RE: Croshere is new prey (yeah okay)

["Michael Griffin" <mgriffin@rillc.com>]

I've had an hour or so to reflect and I STILL CAN NOT BELIEVE THE OFFER MADE
TO GET JERMAINE O'NEAL.  SIMPLY UNBELIEVABLE.  UNBELIEVABLE THAT WE WOULD
OFFER BOTH PICKS NEXT YEAR + A SWAP IN POSITION OF THIS YEAR'S DRAFT?  THIS
HAS TO BE A MISPRINT.

> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-celtics@igtc.com [mailto:owner-celtics@igtc.com]On Behalf Of
> Joe Hironaka
> Sent: Thursday, June 29, 2000 3:22 AM
> To: celtics@igtc.com
> Subject: Croshere is new prey (yeah okay)
>
>
> Here is Bulpett's article. The part about Croshere being available for
> the 2.25 million slot seems incredibly, incredibly absurd. It is a dumb,
> wishful-thinking headline at this stage frankly.
>
> The rest of Bulpett's article has some fascinating or head-scratching
> tidbits. One is that Fortson is now officially gone. The other is the
> following gem from Pitino about how Antoine has a better chance of
> guarding NBA pointguards than guarding small forwards:
>
> ``Believe it or not, it's easier for him to play backup one (point
> guard) than it is the three (small forward) spot,'' Pitino said.
>
> ****
>
> Croshere is new prey
> The NBA/by Steve Bulpett
> Thursday, June 29, 2000
>
> Say goodbye to Danny Fortson. Say hello to Jerome Moiso.
>
> And let the recruitment of Austin Croshere begin.
>
> The Celtics had what looked to be a positive draft day experience, from
> a key meeting between Rick Pitino and owner Paul Gaston to a failed
> pursuit of Jermaine O'Neal.
>
> Yesterday began with a power outage at the Celtics' training facility
> and Pitino wondering how much power he'd have to shape the club this
> summer. But when the electricity came back on at the training facility
> early yesterday afternoon, Pitino got the news for which he was looking.
> Though any thoughts of retaining free agent Fortson were gone, the coach
> and president had the financial ability to get and keep his first-round
> draft pick and also to use the $1.2 million and $2.25 million salary cap
> exceptions.
>
> With the latter, the Celtics are hoping to convince Indiana Pacers free
> agent Croshere to come back to New England (he starred at Providence
> College). It may be a long shot, but Pitino will polish his best
> collegiate recruiting skills.
>
> While not naming anyone specifically, Pitino said, ``Chris (Wallace, the
> GM) and I will be packing our bags very soon.''
>
> Teams can begin speaking with free agents on July 1 and signing them on
> Aug. 1 when the salary cap figure for next season is announced.
>
> The attempt for O'Neal never really got heated. Portland decided to look
> elsewhere with the 21-year-old power forward-center, and with Blazer
> forward Brian Grant opting for free agency, the club may decide to hold
> on to him.
>
> With Gaston's blessing, the Celtics were offering a swap of this year's
> first-rounders (the C's picked 11th and Portland chose at 28) as well as
> Boston's first round pick next season and the Denver first-rounder the
> Celts got in the Ron Mercer-Fortson trade. The latter pick is available
> in the next four drafts with diminishing protections (through five in
> '01, three in '02 and three in '03).
>
> To make the numbers work, Portland would have had to take back
> contracts, but the Blazers are obviously waiting until O'Neal's
> base-year number goes down and he is more easily dealt. The three-year
> veteran averaged just 3.9 points and 3.3 rebounds in 12.3 minutes this
> past season, but he is valued as a raw talent.
>
> The point was pretty much moot, however, when Moiso was still on the
> board at 11. In Celtic personnel director Leo Papile's mind, the club
> got their O'Neal-type. Other trade talk never really got off the ground.
>
> Meanwhile, Pitino got a directive to speed things up - which is good
> news in that he has said he will offer his resignation if the Celtics do
> not make the playoffs this season.
>
> ``Paul met with us and said the future is now,'' Pitino said. ``He says
> our fans have been very patient the last six or seven years.
>
> ``We're going to be very active to try to bring the future a little
> closer to now. We're going to be very active trying to bring our fans a
> winner. We're going to pursue a lot of different things. Now, no one
> says we're going to be successful doing that.''
>
> As for Gastonian specifics, Pitino said, ``Go out there and do the
> things necessary to make you more athletic to get the job done. He wants
> to bring the fans a winner.
>
> ``He's obviously been an owner now where they've lost for five or six
> years, and he wants to turn that around.''
>
> Pitino also said he will be turning the Celtic style back around to the
> attacking defensive plan he prefers. To that end, he noted that Antoine
> Walker will also see some minutes at backup point guard if he can get
> his body fat down to 8 percent.
>
> ``Believe it or not, it's easier for him to play backup one (point
> guard) than it is the three (small forward) spot,'' Pitino said.
>
> With Fortson looking for large money and now out of the picture, Moiso's
> development will be a key to moving Walker around.
>
>
>
>