RE: The answer on the Philly pick

["j.hironaka" <j.hironaka@unesco.org>]

At 13:14 13/08/01 -0400, you wrote:
>This year's draft was a huge exception in terms of depth, and even at that
>there are only two names that really excite me on that list-Tony Parker and
>Loren Woods. I see a lot of nobodies on that list. (.........)

Fine, but last year something like 45 NBA rookies outscored Moiso....guys 
who barely lasted past a 10-day contract etc.

Moiso is a nobody. His act was very easy to top, even in a weak rookie year.

We all sense that Chris Wallace risks looking foolish or trigger happy by 
dumping Moiso so fast, and that he loses next to nothing by holding Moiso a 
second year (its not his fault we drafted him).

For this very reason, I believe it is quite safe to say Wallace knew 
exactly what he was doing in dumping Moiso.

He saw a chance to get something (or in your own view nothing) in exchange 
for nothing. That works for me.

Now if Wallace starts cold calling other people out of the blue to praise 
our pre-draft evaluations and say he's read them all, I guess I'd have to 
change my opinion about his competence real fast. ;-)

[This BTW is not a "dis" of Josh O. or Chris Wallace anyone at all...I 
think it is terrific what happened (that Wallace cold called a fan to shoot 
the breeze).]

The thing is that Josh really WAS the strongest Joe Johnson advocate on 
this list bar none (if I'm not mistaken). He also had hopes for Joe Forte 
to be there at 21, again if I'm not mistaken. It's wierd if you think about it.

Of course, I think Josh also pushed nearly equally hard for Diop and 
thought the idea of drafting Kedrick was outrageous at first, which really 
says more about what little info we have of various players than anything 
else (but by the same token also how incompetent we ought to be in theory 
at giving a GM any meaningful advice about a player).

But, still, to have the Celtics GM saying he read all your articles before 
drafting Joe Johnson, is that wild or what? It had to be a coincidence, but 
still pretty nutty. Imagine if "Way" wrote a free column for Mr bskball 
instead.  kidding! ;-)

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