2003

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

As noted earlier, I do hope Tim Duncan tuned into last night's Orlando game 
since our 4-year plan seems to involve discreetly clearing the same cap 
space in 2003 as Orlando in order to be a player in the Duncan/Kidd 
sweepstakes.

To me the question boils down to whether Tim Duncan prefers to be within 
driving distance of 17 kiddie theme parks, or the other option to join 
forces with two players of the same age and durability (Antoine and Paul) 
and our 16 championship banners to possibly wage the greatest 
Celtics-Lakers showdown of them all (my being too young to remember the 
cans of whup ass we opened on Baylor/West/Wilt).

Between now and then, Antoine and Paul need to evolve more in the mold of 
Grant Hill in his prime (sorry Orlando, but he'll have passed his prime by 
that 2003 window). I'll face up to the fact that Duncan is never going to 
play for a team where a single player jacks up 16 treys. And it goes 
without saying that he's also unlikely he'll want to play for a team that 
isn't near or above 50 wins at the end of the 2002-03 season.

At that age he'll want to make a run at three or four championship rings, 
and hence Boston will need to reshape itself as a plausible platform for 
that sort of run. Chris Wallace needs to factor this into his 4-year plan. 
Get some temporary short-contract veteran help (timed for contract 
expiration) to make sure we look like a 50-win type team before going to 
market in 2003. Its not enough to just have cap space.

Look, I'm not a big enough retard to hitch my hopes on Dunkin Donut boy. I 
like supporting the Celtics nucleus as is, in terms of fun and likeability.

But at the same time, do any of you seriously think the 
Flakers/Gakers/Lakers will want any piece of Antoine, Paul, Joe, Kedrick 
AND Tim in 2003? I don't think so. If Kobe, Shaq, Mr Vanessa Williams and 
Jack Nicholson want a piece of that Boston Celtics lineup, well then bring 
them on.

So I hope Tim Duncan is watching, just as I hope Larry Bird is looking at 
any opportunity to help buy out "Thanks Dad" (nearly the sorriest ownership 
legacy in Celtics history bar none, and that's obviously saying a lot).

****