Re: Good-bye draft picks-and future?

["Berry, Mark S" <berrym@BATTELLE.ORG>]

The Mercer-Fortson trade was devastating. I don't think most of us totally
realize just how much that crippled us. Here's why: Up to that point, Pitino
had done a pretty good job of acquiring talent-Mercer, Pierce and
(inherited) Walker. That talent, however all ranged between 6-7 and 6-9.
What that gave us was a nice surplus to deal from.

At this point, Pitino made a few mistakes. First, he chose Mercer as the
tradeable commodity. Mercer was making contract an issue, which drove his
value down. He immediately became the least valuable commodity of the three.
If he had kept Mercer (and signed him), he could have dealt Walker or Pierce
for much higher return. The second mistake was the return for Mercer. Good
God, what a disaster. Fortson and Eric Williams. That Denver pick better
bring in something pretty special to make that deal wash.

But it's not just a bad trade. It left us with zero options for improving
this team. We no longer have a surplus at any position, so we are going to
be forced into rolling the dice and dealing one or both of our tradeable
commodities (Walker and Pierce) in the hope that we can get it right this
time. The Mercer trade wasn't just a bad deal. It was a catastrophe.

The next bad decision: I've flip-flopped on the Vitaly trade. Yes, Vitaly is
serviceable. And no, I don't think his contract is outrageous. Actually, in
comparison to Geiger, Longley and Reeves, it's a bargain. But I've come to
the conclusion that if you can't have a top center, don't waste your money
on an average one. Get by with low-paid big bodies and expend your energies
acquiring other talent. I'd sure like to have Andre Miller or Shawn Marion
about now, with DeClercq or some other stiff at center. Or maybe we could
have dealt that eighth pick and ??? to move up for an Odom, Francis or
Bender?

You all know I'm a Pitino defender, but I'm willing to admit I think these
moves were mistakes. I don't, however, blame Pitino for Pierce regressing or
drifting. I think Pierce slipped in the draft for a reason. He was a soft,
unassertive player at Kansas. He's a soft, unassertive player now. He's a
valuable complementary piece, but he's not a horse like Carter or Iverson.
If that's enough, then hold onto him. But I certainly wouldn't close the
door to shipping him out for an upgrade. That goes for anyone on this team.

Mark