Re: Potapenko trade

[Ryan Lee <rlee_at_channing@yahoo.com>]

Good points on Moiso helping the poor low post
defense.

>Using Miller as a case for all NBA centers
> is a pretty bad
> example. I've personally seen Vitaly play pretty
> good man to man defense
> against Rick Smits and Ewing(I remember Tommy
> commenting on how Vitaly
> could play strong guys straight up, and noticing
> myself that Rick was
> leaving Vitaly to do his thing instead of trapping).

I used Miller as an example because he is not an elite
center.  If V can't handle a second tier center, then
what hope does he have of handling a premier center? 
Also Smits and Ewing aren't the most mobile of centers
any more.  V matches up very well with them because
he's actually quicker than they are.  V is a banger on
low post D but I have seen him overpowered by Malone
and Mason before.  But for the most part I guess V
does hold his own down low.

> So? We'll have an all-star point guard, we'll also
> have 10 million of the
> salary cap devoted to point guards. And still no
> center. Josh in saying
> that we did the right thing, like it or not we're
> probably stuck with
> Kenny until 2003.

Yes 10 million of the salary cap would be going to
point guards IF we kept Kenny and Miller together. 
But why would the C's keep an overpriced and overage
Kenny if they have a younger and better defender in
Miller on the roster? 

> Noone was claiming anything other than that. What
> they were claiming is
> that it *might* indicate that Antoine was in shape
> and working on his
> game. You're building a strawman here,
> misrepresenting people's arguments
> to make your own attacks against Walker look
> justified. Sort of a case of
> "don't confuse me with facts, my mind's made up".

A strawman?  I think you've been reading too many of
Bird's replies to me.  Have you been to any of the
summer camps?  They're horrible with the exception of
a few quality players that dominated most of the games
(Rashard Lewis, Griffin, Larry Hughes, etc.).  I've
seen what Walker can do up close and I've seen the
summer leagues up close so I'm not misrepresenting
anything.  A veteran starter will tear up those summer
leagues.  It's like putting a division 1 college
player in a division 2 game.  Walker better put up
some good numbers in a league like that, albeit 43
points in one half is impressive.  But didn't several
no name players in that same game score 30 points as
well?  Also, since the Celts can't trade Walker and
are stuck with his bloated contract, I truly hope
he is in better shape and that he's been working with
a shooting coach because I honestly can't bear
watching him shoot 40% from the field, 25% from 3pt
land, and commit 200+ turnovers for another season.

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