RE: I'm on the Nazr Mohammed bandwagon

[Kestas <Kestutis.Kveraga@dartmouth.edu>]

At 11:30 6/29/2001 -0400, you wrote:
>adopting those guys? The idea that this team is going to just add from the
>draft and be a championship contender is fantasy. 

I wasn't suggesting that they could just build a team exclusively through
the draft, I'm not that naive. Obviously, trades are necessary for the
league as a whole - it just makes sense economically and improves the
league because of the (presumably) better distribution of  resources. Teams
trade what they have too much of, or can do without, for something they
need.  

But trading our young stars for veteran players who've been the 'face' of
some other team to be our *nucleus* for a championship run would be somehow
distasteful. Walton never was and never will be a true Celtic, even though
he helped us win a championship. But he was a role player with the Celtics.
Barkley and Pippen would not have become true Rockets even if they had won
a championship in Houston, no more than Mutombo would become a Sixer. DJ
and Parish, however, *are* thought of as Celtics, not a Sonic and a
Warrior, because they came over relatively young and had their greatest
accomplishments with the Celtics. 

Stern realizes the importance of this and that's why the new CBA is
designed to keep the stars with their original teams. Still, some teams
will never have any continuity, and hence, identity: who is the 'face' of
Phoenix Suns? Your warm-weather-seeking star du jour. The Clippers? Some
rookie  or second-year player who'll be gone within a few years. The
Hornets? Barron Davis may become one, if they hold on to him, which is far
from a sure thing with that franchise. (If is any wonder that fan interest
in the Hornets fell off dramatically since their Mourning/LJ years?) 

Some NBA franchises are like Florida, SoCal, or Arizona (appropriately
enough) - most people there are newcomers. I don't want the Celtics to
become like that. Hopefully, the new Celtics 'brain trust' has a little
more perspective and patience than its former head used to. Our current
'native' Celtics - Walker, Pierce, JJ, Kedrick, Forte, Palacio, Blount,
Williams, plus 2 'near-natives' in Battie and Pot who've been with the team
for a few years, are all young and have a chance to grow into a very good
team.  Add a well-chosen draft pick here, a key FA signing or a trade for a
good role player there, and we should be ready to contend for the 17th in
3-5 years. 
Kestas