Re:Blount

[Alexander Wang <awang@MIT.EDU>]

At 05:38 PM 10/4/00 +0200, Hironaka wrote:
>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. 

I'm not sure what to think about Blount yet. It's easier for him to be a
steal as compared to Knight or DeClercq because we didn't give up any cap
space or exceptions for him. That reminds me that you probably don't see
deals like the ones we gave Knight and DeClercq anymore because of the new
CBA and the middle class exceptions. It doesn't make sense to spend cap
space on guys like that because you'd rather use up your cap space on a
single player and then fill up your roster with guys like this using the
exception. Oh well, water under the bridge, and it probably couldn't have
been foreseen.

The Pitino praise, as usual, is still conditional: he could be a steal "if
he keeps progressing." But 7 feet and 255 pounds sounds promising, as well
as numerous positive reports from the summer league. My cautiously
optimistic take on it is this: He sounds like the best third string center
we've had, by far.

>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.

Yeah, I have to agree that Moiso sounds like he's lazy and he knows it. At
least he seems to try to put himself in situations where he'll have to
work. In the best case, Pitino could be a perfect drill sergeant for him.
It could also be that he really just isn't willing to work and Pitino will
get incredibly frustrated. When I read how Moiso's take on watching Jordan
was that it was so cool that he could dominate while putting out only a 20%
effort, I really wondered.

>    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.

Issel might be feeling the pressure to deliver this season. Supposedly his
job is on the line so it's not surprising that he wants to trade young for
old. I don't know if it's giving up so much as running out of time.

>    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?

I suppose it's so that you don't see players getting shuffled to 10 teams
in 10 days. David Stern did want to limit player movement and this does
that, to a degree. It really does lead to silly situations. I suppose that
without this rule we probably would have Rodney Rogers instead of Battie
right now. It's amazing how good that sounds right now. OK, I'm going to
try to stay optimistic on Battie right now.

Alex