having any evidence that
they were the right guys to turn the team around. Personally, I think Gaston
has been pleading austerity and budgets with Pitino mainly to make the coach
squirm a little, sort of as payback for all the fast-talking that made him
okay the deals for the 24-year-old Potapenko and Antoine: two guys the Boston
media have consistently referred to as a "backup" and the NBA's "most hated
player" respectively.

In the end, it won't come down to money as much as Pitino's ability to coach
this year's Celtics into the playoffs (an unhealthy point guard could ruin
the season). If he fails to do this --regardless of excuses -- Gaston may
think twice about signing the same cast of characters long-term. I wouldn't
necessarily blame him.

Also, Fortson must have a solid season. IMO the Celtics aren't nearly a
dominant enough rebounding team to consistently run the break (especially
against playoff defense), yet he will almost surely cost a lot of "Benjamins3
to re-sign as low-scoring, "undersized" players with no winning resumé go.
This could make Gaston think twice and let him walk, particularly if the
Celts don't make the playoffs again and Peter May idiotically refers to
Fortson as "really a small forward" (remember, he called Potapenko "really a
power forward" because he's 6-10). In this sense, I think Pitino needs to
showcase Fortson and let the fans grow to appreciate him, even if it means
he'll end up costing a little more to re-sign.

I know that Gaston isn't Paul Allen ("the accidental billionaire"), but I
honestly believe he won't let money get in the way of re-signing these guys.
The Celts have generally been pretty smart in signing role players, and few
NBA teams right now can boast of having not one but three unselfish players
with the attitude, hustle and toughness of a Griffin, Fortson and Vitaly.
They are just still too young, like our two principal scorers (Pierce and
Antoine).

****