Fw: The Boston Celtics Mailing List Digest V6 #393

["Tommy Harris" <sportalk@traveller.com>]

Fellow, Celtics Fans,
I've read most of the mailing list digest and have come to the conclusion
that some of people who are active at the site have some good basketball
knowledge, while others ... let's just say that I'm glad that they are not
making the personnel moves for the Celtics!

Potapenko Trade:    Hands down, the Celtics came out better than Cleveland.
Andrew was an 11th man at best on any Championship team. As for the #1,
which many praised the point guard Andre Miller was the answer, please!
Miller may in fact turn out to be a 'good' pro. But after Richard Hamilton
was selected at 7, Miller and the next level of talent was average at best.
What would Miller do to contribute immediately?  Wait until he's having to
guard Iverson or gets guarded by Jalen Rose or Sprewell.  Potapenko is super
strong, won't punk out to the Eastern intimidators (see Charles Oakley, see
Alonzo Mourning),  has a nice 8-10' baseline jumper, puts that butt on
someone when clearing out, will deliver in pressure situations, will
'consistently' work hard to get better (check out his work ethic over the
summer), and will quietly average at least 12 points and 7 rebounds without
a 'I-gots-to-get-mine' attitude.  Potapenko may not be an All-star or even
'starter' (NBA Championship team) material.  However, he will be far more
effective than Andrew DeClerqc and a rookie!

Mercer Trade:  Let me get this straight.  There are those of you who believe
that the Celtics got screwed in thew deal.  Yeah, right!  If Rick ever broke
it off in someone ... he did it to Denver.  Mercer, Popeye, and a piece of
Shitinus for D Fortson, E Williams, E Washington, and a future #1 .... Rick
... this Bud's for you!  Mercer is coming off of an improved year and will
eventually be a solid player.  Popeye is damaged goods.  Dwayne is
weak-foreign-league material.   However, anything above $3.5-4.0 Million per
season would have been too much for Mercer.  Six year - $71 Million for
Mercer?  Mercer and his Master need to quit dreaming.  Danny Fortson is
already a much better rebounder and offensive threat than Popeye.  Fortson
is also super strong with a big butt for clearing out like Potapenko.
Compare Mercer to both Eric Williams and Eric Washington.  Mercer is
definitely a better midrange shooter and consistently makes the
pull-up-off-of-the-pick shot.  Mercer, though, will not draw near the
contact that Williams can, cannot stroke the three nearly as consistently as
Washington, and both Eric's play much better defense.  Add in the fact that
Denver has to deal in contract talks with P and throw in a future Lottery
pick ( Denver is going nowhere soon ) ... looks as if Denver got 'roughed
up' a bit!

As for trading A Walker:  Let's give the guy a break.  If he shows up
overweight, then run the pants off of him ( I'm sure Rick will ).  The
Celtics should not trade Walker unless he becomes a detriment to his
teammates.  Walker does not need to develop a Scottie Pippen or Karl Malone
type of body.  What Rick should tell him is to play a Magic Johnson type of
game.  If Walker could do for the Celtics what Magic did for the Lakers,
then the quest for another NBA Championship is on the horizon.

As for the Tim Duncan and Grant Hill Free Agent Sweepstakes next season:
Tim Duncan is going nowhere.  San Antonio will resign him and he'll end his
career with the Spurs.  Grant Hill, though, will probably bolt the Pistons,
unless he gets traded to a team who he's agree to an extension with.
However, if there is any cap room available to get him next season ... DO
IT!  He's a triple-double threat every night and plays hard all of the time
on both ends of the floor.  A winner, a class act, a piece to a
Championship.



-----Original Message-----
From: HARRIS-TL@redstone.army.mil <HARRIS-TL@redstone.army.mil>
To: sportalk@traveller.com <sportalk@traveller.com>
Date: Wednesday, September 15, 1999 8:29 AM
Subject: The Boston Celtics Mailing List Digest V6 #393


>
>The Boston Celtics Mailing List Digest
> Wednesday, September 15 1999 Volume 06 : Number 393
>
>
>
>In this issue:
>
>        Re: Hill not our answer
>        Celtics Center preseason preview
>        Re: Celtics Center preseason preview
>        News
>        Hill/Walker
>        RE: Hill not our answer
>        RE: Celtics Center preseason preview
>
>----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>Date: Tue, 14 Sep 1999 09:52:50 +0800
>From: "Jaime Salud Castillo, Jr." <jaims@philonline.com>
>Subject: Re: Hill not our answer
>
>I agree with this one.  Our two best have big potentials but Hill already
>has the full potentials (maturity wise and physically wise) in place and
>it's just a matter of right time, coaching and right teammates til he could
>get the "winning" thing.
