Re: Newton

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

Hi Gene:
    I agree with you on Peter May, but I think it is Pete Newell who runs
the famous big man camps. Sometimes I think Peter May is trying to make a
belated effort to turn into a wise-ass, frat boy style "journalist", since
it seems to pay dividends in fame and money for guys like Jim Rome and
Craig Kilborn.

    Personally, I regard drafting any of the potentially available big men
(say Jerome Moiso) amounts to acknowledging 1) that Tony Battie is another
hugely overpaid Pitino-era bust in the Travis Knight mold and 2) that said
draft choice will replace Fortson on the roster...e.g. the Mercer trade
was a nearly complete bust. I'd rather draft a promising wing scorer and
give Battie and Fortson another year to develop.

    The fact is there are many legitimate wingmen prospects who will
likely fall at numbers 11-25: beginning with names like DerMarr Johnson
and Courtney Alexander and ending with NCAA tourney sensation Desmond
Mason-- with serious prospects like MoPeterson, Q Richardson, Darius
Miles, Corey Hightower and DeShawn Stevenson falling somewhere in between.
Any of these guys could probably add scoring punch to the starting role
currently pencilled in for non-double digit scorers like Adrian Griffin or
Duck Cheaney.

    I think the Celtics brass should focus a lot of scouting energy on
making the most informed pick of their choice out of this group, on the
assumption that several of the players above will step in and be impact
15ppg NBA contributors while the majority will be Richard Hamilton-type
duds or worse. Not that I know what I'm talking about....I truly don't.

    BTW, I haven't read much about Moiso (probably pronounced Mwa-zo) but
amazingly he could well be the third straight "Frenchie" drafted in the
NBA first round, following Abdul Wahad and Fred Weis. The big story over
here is that Denver guard Abdul Wahad has refused to play for the French
national team on the accusation that it is racist.

----------------

Gene Kirkpatrick wrote:

> Isn't Newton the guy who holds the "big man" camps?  Peter Mays'
> suggestion that Pitino is merely being nice to an old friend is
> stupid, really.  Newton is trusted, an expert on big men, and that's
> where we need to avoid making a mistake.  If he can steer us to a free
> agent and/or draft choice who could help us, then he's worth anything
> we can throw his way.  Plus, coach isn't hurt by asking for expert
> advice.
>
> I'm thinking we will pull in two big men and subtract one (probably
> Fortson).  Fortson needs to play 20 plus minutes to help out; any less
> and he seems to be discontented.  We need someone who can contribute
> in bursts with defense and shot-blocking while learning to play more
> minutes.
>
> Gene  (without a clue as to whether Tsak or Mois or Mihm or OO has
> the stuff)