sorry; this is the formatted text. Josh Ozersky Marketing Communications Specialist Corning Museum of Glass <<RE: Playoff Experience Is Vastly Overrated>>
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- To: 'Way Of The Ray' <wayray@ix.netcom.com>, celtics@igtc.com
- Subject: RE: Playoff Experience Is Vastly Overrated
- From: OzerskyJA <OzerskyJA@cmog.org>
- Date: Tue, 27 Mar 2001 18:35:10 -0500
- Cc: "'sptguy33@aol.com'" <sptguy33@aol.com>
Well, I agree with Ray, in a sense. The acquisition of talent via high lottery picks is the most important thing in professional basketball, period. Bird, Jordan, Magic, Isiah, Hakeem, Moses Malone -- nearly ever NBA champion of the past 25 years has been built around a star drafted in the top of the draft. On the other hand, no such players will be available at ten; so we are not looking at that big a difference in terms of impact. There probably will be a major talent dropoff between 10 and 14, though, and for that reason I think that missing the playoffs will bring a major consolation prize with it. There is always the chance, of course, that the team will trade multiple picks up for a high pick, or for a young star like Mike Bibby; and the economics of the rookie contract favor such a deal, even if it doesn't make sense in terms of talent. But if that doesn't happen, and we end up with the 14th pick as our first, what will we have bought with playoff success. I think that making the playoffs will be an immeasurable aid to this team. Antoine has been playing some of the most selfless basketball in the league during this span, and a lot of players with impregnable job security are throwing themselves on the line to try to accomplish this goal. For better or worse, the playoffs are the benchmark of legitimacy in the NBA. If these players are going to get anywhere, it's necessary for them to have something to show for all the effort, the defense, and the sacrifices that have been asked of them. To come this far and play this hard only to end up like us in the playoffs would be a damaging blow to morale; and even if the players used it as motivation for next season's run, that hardly qualifies as the same feeling as playing a title contender tough for three or even four games. This team needs talent. A legitimate scoring threat on the box, and a true point guard are obviously needed (although I expect Kenny Anderson to average 15 points and 4.5 assists next year, for what that's worth). But likely we are looking at acquiring a rangy young player like Rodney White or Rod Grizzard with our pick, a slashing scoring threat to take up the slack from Paul and Antoine. Jamaal Tinsley will likely not be available; unless Frank Williams comes out, Tinsley will likely be gone by the tenth pick. So I say, let's win this thing, and take it to the Sixers like we used to. Remember, nobody thought the Celtics could beat Philadelphia in 1981, and they almost didn't. Kevin McHale was just a talented reserve, and Larry Bird just an up-and-comer, not yet a basketball deity. Robert Parish was a talented but underachieving center whom nobody feared; and of the other players, only Tiny Archibald was considered a major talent. This isn't to compare this crew to the worst of the Bird teams; but you don't know what you have until you see them in the playoffs. And finding that out is well worth the tenth pick, for my money. Josh Ozersky Marketing Communications Specialist Corning Museum of Glass > -----Original Message----- > From: Way Of The Ray [SMTP:wayray@ix.netcom.com] > Sent: Tuesday, March 27, 2001 6:06 PM > To: celtics@igtc.com > Subject: Playoff Experience Is Vastly Overrated > > Talent is preferable. How much playoff experience > did Kevin McHale need? Tim Duncan? Larry? > Magic? Wilt? Russell? > > Great players simply don't need a lot of playoff > experience to contend for titles. And if you don't > have great players, all the playoff experience in the > world isn't going to bring you any closer to a > championship. > > Concentrate on getting the great players and then worry about > the playoffs. > > I'd rather see the Celtics end up with the 10th pick than the 14th, > as packaging 10 and 11 may get them high enough in the draft to > take a Griffen or Randolph or Prince or Brown, etc. - players that can > have an impact.... > > Ray > >
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