RE: trading up/down

[OzerskyJA <OzerskyJA@cmog.org>]

I don't know Mark.  If we somehow got a Battie-type def. player
who gave the good effort every night, or a scoring machine off
the bench, I think it would help a lot.  I could even see DerMarr
Johnson getting major minutes at two, and letting Pierce move back
to three, with adrian anchoring the second unit.


> -----Original Message-----
> From:	Berry, Mark  S [SMTP:berrym@BATTELLE.ORG]
> Sent:	Tuesday, June 13, 2000 1:38 PM
> To:	'ozerskyja@cmog.org'; 'celtics@igtc.com'
> Subject:	Re: trading up/down
> 
> You may be right about Przybilla, Josh, but I'm not so sure. I said weeks
> ago I thought he had a chance to move up into the top 3 or 4 in workouts,
> and it sounds like he's doing just that. He's talented, thinks defense
> first, has a knack for blocking shots and a little mean streak. Mihm is a
> talented offensive player, but he's nowhere near the defender in the
> middle
> that Przybilla is. The other guys-Swift, Martin or even Miles-will be
> great
> players, and I'd be thrilled to add any of them, but I'm not sure they're
> the types of players who will make a big difference with the Celts.
> 
> Of course, I may be completely wrong about Przybilla. It won't be the
> first
> time. But we'll see.
> 
> When breaking down this draft, it seems there is a certain consensus about
> the players certain to be gone before we pick: Martin, Mihm, Swift,
> Przybilla, Fizer, Miles, Miller. I'll throw Tsakalidis in there, assuming
> his contract problems work out and the Cavs snatch him up. That's eight
> spots. That leaves, in my opinion, three players up in the air: Alexander,
> DerMar Johnson, and Moiso. Now, Johnson or Alexander certainly may be gone
> in the top 8, but it seems that these three are the most likely targets at
> No. 11. Houston at No. 9 reportedly loves Moiso, and they need a PF, so
> that
> makes sense. That leaves Orlando choosing from Johnson and Alexander. I'd
> be
> shocked if, given this choice, they didn't go for Johnson. He may be a
> little more raw, but he seems to have a higher ceiling and lacks
> Alexander's
> baggage. The more I look at it, the more I think Alexander may be the guy
> in
> that group who slides to us.
> 
> Now, if that happens, does Pitino make the deal with the devil? He's a
> talent, and maybe the most NBA-ready player in the draft. But he is a
> headache and a shoot-first player. Would Pitino do it? I don't know, and
> that's where all the other options come in: Ernest Brown is a reach at 11.
> Morris Peterson has been awful in his workouts and is dropping out of the
> lottery. Etan Thomas is a solid, safe pick with no upside. The other
> high-schooler, DeShawn Stevenson, might make sense in this scenario, but
> the
> Celts are said to want a contributor. Quentin Richardson? Maybe, but he
> scares me. A 6-4 shooting guard who made his living on the offensive
> glass-almost playing PF-is risky. Jamal Crawford could be the compromise
> pick. He would be the big point guard Pitino wants. OO? Who knows? I'm not
> going to speculate without ever seeing the guy play, but maybe he's an
> option.
> 
> Maybe if this scenario plays out, Pitino trades out of that spot, either
> down in the draft or straight out of it for a veteran.
> 
> Anyway, it seems the best thing that could happen to the Celts is to have
> Alexander go early and drop one of those other "elite 11" players into
> their
> laps. Or maybe someone else sneaks into the top 10-Stevenson or OO seem to
> be the most likely possibilities, or perhaps Q. 
> 
> I've also read theories that if Alexander were there for the Celts, they
> would take him in order to trade him, and maybe that's where Przybilla (or
> Swift/Mihm/Martini) comes in-say the Celts send Alexander and Vitaly to
> the
> Bulls for Przybilla, who they snatched up with the fourth pick. Or to the
> Clippers.
> 
> I don't know, but it does seem that a few names are becoming more and more
> likely to be considered at 11, if we stay there. I will say this (as if I
> haven't said enough already)-none of these guys at 11 are going to make a
> significant difference next year. If that's the only change we make, we'll
> be back in the same spot next June.
> 
> Mark