>- ----- Original Message -----
>From: Josh Ozersky <josh_ozersky@yahoo.com>
>To: Gene Kirkpatrick <gkir@tjc.tyler.cc.tx.us>; <celtics@igtc.com>
>Sent: Tuesday, September 14, 1999 3:54 AM
>Subject: Re: Hill not our answer
>
>
>> I love Pierce and Walker, but at this point in their
>> careers, Grant Hill is better than the two of them put
>> together.  No disrespect:  he's a bona fide superstar,
>> the top player in the NBA along with Tim Duncan.  He
>> brings it every night, and he brings it in almost
>> every department.  He IS that team.  Neither of our
>> guys have proved they can have that kind of consistent
>> excellence.
>>
>> --- Gene Kirkpatrick <gkir@tjc.tyler.cc.tx.us> wrote:
>> > We already have Paul Pierce.  And Walker is better
>> > than Grant Hill.
>> >
>> > And Fortson for Jalen Rose?  I want someone who will
>> > crash through a
>> > wall to get the ball.  Rose impresses me as well
>> > rounded, but in a
>> > dilettantish way.  Let's dive for the ball again.
>> >
>> > Gene
>> >
>> >
>>
>> __________________________________________________
>> Do You Yahoo!?
>> Bid and sell for free at http://auctions.yahoo.com
>>
>>
>
>------------------------------
>
>Date: Tue, 14 Sep 1999 11:23:07 -0700 (PDT)
>From: Josh Ozersky <josh_ozersky@yahoo.com>
>Subject: Celtics Center preseason preview
>
>For Bskball.com -- not much here most of you haven't
>heard....still, a good enough overview in these slow
>days.  This is part one.
>
>Celtics Pre-Preseason Preview
>
>
>Most previews are released in October, but the
>painfully slow news month of September necessitated my
>writing this preview now.  That, and the appearance of
>so much uninformed, facile commentary by sports
>savants:  taken together, these factors were enough to
>make me take pen in hand, and give my predictions for
>how I expect our team and players to perform this
>season.  I will say upfront that I expect us to make
>the playoffs; but whether this comes as an
>underachieving, backwards limp won on the last day vs.
>the Nets, or in the resplendent finery of the NBA
>arriviste, depends on how the following players
>perform.  This is the first of two parts.
>
>THE STARTERS
>
>Kenny Anderson:  far and away the team's biggest
>questionmark, KA has been held to be the key to the
>season by most Celtics observers.  When playing well,
>as he did after coming over from the Blazers two
>seasons ago, the team blew out its oppents, and scored
>well over 100 points with ease, or would have had the
>scrubs not come on in the fourth quarter.  Last
>season, the player of whom Rick Pitino had said "you
>don't get any better than Kenny Anderson for point
>guard skills" turned himself into an overdribbling,
>overdriving, underpassing Adrian Dantley wanna be.
>Whether this was the result of his trying to put the
>team on his shoulders, or a byproduct of his divorce
>and other personal pathologies, the world may never
>know.  The question remains, can and will Kenny get in
>shape to run and run, and release the ball early in
>the break, to throw overhanded baseball passes
>downcourt, to penetrate with an eye toward passing, to
>run pick and rolls with Antoine Walker and Paul
>Pierce?  Or will he call his own number again and
>again?  If he does, expect to see Wayne Turner getting
>a lot of minutes and eventually starting.  Turner is
>an unflashy, underrated player who might be the
>perfect point guard for this team.  ideally, though,
>he should get groomed in a successful atmosphere.
