RE: What The Knicks Trade Means To The Celtics

["Michael Griffin" <mgriffin@rillc.com>]

Maybe it's just me but I'm not convinced the Knicks performed highway
robbery.  I think there needs to be a constant applied to this deal.  If
Patrick has seen his better days, I would argue Baker has definitely seen
his better days and who wants that contract.  I'm also assuming Rice signed
some lucrative deal with the Lakers as part of the sign and trade and I may
be in the minority but I believe Rice has also seen his better days.  Will
there be enough basketballs with Rice and Sprewell (and this assumes Houston
is shipped - if not, oh my).  So NY may have marginally improved if you
believe Baker is a bona-fide center and turns back the clock to 1995 (that
turn back the clock thing is tough to do - ask KA) and Rice plays defense
for once in his life.  Granted the Knicks make the playoffs next year - will
this squad beat Miami?  I don't think so.  Then the Knicks are stuck
cap-wise and with no picks and an overrated over-the-hill team with no young
superstars on the way.  They better win next year because that window of
opportunity is closing mighty fast.

Seattle couldn't give Baker away - who wanted that contract - he makes Kenny
Anderson or Childs look like a bargain.  Baker is Kemp Jr. but less talented
and vies with Shaq annually for worst ft%.

I view the Celtics this year like a once-high flying stock that has been
stuck in mud for four years now.  The long-term holders will continue to
crap on the stock while the new shareholders will see the embedded value
that might be unlocked with a few turn of events.  I'm one of the rare - a
long-termer who believes that in the next two years the Celtics will be one
of the up and coming teams.  Put it this way - is there any deal the Celtics
could make TODAY that is both doable and would be better than giving the
current roster more experience even if that cost is missing the playoffs?  I
don't think so - If I'm going to go with unproven talent (Jermaine O'Neal)
I'd rather draft it myself and lock those guys in for four years.

The Celtics next year could be where the Clippers are this year but with
Walker and Pierce versus their Odom (I don't think anybody else is worth
mentioning).  I think that is exciting and I also think that the Celtics
will either surprise or they will flounder but our roster will stay intact
and Pitino moves on.  Then a new coach, maybe a new owner, three first round
picks, a year in which the front office will have to make a choice - 3 guys
(Walker,Battie,Pierce) will have demonstrated the ability to play at a
higher level - Battie just to get above average and Walker and Pierce to put
up numbers much better than the career averages.  There will be no more
excuses and the Celtics will either cut bait on those guys and start again
with 3 #1s with a potentially high #1, a 10-13 and perhaps an off-year in
which an aging Malone and Stockton finally show their age.  Definitely could
see that happening despite the Donyell Marshall fan club on this board :).

Anyway, I guess I'm looking at the glass half full and, believe me, I know
all there is to dislike, the questions about Pitino's schemes, his
Jekyll/Hyde on his opinions of personnel.

I think it is just real popular these days for the media to kick Boston and
Pitino while they are down because there is not much to defend but that
doesn't mean the situation doesn't get better.  We all here know the success
of this season lies first in Walker being healthy all year and second
whether that healthy is a lean/mean/8%bodyfat/healthy or I got on the
treadmill 2x/week after hitting the pancake house 4x/week healthy.  Boston
and Pitino need BOTH things to be in Boston's favor to make the playoffs.
Everything else we discuss is just noise because Walker ain't going anywhere
and no one in return will be better (because it would be unproven or
inexperienced) than what Pierce gives us today (assuming he is the commodity
that goes out the door).

Off the soapbox
Grace&Peace
Allsigns

> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-celtics@igtc.com [mailto:owner-celtics@igtc.com]On Behalf Of
> Way Of The Ray
> Sent: Monday, August 21, 2000 3:59 PM
> To: Celtics; Alessandro Celtics-Fan
> Subject: What The Knicks Trade Means To The Celtics
>
>
> With the Knicks' absolute steal of a deal and their blatant heisting
> of Glen Rice and Vin Baker for a practically defunct Pat Ewing,
> it now means that four teams  -- Miami, Orlando, New Jersey,
> and the Knicks -- in the Eastern Division - the very same milieu,
> where your hometeam Boston Celtics reside - have
> improved themselves dramatically in the off season.
>
> The Celtics, on the other hand, have done a nice job of adding
> backup players in the recent months, albeit a few of them
> with their NBA careers about to expire. Adding these bench players
> is admirable, and shows that Pitino would have been a wonderful GM
> for a top heavy 1986 Boston Celtics team that desperately cried out for
> such depth.
>
> But this is the Year 2000, and when four other clubs in your very own
> division are adding quality starters, and you retort with okay bench
> personnel, it means the gap between those other clubs and you
> has increased proportionally, and if you weren't before, you are now,
> on the outside -- the outside of the playoffs -- looking in.
>
> We can only hope Pitino sticks to his newest and hopefully not short-
> lived strategy of hoarding draft choices, because until the C's clear
> up the Cap Space and decrease the mediocrity of their talent, the
> Draft is the only way this club will be able to make a qualitative
> difference in their chances of being a playoff contender again.
> Ray
>
>
>