Re: Spin doctor at work again

["Berry, Mark S" <berrym@BATTELLE.ORG>]

Actually, I think Pitino is right on the mark. Vitaly is what he is. Pair
him with Dale Davis, Brian Grant, P.J. Brown or Antonio McDyess, any big,
athletic, shot-blocking PF, and you could get by. Pair Antoine with a
Duncan, Robinson, Shaq, Mourning or Mutombo, and you could get by. But with
the combination of the two, we're woefully undersized and unathletic. Don't
get me started on Fortson.

I agree the Celts need to make a move for a big, athletic player at the PF
or C spot. It's going to be expensive, because there is a premium placed on
those players. That's why I've been suggesting a run at Olowokandi, because
he has the potential to be that kind of center and he might just be
available because he isn't developing as fast as the Clippers had hoped.

Ask yourself who the best teams in the league are, then look at what they
have in common. Portland (Wallace, B. Grant), Lakers (Shaq), San Antonio
(twin towers), Miami (Mourning, Brown), Indiana (Smits, D.Davis), Toronto
(A. Davis, Oakley, Willis). 

Then look at Milwaukee, which has unbelievable talent at three small
positions (Cassell, Allen and Robinson), and Detroit (Stackhouse and Hill),
but, like us, are weak up front. They're struggling along at or near .500
and are a threat to no one come playoff time. 

The Celts are never going to be a threat until they acquire that big-time
frontcourt player. We can't do it in free agency and we're not going to
draft high enough. That leaves a trade. It's going to happen, probably this
offseason.

Mark