Re: Clippers selling Kandi *cheap*??? [NBA Talk]

[opi@unesco.org]

Hi Steve: I'd say that Kandi (career 7.8 rpg) would cost AT LEAST a Potapenko.
Adonal Foyle sounds cheaper and is apparently a great "character" guy and is
quite intelligent, but I heard he measured at 6-9 officially and he's still
really got too many flaws (a career .435FT% and 3.8 ppg for example) to plug into
a playoff-caliber rotation. He had an awesome Kermit Washington type of college
career, so he could still work out.

Both Foyle and Kandi-Girl (career .535FT% but an impressive 7.8 rpg) are guys who
could provide greater returns than the cost of acquiring them (like a Joe Smith
or Marcus Camby) or they could kill any franchise-rebuilding effort. Kandi could
break our hearts or have a ten-year quasi-Robert Parish level of impact. He is
certainly the most questionable number one overall pick of the decade. Unlike Joe
Smith, he was a middling college player drafted entirely on potential (something
I honestly think only the Clippers would do). Yet it is very hard for me to
believe Kandi would come cheap (i.e. in exchange for a non-starter or low-minutes
starter like VP or Battie).

Battie's "El Busto" tag comes from the pretty much indisputable fact that he is
one of the least dependable healthy players in the game. It's true he's
(probably) not a slacker, but somehow he remains too inconsistent at everything
to "deserve" starter minutes over someone else.

If the past is anything to go by, then it is likely that Pitino would be far more
interested in Kandi-man than in Foyle (whom he never expressed the slightest
interest in before the 96 draft). In addition to V or TB,  I'm very much more in
favor of throwing in if necessary our own draft pick than our Denver pick,
despite the records of the two teams. Look for the Nail Clippers to expect much
more (say a Griffen or a proven 15-20ppg scorer) than what they got this summer
in return for Lorenzen Wright. Kandi isn't even a FA or a big salary cap burden
after all.

I say let V guard big centers straight up from now on this season and I think
he'll hold his ground. His hands also seem better this year and he's the
anti-thesis of selfish (7.0 shot attempts per game despite an efficient .514FG%)
or lazy (.774FT% after being the team's worst guy last year) and you'll probably
miss having his 290 pound body around the minute he's gone. He's less than a
month older than Kandi and seems to have as strong a work ethic as you could hope
for. I believe he'll be among the top half of playoff-bound NBA starting centers
in terms of value before long (including future trade value), which is all (or
more than) you can ask of a secondary role player on a team with winning talent.

Joe

-------
CeltsSteve@aol.com wrote:

> In a message dated 01/03/2000 11:26:59 AM Pacific Standard Time,
> titans@ihug.com.au writes:
>
> <<  If his knees are in good shape then I'd offer Tony Battie for him. I'd
> bring him off the bench for a while while Pitino can teach him the  plays,
> etc, etc. then I'd place him into Potapenko's place and have VP  come from
> the bench as the first power forward / center substitution.
>
> How about it? >>
>
> Battie for Kandi straight up?  In a heart beat.  But truth be told, I'd
> really rather trade V for  Kandi straight up and keep Battie.  Either way, it
> would be a coup for the C's. (....)
>
> Personally, I think the C's would have one heckueva "4"/"5" combo in Kandi
> and Walker and then a backup tandem of Fortson at the PF spot to play off of
> Battie. Throw in a guy like Adonal Foyle as a free agent signee this summer
> with the $2.25 million exception slot and their power positions would have it
> all: speed, size, bulk, quickness, shot blocking, strength, depth. The
> combinations that RP could put on the court in those positions would be
> unbelievable.