Animal, vegetable, mineral?

[Jim Metz <JBMetzEA@AOL.com>]

   Talking about the Celtics this off-season, is like buying Coffee or
Potato(e) chips. You think you are buying a pound and only get 14 ounces.
   When is 14 players a full roster?
   A full roster and an empty pocketbook they tell us. They couldn't sign
El-Amine or Vaughn, for $500,000, or so, because we might need a minor
leaguer, later in the season and wouldn't want to have to cut a player to
sign one. Rubbish.
   If the need was for a point guard, which is the most likely, if Anderson
and Brownout
 are injured, or otherwise inactive, we could certainly cut
Brown, in the last year of his contract, with no jeopardy.
   We know, we won't be needing any wing players, that's a given,
considering we have a squadron of them.
   If a center goes down with an injury....good luck finding one in the CBA,
but even so, we could certainly cut Rowshown McLoed, who is chronically
injured and who we are not going to re-sign next year anyway. What would
have been the risk? The loss of 500,000 to look at a point guard, our area
of greatest weakness.
   You ask if we could make the playoffs? Of course we can, but the above
type of non-leadership, the same thinking that drafted three wing players,
instead of trading the 11th pick for Houston's offer of both of it's picks;
or the pick and a player, for a veteran, like Dale Davis, shows me little
inspiration from the front office.
   The path of least resistance is well traveled.
   Kedrick Brown has as much chance of being the next Jerome Moiso, as the
next Tracy McGrady. You know it, I know it and our Brain Trust
 should know
it. All of the talent in the world and it's still a risk. Draft picks are a
risk. Period! There aren't many Lenny Bias's, but not many McGrady's either.
The highest value, a very high % of all draft picks have, is on draft night,
before they've played a game.
   I always figure that it's organizations that build dynasties, as much as
the players. Atlanta took the reins in hand. This is the type of
ownership/GM mentality that would give me confidence in this team
progressing.
   There is one scenario that could bail out our Brain Trust
. Joe Johnson
steps in and becomes the starting point guard. This would allow Kedrick
Brown to start and Joe Forte to come off the bench for scoring spark. I'm
not saying this could happen, but if it did, and all three of these players
were ready to help immediately, we would be right in the thick of things and
our boys; Eggcentric's beloved; Three Stooges, would be heaped with honors
and kudos from the league and this benumbed scribe.
   Otherwise, we are resting our hopes for success, on the frail limbs of
Tony Battie and Kenny Anderson. With or without them, what difference does
it make?  In the year before last, they both played. In fact this team was
about the same before Potapenko replaced Knight and DeClerq, Anderson
replaced Billups and Pierce joined the team. With Mercer, without Mercer. It
just didn't seem to matter. 35 wins. Moses Malone and the gang from St.
Petersburg, Virginia could probably have brought us 35 wins.
   If I thought that our Brain Trust
, had a plan, I would say it was to
tank this coming season and go for Ming or Dejuan Wagner, or whoever comes
out next year, at point guard or center. That seems to be Gaston's best move
and I guess he's found another coach and GM to buy into it. Wasn't Dan Quail
available?

-JB-




Unchain My Heart!