Re: New coach speculation?

[Joe Hironaka <j.hironaka@unesco.org>]

> Would you move Anderson , Fortson & Walker or Pierce for Odom, Derek
> Anderson and the Clippers pick if it is #1 and take Kenyon Martin ?

Yes for sure, but I might also hope the team turns around and trades the #1 a
bit down in the draft because:
1) How many guys with a broken leg or similar injury get drafted number one
overall? If this happens as scripted, it is a sign of a weak draft at the top
end and the reality that Marcus Fizer, Chris Mihm and other #1 pretenders play a
lot less athletic than you'd expect or want with that pick.  If Martin joins the
Celts' complicated system at midseason (or later), he'd risk suffering through
the same "El Busto" underachieving syndrome that Fortson had to deal with this
year.
2) Kenyon Martin is 6-8. One reason his game may constantly remind people of
Alonzo Mourning's is because he's playing against smaller college kids. If Zo is
a bit short at 6-10 to play his intimidating style in the NBA, then Kenyon
Martin truly has his job cut out for him.
3) These days a fourth year college player who enjoys a wonderful season is
pretty much akin to a 28-year-old baseball minor leaguer who hits 40 homers in
AAA or a hotshot lawyer who aces his bar exam on the fourth try. You have to
factor in age. Tim Duncan obviously would have been a very high lottery pick his
last three years in school. By comparison, Kenyon Martin would not have been any
kind of lottery pick in 1999 based on his stats at  least. Martin stands out now
partly because most anyone his draft age who was talented enough to enter the
NBA draft have long since left college, leaving Martin to dominate less talented
or less experienced college kids.

Of course if Martin fades to a 8-12 level pick, I'd hope we take him over
Pryzbilla. Great attitude, great defender etc.

Joe

p.s. I'm surprised that Peter May would report that AJ Guyton is projected as a
12 through 20 pick. He sounds like the Sam Vincent of this draft, with no size
and no real point guard instincts. Maybe he plays good defense like Dee Brown
used to. I don't know.

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