Re: [Celtic_Pride] The Truth about Cats and Pitinos

["Simon Kean" <simon@jkean.freeserve.co.uk>]

----- Original Message -----
From: "Cecil Wright" <cecil@hfx.eastlink.ca>
To: "Celt's" <Celtic_Pride@egroups.com>
Cc: "Boston Celtics" <celtics@igloo.igtc.com>
Sent: Friday, December 15, 2000 12:02 AM
Subject: Re: [Celtic_Pride] The Truth about Cats and Pitinos


> OK.  Over the past day or so, I have tried to point out how Philly has
been
> able to move to this level, but, with no offense intended toward Simon, I
> don't know if he has received the messages.

I've certainly got your messages, and understood your point - just disagree
with it :)
>
> Disgruntled C's fans have called for a complete overhaul of the team in
its
> present state and called for draft picks.  I mentioned that Philly has
> acquired the following players via free agency or trades:
>
> Kukoc, Ratliff, Geiger, Lynch, Hill, Snow, Maxwell, McKie were all gotten
> that way, to the credit of the GM and coach.  They have assembled a fine
> team to revolve around Iverson, but it was NOT done via the draft, other
> than him.

Point taken, but this team and it's respective owner & management has not
demonstrated that it can attract decent free agents or trade for good
players, regardless of the fact we've got a cheap owner, and are over the
salary cap. My argument is that wholesale changes need to be made at all
levels of the organisation. This team has sucked for almost a decade. I'm
not calling for draft picks at all (just look at this year's rookie
class)....but they are valuable trade tools.

The only way I see us obtaining decent players, is by packaging our cap
cancers or draft picks with one of our so-called stars to obtain the
aforementioned decent players.

> So Philly was fortunate enough to be able to get decent players through
> transactions, not through the draft.  For those of us waiting to take our
> team to the next level as a result of the draft will take several more
> years, right?  For example, Stith has already shown the benefits of that
> deal IMHO.  If Herren had not gotten injured, it would have (still does to
> me) solidify that the deal was a steal for us.   We are young enough as it
> is.  We need a couple of veterans who are capable of making key
> contributions, unlike Walter.  Preferably, one of them will be a big man.
>
> Cecil

Agreed, I like the deal for Stith. However, he's not exactly all-star
material which we need, and as mentioned, I don't see us being able to land
a decent "veteran" big man under the status quo. Every team needs valuable
veteran role players like Stith and Brown, but they are role-players and
without having consistent talented players to work with the role players, we
are, and shall remain toast.

Simon
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