Re: Reverse angle

[Alex Wang <awang@mit.edu>]

> OK, I know I've been claiming Rick is more of a straight-shooter than people 
> give him credit for, but let me throw this out there and see what people 
> think.  What if the Toronto trade was planned from the start as a shot 
> across Fortson's bow?  A negotiating ploy to soften up his stance?  Let's 
> face it, if this goes to the summer, how any teams will offer Fortson more 
> than the 2+mil exception?  How many FA's were signed last year for more than 
> that?  Are we saying that the Celtics wouldn't pay Danny 3-4 mil PA?  Who's 
> going to outbid that?  What are there, 4 teams with cap room?  Where does 
> Fortson rank on the list of this year's FA's?

Well, even if it was unintentional, it probably had that effect. Fortson
was interviewed by Howard David before the game and he said that the reason
he made the "sinking ship" comment was because he was bitter at being 
traded to Toronto, who had three players ahead of him at his position.
I'm sure he knew that he probably wasn't going to get an extension from
them which would mean he was in trouble during free agency.

I'm still keeping my fingers crossed that Fortson lasts past the trading
deadline. Then he'll possibly have a chance to impress the coaches during
summer camps and leagues, and get extended like Battie did. The truth
about the "Antoine at 3" experiment is that, at best, it wasn't well-timed.
You'd think that ideally you'd want to train Antoine during the entire
offseason to his new role at 3 instead of have him come in and suddenly
chase 3's around the court in less than ideal condition. Pitino has said
that his relationship with Antoine is better than it's ever been; hopefully
this means Antoine does all the summer stuff that Pitino wants.

Of course, if Fortson can net us an athletic, physical big man then I'm 
all for it. Fortson and Vitaly are physical, true, but not athletic 
enough to challenge penetration (without mauling them). Battie has the
athleticism but he's so inconsistent and not too physical either. 
I agree with Mark Berry, go for someone like Olowokandi, or Cato.
I'm mixed on getting Mutombo although in the past I was in favor of
trying to get David Robinson. Great centers frequently have great
longevity and if Mutombo had another five good years in him, it would
be really tempting because his impact in rebounding and defense would
be huge. And as limited offensively as he is, he still draws the double
team.

Alex