>
>Paul Pierce:  everyone is expecting Paul Pierce to be
>a world-beater this semester, and his move to shooting
>guard should allow him to beat the hell out of smaller
>players.  But I suspect that a sophomore slump may
>greet Pierce this season, despite all his working out,
>and it may last several months into the campaign.  I
>saw a lot of Pierce last season, and his game is not
>at world-beater status yet.  He still depends far too
>much on hanging out at the three point line, and
>calling for the ball on the left side of the basket
>for a baseline spin.  The former move will never go
>out of style, but it stagnates the offense and wastes
>Pierce's passing and foul-attraction skills.  The
>latter move displays two things that are bad:  a lack
>of quickness (Pierce seldom got around defenders who
>knew the move was coming) and worse, a stubborn desire
>to stay in a comfort zone, even when it hurt his game.
> I think Pierce has a great first step and he knows
>how to react to what the defense gives him, but he has
>to assert himself and at the same time have that
>happen within the context of the team.  Getting rid of
>Ron Mercer was a good step in that direction, but I
>would like to see Pierce score more in transition, and
>in the halfcourt set I would like to see him post up
>smaller players for turnaround jumpers, spins to both
>directions, and a variety of hooks and drop steps.  On
>bigger players, that first step should get him by, and
>open up another player for an easy two.  That's the
>way Larry Bird did it, and Bird should be Pierce's
>model.  (His game resembles Larry's far more than
>Antoine's does.)  Which brings up
>
>Antoine Walker:  I expect Antoine to have a really big
>year this year.  I think he knows that he lost a lot
>of hard-earned respect around the league last year,
>and I think that he is ready for his breakout season.
>Expect Antoine to shoot better from the line, to keep
>up his amazing (for a star forward) 3point shooting,
>to lose a rebound or two from his statistics with his
>move away from the basket, and to improve
>significantly in defense and passing.  Antoine is not
>going to have the disciplined, Oscar Roberts-type game
>Pitino wants at this stage in his career - he's too
>emotional a player, and too good not to be delighted
>with the in-your-face magic he can perform on lesser
>men to not go for 25 or more every night, sometimes at
>the expense of a wiser gameplan.  Nonetheless, if he
>can develop any kind of passing synergy with Paul
>Pierce, the Celtics will have a nigh-unstoppable
>scoring machine on their hands.  (Better than Dale
>Davis, no?  Holy Cow, will the celtics rue the day
>they considered trading him for that mediocrity.)  The
>main flaw with Antoine's game last year was defense,
>and that will be remedied by physical commitment, and
>his getting burned in early games by quicker players.
>Antoine will never have the physical tools on defense
>of Scottie Pippen or for that matter Tony Battie, but
>he knows where he is supposed to be, and when he digs
>in, can shut down most players using the same
>aggressiveness and consciencelessness that he shows on
>offense.  The highlight of last year was watching
>Antoine shut down Tim Hardaway on an isolation,
>barking at the crossover king to bring it, and then
>slapping the ball out of his hands en route to sinking
>a three pointer of his own.  (After which, you may
>remember, he won the game in the last second on a
>three point bank-in.)
>
>Antoine can flat out play, and last season should be
>thrown out entirely.  I think you will see something
>this season more along the lines of the Kentucky
>Antoine, working within a team context far more
>smoothly, and blossomly more individually as a result.
>
>Danny Fortson:  I have received no small amount of
>criticism from my peers in geekdom about my
>inflexible, adamantine stance on this issue, but I
>stick with it:  if you would prefer Ron Mercer on the
>Celtics to Danny Fortson, you are not all there.  (and
>that's not even counting Eric Williams, Eric
>Washington, and a sure lottery pick).  Fortson is the
>Paul Silas/Dennis Rodman we have desperately needed on
>this team, and if he does for us what he did for
>Denver - cleaning up the boards, doing the dirty work
>down low, and not asking for the ball, the Celtics
>will have the most desirable combination in all of
>team sports:  tough, blue collar, gritty power where
>you need it AND flashy, talented, highlight reel
>finesse where you need that.  Fortson will give us, I
>would guess, 10-12 points a night on putbacks, dunks,
>and, as the season wears on, open jump shots make
>available by double teams of Paul and Antoine, and
>hopefully Kenny.  (his PPG may rise as the season
>wears on)  But what he will do to other power players
>- the Oakleys and Willeses who have abused us for so
>long, will be a joy to behold.  And his defensive
>rebounding will help us to grind teams like Miami into
>the earth, which depend on multiple possessions for
>every win.
