RE: Celts may be able to pluck a plum

[Alexander Wang <awang@MIT.EDU>]

At 01:55 PM 1/16/01 -0500, Berry, Mark  S wrote:
>Kobe Bryant may be the best player in the league. If he's not the best, he's
>in the top 3. He's 22 years old and only getting better. He is closer to
>Michael Jordan than anyone ever could be. You build championships around
>this kind of player. He ball-hogs to the tune of 47 percent shooting,
>something neither Pierce or Walker will ever achieve. He's a great defender,
>great scorer, great passer. He's tremendous in the clutch. Shaq can't stand
>him. Fine. Shaq left Orlando because he couldn't stand Penny. Shaq can't
>stand anyone who challenges his status on a team.

To be fair, the Lakers won 67 games and a championship when they did it
Shaq style, so I think that Shaq has a reason to be complaining. He shoots
about 10% better than Kobe from the field. Yes, you can hack him to bring
his percentage down but that requires sacrificing your centers and
eventually you get worn out. Plus Shaq generates more opportunities for his
teammates than Kobe does if you run the offense through him. He dominates
on the boards. He anchors the defense. Jackson's plan to have Shaq wear
down the opponent for three quarters and then give it to Kobe is sensible,
but hey, what does the guy know, right? He's only won 7 championships and
convinced Jordan to be less selfish, why should Kobe listen to him?

Of course, on the 28 other teams that don't have Shaq, Kobe would
rightfully be the primary scorer. If we traded for him, we'd have the
league's scoring champion for the next 10-15 years, and he's also a
complete player. The reason I might be hesitant is the fate of our draft
pick, which still might hit it big in the lottery and generate a center to
build around. Walker and Pierce straight up would be an easy decision, I'd
say. It's amusing to think of the Lakers and Celtics making a blockbuster
trade of this type.

Alex