RE: Blount

[OzerskyJA <OzerskyJA@cmog.org>]

I think the two-month rule was instated by request of the 
Players Association,
whose ranks are filled with guys who had just moved/settled
in to a place when they got traded again (think Chris Mills).
Two months is a grace period to allow the guy to unpack his
bags.  I agree that most of these rules are sillly, but this one does
have a reason.

Josh Ozersky	
Marketing Communications Specialist 
Corning Museum of Glass

> -----Original Message-----
> From:	Berry, Mark  S [SMTP:berrym@BATTELLE.ORG]
> Sent:	Wednesday, October 04, 2000 11:51 AM
> To:	'Hironaka'; Berry, Mark  S; celtics@igtc.com
> Subject:	RE: Blount
> 
> Well, on the trade rules... I thought the reasoning was that it prevents
> teams from trading for guys specifically to trade them somewhere else. I
> think the rules only apply to packaging players, so my guess is it's a way
> to try to curb "salary trades" where a player is traded for specifically
> to
> be used as salary filler in another package trade. That's not much more
> than
> a guess, though. It does seem silly that the players can't take part in
> training camp. Even if the trade isn't "official" on the books, you'd
> think
> the teams could invite the players to work out with them. Of course, I
> guess
> that brings in injury risks and liability and everything else. Geez, how
> can
> it be this complicated?
> 
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Hironaka [mailto:j.hironaka@unesco.org]
> Sent: Wednesday, October 4, 2000 11:38 AM
> To: Berry, Mark S; celtics@igtc.com
> Subject: Re:Blount
> 
> 
> Hello Mark:
>     Yeah I agree that Blount is thus far the most positive story from
> training
> camp that we've heard in awhile. IMO it doesn't at all have the same ring
> to
> it
> as previous Pitinochio praise for Travis Knight, Ringo DeClerq or
> Shintzius/Riley. Also, the reports on Blount's athleticism cheered me up
> following the disappointment of the long Globe articles on Moiso and
> Battie,
> both of which I found to be a bit of a downer (particularly in the case of
> the
> Shira Springer article on Moiso). Moiso just didn't come across sounding
> like a
> Russellesque difference maker on the pick-up courts, or a very hard worker
> with
> a chip on his shoulder. I really hope he succeeds as a Celtic. McHale
> seemed
> pretty laid back (and too skinny) at first too, although he was a much
> better
> college basketball player.
> 
>     I hold the same mixed but hopeful feelings about Herren. After all
> that
> genuine and almost embarrassing preseason praise of Chris Herren by Dan
> Issel,
> I'm surprised he'd give up on him so fast despite a subpar rookie season.
> I
> don't think there is some secret (like Herren is falling off the wagon). I
> think
> Herren's inadequate backup stats speak for themselves regarding how
> Issel's
> wishful thinking on him didn't pan out.
> 
>     On another note, I can't get over how (seemingly) unnecessary and
> arcane
> some of the new NBA rules are regarding announcing and completing trades,
> base
> year salaries etc. This is what we went through a half-season lockout for?
> I
> find it comical seeing Pitino and Issel not even allowed to confirm the
> trade,
> and also a kind of travesty that Herren and Stith can't participate in the
> first
> 12 days of training camp. Can anyone think of one plausible reason why all
> this
> should be happening, or who's idea it was in the first place?
> 
> Joe
> 
> -----
> "Berry, Mark S" wrote:
> 
> > On the other hand, Mark Blount has me excited. Granted, my only look at
> him
> > was the Celts' one televised summer league game, but I think he's a
> > contributor this year--and Pitino's praise on the first day of camp
> > reinforces that. He's been dismissed as a "project" but I really think
> he's
> > more than that. The guy I saw was big, strong, fast and aggressive on
> the
> > defensive end. He tried to block every shot, and that's a mentality
> sorely
> > lacking in most of the Celts. And his skills seem perfectly suited to
> > Pitinoball. Is he an offensive threat? No, but neither is Theo Ratliff,
> and
> > I think Blount could develop into that kind of player.
> >
> > Also, I think the Pitino praise of Blount is more than bluster. They've
> > flirted with trading Vitaly on a couple of occasions this summer (and
> may
> > still be talking about it), and I just don't believe they would have
> > entertained the idea without complete confidence that Blount could
> handle
> > major minutes.