>
>Vitaly Potapenko:  Vitaly can be a standout player in
>the NBA if he is used right.  If Pitino tries to make
>him set picks up high, run pick and rolls, etc. he
>will look bad.  He doesn't have good hands, and when
>he gets the ball while he is moving around on the
>perimeter he holds it as if it is a screeching wildcat
>instead of an inanimate rubber sphere.  But if the
>coaching staff gets wise to his monumental physical
>presence, basketball fundamentals, and surprising
>passing touch, they may find out how effective V can
>be when you run the offense through him down low
>where he belongs.  Potapenko on offense can sink the
>15 footer, but  he shouldn't be out there.  He should
>be exploiting the three quarters of the centers in the
>league whom he clearly outclasses, and demanding
>respect from his betters, so as to pass inside-out
>when we play against them.  On defense, he will make
>every center from Shaquille O'Neal on down work to
>score and get rebounds.  He can single team Shaq,
>double team Duncan, and make those caliber players
>defend him so they can't just hang around waiting to
>block our shots.  VP is to my mind the third most
>valuable acquisition the team has made in the last ten
>years, but if he is to have a great year on offense,
>he has to be used right.  On D, you can pencil in his
>contribution unless he gets fat or injured.  And under
>Pitino he won't be getting fat.
>
>The only question with this group of starters is
>whether they can play the press.  I think you have to
>fairly say the answer is that they can't.  When out
>there as such, these five will rely on man to man D,
>and occasional pressure to disrupt offenses.  But all
>these players can and will play the press as part of
>larger substitution patterns.  Potapenko is really the
>only one that isn't equipped to press, and so he
>probably won't.  The rest will do their part and, in
>the case of Kenny, Antoine, and Fortson, appear to be
>better defenders then they are.  You can make a case
>for the Kings, but this is far and away the most
>exciting young starting unit in the NBA right now to
>my way of thinking.  But don't expect them to play
>together as a unit for very many minutes.
>
>NEXT WEEK:  the all-important bench
>
>
>__________________________________________________
>Do You Yahoo!?
>Bid and sell for free at http://auctions.yahoo.com
>
>------------------------------
>
>Date: Tue, 14 Sep 1999 12:42:37 PDT
>From: "Jim Meninno" <jim_meninno@hotmail.com>
>Subject: Re: Celtics Center preseason preview
>
>>From: Josh Ozersky <josh_ozersky@yahoo.com>
>
>>The highlight of last year was watching
>>Antoine shut down Tim Hardaway on an isolation,
>>barking at the crossover king to bring it, and then
>>slapping the ball out of his hands en route to sinking
>>a three pointer of his own.  (After which, you may
>>remember, he won the game in the last second on a
>>three point bank-in.)
>
>Speaking of which, I think this is the featured rebroadcast on FSNE
tonight.
>  Can anyone confirm?  If anyone hasn't seen this game yet, try to catch
the
>ending, you won't be disappointed!
>
>Jim
>
>______________________________________________________
>Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com
>
>------------------------------
>
>Date: Tue, 14 Sep 1999 22:32:43 -0400
>From: "R. Bentz Kirby" <bocelts@usit.net>
>Subject: News
>
>News, but not Celtic news.  First, Dan Issel has retaken the position as
>coach of the Denver Nuggets.  That is interesting.
>
>http://espn.go.com/nba/news/1999/0914/57678.html
>
>Ron says that Dan is a straightforward guy and he respects that.  Sounds
>like a swipe at his old coach to me.
>
>Second, Jayson Williams had knee surgery and is out until January.
>Things don't look good for the Nets.  This may help Boston.
>
>http://espn.go.com/nba/news/1999/0914/58136.html
>
>- --
>
>Bentz Kirby
>bocelts@usit.net
>http://www.public.usit.net/bocelts/
>
>------------------------------
>
>Date: Tue, 14 Sep 1999 23:17:34 -0400
>From: "pgoggin@uh.healthbridge.org" <pgoggin@uh.healthbridge.org>
>Subject: Hill/Walker
>
>Josh,
>        Hill's as good as Pierce and Walker put together?  You say he's a
>bonafide superstar that "brings it every night" and in the process brings
his
>team to the lottery every year.  Walker is, or soon will be better than
Hill.
