Ming and the Celts

["Berry, Mark S" <berrym@BATTELLE.ORG>]

Anyone have any thoughts on this Yao Ming situation as it relates to the
Celtics? Apparently he's going to enter the draft, but will not be eligible
to play until the 2002-2003 season. Is that correct? If so, it might keep
him from being a sure-fire No. 1 pick, but there's no way he could slide to
10... right? But the guy's not the sure thing David Robinson was when the
Spurs selected him knowing he wouldn't be there for a couple of years. Where
does he fall, and if he falls, does it change the Celtics' thinking about
trading up? Would they pull the trigger on a blockbuster that sends out
Pierce for the pick that becomes Yao Ming, knowing that Ming is at least a
year away and that means sacrificing the upcoming season? I haven't a clue
how good Yao Ming is, but if he's everything all these experts keep saying,
is any price too high? Wouldn't you trade the entire roster for a young Bill
Walton? I guess it comes down to how much Wallace and Co. like Yao and, just
as importantly, how much they trust their talent evaluation skills. I just
can't shake the feeling that one or two teams are going to make selections
in this draft that alter the course of their franchise, and as good as
Pierce and Walker are, neither is that kind of player. Yao Ming, Eddy Curry,
Kwame Brown... Who knows, maybe the Celtics will finally get lucky and land
in the top three... Just pray Denver doesn't get lucky, because add one of
these guys to that roster and that lottery pick we were looking at suddenly
doesn't look so good.

Mark