RE: Garnett?

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

I disagree completely. If you're ever going to have competitive balance,
that salary cap has to be sacred. This wasn't just about punishing
Minnesota. It was about sending a message to the other teams in the league
that the price you pay for cheating the system is severe. Let's say he took
two draft picks. If you're a GM for, say, Portland, and Vince Carter wants
to play there when his contract is up, don't you think it's worth the risk
of losing two draft picks to sign the guy to a secret deal so he gets max
money while "legally" signing for the exception? Let's face it, you could
make the argument that it's worth five draft picks when you're dealing with
teams that are always drafting late in the first round, and a talent like
Carter.

No, Stern had to come down hard. If McHale was involved, I hope he's
suspended. I hope anyone who was involved is suspended. I hope Smith's agent
has his license revoked. I just wish there was some way to keep Smith from
signing for big money in Chicago or Miami, or landing with a contender. I
wish they could sentence him to the Clippers.

I just think this is the worst crime a franchise can commit, and the
punishment can't be harsh enough.

Mark

-----Original Message-----
From: OzerskyJA [mailto:OzerskyJA@cmog.org]
Sent: Thursday, October 26, 2000 10:58 AM
To: 'Hironaka'; Berry, Mark S; celtics@igtc.com
Subject: RE: Garnett?


I agree with Joe's sentiments.  I don't know what Stern is thinking.  You
want to be Stern, so to speak, but it's another thing entirely to cripple
or even scuttle one of your franchises.  You can't take away first round
picks for five years!  That's an organization's life blood.  As for McHale,
everyone in the league likes and respects him; I'm sure there's a home
for him in Boston, anyway...

Josh Ozersky	
Marketing Communications Specialist 
Corning Museum of Glass

> -----Original Message-----
> From:	Hironaka [SMTP:j.hironaka@unesco.org]
> Sent:	Thursday, October 26, 2000 10:37 AM
> To:	Berry, Mark S; celtics@igtc.com
> Subject:	Re: Garnett?
> 
> I don't know the inside details of the story, but it is sad if McHale gets
> fired
> and has to leave the sport he loves hanging his head in shame. Five first
> rounders is practically a franchise killer for a small market team that
> was
> making good acquistions and showing a willingness to pay to compete. I'm
> sure
> some fans will resent management for this penalty. You always feel bad for
> the
> first guy that gets nailed for doing what everyone else at least seems to
> be
> doing, since it is not clear that they should have known better than to
> break
> the rules.
> 
> But at least this means he will be available to the Boston Celtics should
> Poultrino/Gaston/Wallace leave, and that might also be the right
> opportunity for
> personal redemption from McHale's perspective as well.
> 
> Joe
> 
> p.s. Mark, I still think it is much more plausible that Boston would enter
> the
> KG sweepstakes by offering a serious package of Vitaly "Chicken Kiev"
> Potapenko,
> Antoine "KFC" Walker and maybe Jerome "Coq au vin" Moiso plus at least two
> draft
> picks and cap filler. Paul Pierce has a very solid fan base in Boston
> (except at
> the Buzz Club) right now and is a pretty nice player for this or any
> system. I
> wouldn't mind swapping Kenny Anderson for Terrell Brandon either, although
> both
> have pretty outrageous salaries. You all know I love Antoine Walker and
> those
> others, but Kevin Garnett is worth essentially any asking price as Mark
> says. He
> is as close to a no-weaknesses superstar as exists in any sport. He's like
> A-Rod
> in baseball, I guess.
> 
> ------
> 
> "Berry, Mark S" wrote:
> 
> > Well, just for fun, I played around with this idea on RealGM.com. First,
> the
> > thing about including Antoine is it doesn't really help their cap
> situation.
> > I'd think any deal they made would be designed to ease the cap problems
> so
> > they can add players through free agency.
> >
> > This worked: Pierce, Vitaly, Moiso, Stith, Minor and McCarty. Stith and
> > Minor's contracts are up after this season. McCarty either this season
> or
> > next. That's $10 million off the books right there. Vitaly certainly
> could
> > fetch a draft pick, if they want to clear his number. Throw in draft
> picks,
> > and who knows?
> >
> > I just think Pierce would be the guy they'd want as the centerpiece.
> Here's
> > an interesting question: If they asked for Pierce and Toine (with cap
> filler
> > to make it work) would anyone do it? The Celts would have a forward
> tandem
> > of Garnett and Moiso, a young point guard in Herren, young centers in
> Pot
> > and Blount. Something to think about.
> >
> > Probably a waste of time even discussing it, but I'm sure they're
> tossing it
> > around in 27 other NBA cities as we speak.
> >
> > Mark