Re: News

[Alex Wang <awang@mit.edu>]

> I saw Turner at Kentucky & the Summer pro league and would not call him a
> true point.  He has never been that impressive, that is why he went
> undrafted. Kevin Ollie & former Laker Duane Cooper looked better at FILA.
> Expect about as much out of Turner as we get out of McCarty, pretty much
> nothing, I'd take Damon Jones or ollie over him,but then Pitino can't find a
> lot of players who really want to play for him.
 
Damon Jones or Kevin Ollie are borderline player (like Turner) just trying 
to make it in the NBA. You make it sound like they turned Pitino down or
something, when they would have loved to make the team. Why does this idea
that players don't want to play for Pitino persist? Didn't Cheaney turn
down Miami (a supposedly desirable warm-weather contending team) for Boston?

The only occasions that I can recall that Pitino's free agent money was
rejected for a lesser deal was by Derek Strong (Orlando) and Michael Stewart
(Raptors). Both of these players were rewarded a year later with large
extensions so there's a possibility of under-the-table dealing having 
happened too.

I'd agree that we probably won't see much of a contribution from Turner
unless there is an injury to Anderson or Barros. Possibly he could be 
called on to defend post-up points like Jackson, but with the rules changes
that may be less important. My guess is that he'll be slowly groomed to
be a replacement for Barros, who will be 34 when his contract expires in
2001.

Alex