Re: Nothing Important

[Joe Hironaka <j.hironaka@unesco.org>]

Amy Beauregard wrote:

> "Losing Fortson doesn't bother me so much because the
> interior defense was pretty hopeless with him here."
> -- Agreed, but now who is going to rebound. I still
> like Forty but would die if he was signed for $42 mil.
> Capologists, please explain. If even he was
> signed-and-traded, then we still have to take all (or
> most) of that figure back. Doesn't that cripple us
> more? We'd probably have to take another stiff too.
> Isn't it better to just let him walk? Forget about
> saving face at this point.

    You bring up a fascinating point. I assumed that bidding up
Fortson's value to $42 million dollars was a pure defensive play to ward
off a hostile takeover, so to speak. If that's the general idea, it
could backfire awkwardly on Pitino if Fortson actually smiles and
accepts the money to be our fourth string power forward in the new/old
Pitino system (behind Toine, Battie and Moi-say-it-ain't-so). But I
actually think he would rather go play somewhere for less money. It
really sounds like he wants to play in the right system.

    Before we dump Fortson I'd like to see him in one more camp, rather
than playing catchup midseason off a broken leg and thrown into a second
unit press and a complicated system. Plus you have to factor in the
dylexia. It somehow doesn't seem like a fair evaluation. Pitino raved
about Fortson's first two exhibition games in Boston before the injury.

    Have you noticed the relatively large number of suitors Fortson has
from playoff caliber clubs? His name seems to be in every other trade
rumor. Who's stupid, them or us?

    What would happen if Fortson played alongside a shotblocker (Moiso
or Blount or Battie) in the second unit? Or in the first unit with one
of those guys rather than Potapenko?

    Last season, Fortson was the only Celtic to hit more than half his
FG attempts (.528). The rest of the team was pathetic, outshot .444 to
.470 by opponents.

    Fortson led Boston in offensive rebounds per game (2.6) despite only
15.6 minutes of playing time. This was the Celtics one strong suit and
something I hope they can build on. They actually outrebounded teams on
the offensive boards by 3.0 per game, which is a significant margin.

    Despite his limited minutes, fans practically make Fortson out to be
the scapegoat/symbol for the total failure of the Pitino defensive
system. I can't help thinking, gimmeabahrake! We're dumping the wrong
guy. Van Gundy, Rivers, West, Cowens and the rest assume that Fortson is
a good asset to have on your team roster. Why? Because he plays hard, he
is totally unselfish on the court, his offensive technique and
freethrows are rare in this day and age, he continues to be incredibly
productive by any standard of measurement on the boards, plus he is
24-years-old and built solid.

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