>There is ONE player in the leage I'd trade Antoine straight up for.  And
yes, I
>do apreciate the irony of my argument.  If Walker is still leading us to
ther
>lottery after five years, he deserves the same criticism.
>        Short and sweet, I've left my lurking as inspired by Joe.  By the
way,
>I'll be attending the Lexington preasesaon game and thanks to the
shortsighted
>staffs at NBC and Turner sports, it will be one of the 3 times all year I
get to
>watch the boys. . .until the playoffs.
>
>Goggin in Cincinnati
>
>- --
>HealthEmail provided by HealthBridge
>
>------------------------------
>
>Date: Tue, 14 Sep 1999 21:02:45 -0700
>From: "John Lyell" <Jlyell@concentric.net>
>Subject: RE: Hill not our answer
>
>Got to go with Josh on this one. Neither Pierce nor Walker is the player
>Hill is. This guy is a proven star, the one thing we do not have. I think
in
>time Paul Pierce will be an all-star, but think Hill is a better fit as far
>as putting together a championship team, and definitely a better 3 than
>Walker will ever be as far as all around game, that is why teams position
>themselves for a chance why Walker & Anderson get little interest for any
>real trade value . Guys like Hill & Duncan have character, the one thing
>Walker has not shown as of yet.
>
>
>
>
>- -----Original Message-----
>From: owner-celtics@igtc.com [mailto:owner-celtics@igtc.com]On Behalf Of
>Josh Ozersky
>Sent: Monday, September 13, 1999 12:55 PM
>To: Gene Kirkpatrick; celtics@igtc.com
>Subject: Re: Hill not our answer
>
>
>I love Pierce and Walker, but at this point in their
>careers, Grant Hill is better than the two of them put
>together.  No disrespect:  he's a bona fide superstar,
>the top player in the NBA along with Tim Duncan.  He
>brings it every night, and he brings it in almost
>every department.  He IS that team.  Neither of our
>guys have proved they can have that kind of consistent
>excellence.
>
>- --- Gene Kirkpatrick <gkir@tjc.tyler.cc.tx.us> wrote:
>> We already have Paul Pierce.  And Walker is better
>> than Grant Hill.
>>
>> And Fortson for Jalen Rose?  I want someone who will
>> crash through a
>> wall to get the ball.  Rose impresses me as well
>> rounded, but in a
>> dilettantish way.  Let's dive for the ball again.
>>
>> Gene
>>
>>
>
>__________________________________________________
>Do You Yahoo!?
>Bid and sell for free at http://auctions.yahoo.com
>
>------------------------------
>
>Date: Tue, 14 Sep 1999 21:06:11 -0700
>From: "John Lyell" <Jlyell@concentric.net>
>Subject: RE: Celtics Center preseason preview
>
>My memories of him last year were getting dominated by Brian Grant & Kevin
>Willis & Oakley.
>
>- -----Original Message-----
>From: owner-celtics@igtc.com [mailto:owner-celtics@igtc.com]On Behalf Of
>Jim Meninno
>Sent: Tuesday, September 14, 1999 12:43 PM
>To: josh_ozersky@yahoo.com; celtics@igtc.com
>Subject: Re: Celtics Center preseason preview
>
>
>>From: Josh Ozersky <josh_ozersky@yahoo.com>
>
>>The highlight of last year was watching
>>Antoine shut down Tim Hardaway on an isolation,
>>barking at the crossover king to bring it, and then
>>slapping the ball out of his hands en route to sinking
>>a three pointer of his own.  (After which, you may
>>remember, he won the game in the last second on a
>>three point bank-in.)
>
>Speaking of which, I think this is the featured rebroadcast on FSNE
tonight.
>  Can anyone confirm?  If anyone hasn't seen this game yet, try to catch
the
>ending, you won't be disappointed!
>
>Jim
>
>______________________________________________________
>Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com
>
>------------------------------
>
>End of The Boston Celtics Mailing List Digest V6 #393
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