Re: The Boston Celtics Mailing List Digest V9 #251

["hironaka@xxxxxxxxx"<hironaka@xxxxxxxxx>]

> ---------- Initial message -----------
> 
> I haven't read a more biased column 
> in a long time.
> 
> Pete
>


Wait, what's so bad about that? :-) 

Seriously, I appreciate the tone of the column and 
incidentally, I don't feel it is all that big a stretch.

Setting aside the length-of-contract and value-for-money 
arguments, what other lowpost bigman would you rather the 
Celtics have added without giving up on of the captains? 

The Celtics are likely to get as much overall production 
out of Vin Baker for the upcoming season as Toronto would 
have gotten out of Keon Clark. He may even be as 
productive as Kandi-man will be for the Clippers (now we 
are already talking franchise center caliber). 

Next year in the East, there will be no team deeper at 
center and power forward than Boston. None. 

And its probably true that Vinnie is a lowpost cleanup 
slugger who could improve the "pitches" that Walker and 
Pierce see. Thus higher FG% all around from our two 
franchise guys (I hope so, after how they shot the ball 
last year). ;-) 

Aside from this type of "wishful thinking", there's 
nothing wrong in general with supporting the Celtics even 
during troubled times.

This Summer qualifies as troubling. Ownership reacted to 
a "Final Four" season by holding payroll down to around 
17th in the league. 

How many of you think Gaston is expecting the Celtics to 
compete for long with a NBA bottom-third payroll? 

How many think he expects nothing less a championship-
driven team in Boston?  

Pond and Chris Wallace are taking no chances by dropping 
payroll into the 51 million range thus far, rather than 
extending up to higher band 54 million range like other 
teams, when handed a golden opportunity to affordably re-
sign a 6th man and third leading scorer. 

I agree with those who feel that there must be more to 
the Rodney Rogers story than meets the eye. 

Anytime a team fails to re-sign a third leading scorer at 
a fair price (2.8 million), it generally means the player 
in question is over-the-hill, or won't play defense, or 
he scores by being a ballhog, or he is a locker-room 
cancer, or injury prone, insubordinate etc. All the more 
so when he's about to sign with your closest division 
rival and it is met with dead silence.   

Whatever was wrong with Rodney Rogers, it was well hidden 
from the fans and media.

The manner in which the front office handled the Rodney 
Rogers situation was so clumsy it almost had to be 
deliberate.

First they offer him 1 million and even tell the press 
about this humiliating paycut. Nice plan, guys!! What was 
the intended aim there? Its a good thing Rodney had the 
class not to speak his mind.

Then days later, they trade for a guy making 12.5 million 
with a very different reputation ("2-time coach killer" 
according to Bob Ryan's weekend column). 

And Boston tosses in Joe Forte not in order to make the 
trade numbers match, but seemingly to save a million 
bucks in 2003-04. I think he would have made a fine "12th 
man" on our current roster.

You simply couldn't have a greater contrast between 
Rogers and Baker. Rodney has the reputation as your blue-
collar 18-wheel trucker and NASCAR fan. Judging by the 
Shira Springer profile, Vin Baker's big hobby is, 
well, "Baking"....along with "basting", "glazing", "BBQ-
ing" etc. 

I think the two could have co-existed in Boston within a 
respectable 54 million payroll band. 

In that scenario, if our three current point guards 
flopped, I would have expected Boston to trade the better 
among Delk or Shammond (whomever had more trade value at 
midseason) with a first round pick for the best 3.0 
million dollar point guard available via trade.

With Baker and Rodney, the Celtics would not have been 
that far away from championship contention. But losing 
Rodney is a bit like having a key player get "injured". 
Assuming there are no further injuries (knock wood) 
Boston can still be pretty competitive. I think Josh is 
right to point out the strengths of this team.

We are still uncommonly strong and talented at 
center/forward. We have the most dangerous scorer in the 
East at shooting guard. It ought to be enough to compete.

And if Kedrick catches up to where Richard Jefferson is 
at developmentally, that would signal that Boston is as 
strong (or stronger) than the Nets. 

Basically, we need Kedrick to morph into a Rodney 
Rogers...a true 3-point threat off the bench who can 
rebound and defend guys at several positions. That's what 
I'm hoping for in the coming year...and I do think the 
Lepprechaun is finally heading back to the Fleet Center. 

JH


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