Re: Retired Numbers/Trade

[Way Of The Ray <wayray@ix.netcom.com>]

> Subject: Retired Numbers/Trade
> Date: Wed, 29 Sep 1999 08:47:08 -0700 (PDT)
> From: Michael Gooen <callmebogie@yahoo.com>
> To: celtics@igtc.com
 <snips> 

> As for WayRay's Kevin Willis rumor -- completely
> preposterous.

Preposterous is you're underrating of Willis. He's by far better
than anyone the C's currently have at center.  37 years old,
.418 shooting percentage and not wanting to play the position -
Still better than anyone the C's have at center.


  Giving up Antoine Walker for a 36 year
> old 7 footer who hates playing center and a marginal
> NBA talent like McGrady (athletic potential
> notwithstanding, that's all McGrady is so far) is
> insane.

Insane is what Pitino will be, if Walker shows up for camp out of
shape and disrupts Il Duce's system for the second year in a row.
This deal will be angelic compared to some of the other offers
Pitino receives for Walker as he deperately tries to move him. 


  Giving up Tony Battie -- a 24 year old 6'11"
> leaper -- ALONE for Kevin Willis is just as
> ridiculous. 


Anymore ridiculous than trading him for Rodney Rogers? At least Willis
fills
a need.  I don't think Pitino values Battie as much as the people on
this
list do, or he would have already signed him to an extension. 


 Adding the Denver pick is even crazier.
> And getting rid of "cap crap" no longer makes sense
> under the current collective bargaining agreement.

Wrongo on the cap crap. If the C's wanted to put together a package deal
for a quality player, most likely cap filler would have to be included,
so the salaries would match.


> Even if a team gets way below the cap a la Chicago or
> Orlando, a free agent's current team can outbid any
> other team.  Absent unusual circumstances (e.g.,
> acrimony a la Shandon Anderson), you're not going to
> see marquee free agents going ANYWHERE anymore except
> in a sign and trade, where being above the cap doesn't
> hurt.
> 
> So what's the point of getting Kevin Willis? 


Desperate Men Make Desperate Decisions And Pitino Is Desperate.
It's All Or Nothing This Year For Him. He either makes the
playoffs or gets laughed out of town.  So the impetus is there
to add someone like a Willis - A wily playoff-experienced veteran,
who fills a need.

Personally, I'm on the let's trade for Shawn Bradley and/or
Mo Taylor bandwagon. Those two would be better fits than Willis,
but I'm not the Desperate To Make The Playoffs Rick Pitino.
So he may overpay for players the rest of you judge as mediocre. 
Ray


 Willis
> was a good player in 1988.  He isn't anymore.  The
> only reason he looked so great against the Celtics on
> opening night is that the Celtics had nobody
> underneath.  That's no longer true.  Willis won't make
> the Celtics a championship contender or even
> dramatically improve their playoff odds.
> 
> Michael Gooen
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