I think we can make the playoffs next year without the aid of the Denver pick. Boston's own first round pick will probably net the first choice among college pointguards (Cleaves, Barkley, Sanchez, Holloway etc.), not that this did Pitino much good in 1997 (Chauncey). There are also plenty of swingmen (Des Mason and Quentin Richardson) with greater scoring ability and athleticism, if not necessarily more court smarts, than the current Griffin/Cheaney starting combo.
Griffin will no dounbt be fine once he takes a few months off, but wing forward has become our weakest starting link at the moment (unless Antoine finally converts to that position next year). Some games, we're lucky to get 5 points and 3 boards out of the starter. Tonight I think Pierce will take on Kukoc at forward, with the key being for Cheaney to contain Iverson (and for Pots, Antoine and Kenny to dominate and outhustle the people guarding them).
I wouldn't waste a mid-first round pick on a shotblocking center forward unless I was more than 90% sure he would become a better player than Tony Battie. Ilgauskus is maybe the only *quality* big man in recent memory to be drafted that late, and that was in the bumpercrop 1996 draft.
Joe
p.s. the return of Kevin Johnson to replace Jason Kidd is a pretty nice story.
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John Lyell wrote:
What is the deal on the Denver pick ? Do we have the choice on when we can use it as long as it isn't top 3 ? I like someone's idea of taking a Pepe Sanchez or Matt Santangelo with our pick. It would be nice to land one of these guys with our pick, keep Fortson, move Battie for Foyle, sign Derek Anderson (or move Fortson for him if we have to), and also get a Johnny Helmsley, Demarr Johnson or another scoring threat with the Denver pick.