Re: Bo Outlaw + 1st rd pick to the Suns...

["j.hironaka" <j.hironaka@unesco.org>]

At 21:01 19/11/01 -0500, Jim Hill wrote:
>Joe, Anyway I doubt he'll be traded in a firesale situation for smoking pot.
>Shawn Kemp makes this kid look like a Boy Scout.

For what its worth, its not really the ganja but rather that the Clips are 
5-2 since he got suspended, and have a talent logjam to replace him (Darius 
Miles of course, but also Quentin Richardson, Maggette, Piatkowski). 
Moreover, the Clips more or less promised to re-sign Lamar and Brand to the 
max this summer, and they might prefer to trade Odom than renege on the 
deal. Even before his suspension, Odom was toking his way to 14 points on 
.308 shooting.

So I'm not sure its that much of a reach for the Clippers to go after a 
longterm, below-the-veteran-minimum contract like that of Joe Forte's in 
exchange for Odom. The Clippers might lose Odom for nothing. Not that we'd 
take him, but he might want to come back to New England on his own to be 
Boston's sixth man or else start alongside Walker as a second hybrid 
small-power forward. He's averaging 10 boards and 1.7 blocks this year. We 
could be a hell of a slick passing team (except at center) and our 
rebounding woes disappear.

Boston's has cohabited with its share of Dead Heads, so all the sinsemilia 
is not the issue. The issue is how weakwilled, flaky and undependable he 
has always been. Its not like pot is addictive. Yet he got busted already 
once, weepily said he'd never again let his teammates down, and then goes 
and does it again the next season. Teams have to determine if its just a 
problem of his youth, or if he'll go on conning his way through life. He 
seems blessed with the gift of likeability, which lets him get away with stuff.

The other issue is the 2003 free agent sweepstakes. That seems to be in 
Chris Wallace's four-year plan. Its not an unworthy crapshoot.

Joe

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