Re: Rumors Rumors Rumors

["John Lyell" <johnlyell@hotmail.com>]

I saw this a couple of places this week and we would be fools to make this
deal for two players that haven't really proven anything. Yeah they have
potential, but I don't see O'Neal ever becoming a center in the NBA any more
than Camby can, unless he gains about 40 pounds of muscle, not like Kemp,
Baker or Oliver Miller.


I like Wells,  but I would take Pierce over him any day, and as someone else
said,  to go up against Shaq you need a big body like VP.

Portland, I am sure, would love this deal, but Damon Stoudamire has already
made comment regarding only one ball and too many people wanting it.


If Portland wants a big center, which they need, and Pitino has the faith in
O'neal (scary),  make them give us O'neal & Wells for VP and Mccarty or
Barros, but definitely not Pierce. But you had better hope the athleticism &
scoring at the other positions offsets the lack of inside presence which
would be worse then it is now. Everyone saw how Shaq dominated Portland &
Indiana.
Would two lanky shot blockers like O'neal & Moiso help ? Until the refs
begin calling fouls, Shaq will continue to charge like a bull in the low
post.
















----- Original Message -----
From: "Way Of The Ray" <wayray@ix.netcom.com>
Newsgroups: alt.sports.basketball.nba.boston-celtics
To: "Alessandro Celtics-Fan" <alessan420@hotmail.com>; "Celtics"
<Celtics@igtc.com>; <sptguy33@aol.com>
Sent: Sunday, August 13, 2000 6:22 PM
Subject: Rumors Rumors Rumors


> The big current Celtics trade rumor circulating around the
> Internet is that Boston and Portland will culminate a deal
> when Bob Whitsitt, the Portland GM, gets back from his African
> safari, which involves the Celtics sending Paul Pierce and
> Vitaly Potapenko to the Blazers for Jermaine O'Neal and
> Bonzi Wells. This rumor could possess some validity, as the
> C's according to a close Pitino source, have a two for two
> offer on the table to Portland, involving names that will shock you.
>
> Pierce constantly being labeled untradeable by Pitino, would
> elicit a great deal of shock value if he was dealt.  But, wouldn't it be
> just
> like Il Duce to do opposite of what he's been constantly preaching:
> the non-moveability of Pierce?
>
> Let's say, that unlike 90 percent of trade rumors, this one actually
> occurs. What would the Celtics starting lineup look like?
>
> Well, O'Neal would be the starting center for better or worse.
> Walker, depending on what shape he shows up in, would either
> be the small forward or power forward. If, he makes the fat transition
> to the "3", then Battie and Moiso would split the time at the four,
> unless Fortson in the unlikely event returned, in which case he
> would be the starting power forward. Bonzi becomes the starting
> shooting guard, and good ol' Kenny is the point guard.
> Ray
>
>
>