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Insider 8/27/02
Atlantic Fixer-Uppers: Are the Celtics bleeding green?
by Chad Ford
<A HREF="http://insider.espn.go.com/insider/writeback?
name=Chad+Ford">Send an Email to Chad Ford</A>
Note: Over the past two months, Insider has broken down what last
season's
NBA lottery teams need to do to get to the playoffs.
ESPN.com's "Fixer-Upper"
series continues on Insider this week with the playoff teams. Today
we tackle
the Atlantic Division playoff teams. Tomorrow we'll do the Central.
Boston Celtics
The Celtics haven't just been affected by the looming luxury tax.
They've
been gagged, beaten, bound to the mast and left for dead. Unable to
re-sign
any of their prominent free agents, the Celtics watched Rodney Rogers
(who
they basically gave two No. 1 picks for) slip away to a divisional
rival.
They're also on the verge of losing backup guard Erick Strickland,
unable to
offer him anything more than the veteran's minimum. They did trade
for Vin
Baker, adding depth to their frontcourt, but had to give up starting
point
guard Kenny Anderson in return. Can GM Chris Wallace help repair his
team
while wearing owner Paul Gaston's financial handcuffs?
Step 1: Find a real point guard
Shammond Williams and Tony Delk are both great scorers but neither of
them
can come close to filling Anderson's shoes. The Celtics think that
Antoine
Walker can be their point forward at times. . . right.
The team needs a distributor in the worst way and there aren't a lot
of big
names left out there. Travis Best would be a nice fit, but he'll cost
too
much. Rod Strickland would give the Celtics a solid veteran, but he's
looking
for a multi-year deal, something the Celtics aren't keen on at the
moment.
Damon Jones would give them some size, but he, like Williams and
Delk, is a
scorer at heart. Strickland would like to come back, but again it
doesn't
look like the Celtics can match what other teams are willing to pay.
I think the answer to their point guard woes may be Rafer Alston.
He's a bit
flashy and unproven, but he's the best pure point guard for the
price. He'll
likely agree to a one-year deal just to get the chance to show what
he's got.
If he pans out, the Celtics have a steal. If he doesn't, it wasn't
like
anyone else willing to play for the minimum would do much better.
Step 2: Give the ball to Kedrick Brown
If the Celtics are going to return to the Eastern Conference Finals,
they
need a big year out of the second year swingman. Brown is their most
athletic
player and may be their top on-the-ball defender. The team could try
to keep
the status quo behind Eric Williams, but Brown has star potential and
needs
the minutes to prove it. If the Celtics can get him the experience
early, he
could be a dangerous weapon down the road. He was the only player at
the Shaw
Pro Summer League to put the clamps on Richard Jefferson. He could be
very,
very good.
Those moves would give the Celtics this opening-day roster:
Point guard: <A HREF="http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?
statsId=3282">Rafer Alston</A>, <A
HREF="http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?
statsId=3277">Shammond Williams</A>, J.R. Bremer
Shooting guard: <A
HREF="http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?
statsId=3253">Paul Pierce</A>, <A
HREF="http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?
statsId=3086">Tony Delk</A>
Small forward: <A HREF="http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?
statsId=3521">Kedrick Brown</A>, <A
HREF="http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?
statsId=3016">Eric Williams</A>
Power forward: <A HREF="http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?
statsId=3112">Antoine Walker</A>, <A
HREF="http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?
statsId=3100">Walter McCarty</A>
Center: <A HREF="http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?
statsId=1279">Vin Baker</A>, <A
HREF="http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?
statsId=3176">Tony Battie</A>, <A
HREF="http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?
statsId=3278">Bruno Sundov</A>.
New Jersey Nets
There isn't much left for team president Rod Thorn to do at this
point. He's
already orchestrated one of the biggest trades of the summer, sending
Keith
Van Horn and Todd MacCulloch to the Sixers for Dikembe Mutombo. He's
made two
smart free-agent signings in Rodney Rogers and Chris Childs. And,
their only
draft pick, second-rounder Tamar Slay, really looked like a keeper
this
summer. What's left? The Nets still have some depth issues up front
and could
use another veteran big man to replace Kenyon Martin for the 10 to 20
games
he'll be suspended this season.
Step 1: Bring in one more veteran big man
There are plenty of interesting veterans left out there. Popeye Jones
is the
type of player every team wants coming off the bench. Charles Oakley
comes
with a ton of experience and even more attitude. Darvin Ham is
scrappy and
would be a Byron Scott favorite. But the best fit may be the
multi-dimensional Chris Gatling. Gatling can't seem to find a
permanent home,
but he excels coming off the bench, is a proficient scorer and likes
to crash
the boards. He'd be a nice chance of pace to Kenyon Martin and, at
times,
could even swing over and play center.
Step 2: Give the ball to Richard Jefferson
Part of the thinking behind moving Keith Van Horn was to clear time
for
Jefferson. Now that the Nets have Rogers in the fold, they may be
tempted to
go with the veteran shooter. It would be a mistake. If Jefferson
continues
his learning curve, he has the potential to be a star now. If he can
become a
consistent scoring option, the Nets will be much more dangerous next
season.
Those moves would give the Nets this opening-day roster:
Point guard: <A HREF="http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?
statsId=2625">Jason Kidd</A>, <A
HREF="http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?
statsId=2996">Chris Childs</A>
Shooting guard: <A
HREF="http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?
statsId=3095">Kerry Kittles</A>, <A
HREF="http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?
statsId=1299">Lucious Harris</A>, <A
HREF="http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?
statsId=3537">Brandon Armstrong</A>, <A
HREF="http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?
statsId=3651">Tamar Slay</A>
Small forward: <A HREF="http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?
statsId=3523">Richard Jefferson</A>, <A
HREF="http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?
statsId=1280">Rodney Rogers</A>, <A
HREF="http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?
statsId=3544">Brian Scalabrine</A>
Power forward: <A HREF="http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?
statsId=3400">Kenyon Martin</A>, <A
HREF="http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?
statsId=0409">Chris Gatling</A>, <A
HREF="http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?
statsId=2222">Aaron Williams</A>
Center: <A HREF="http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?
statsId=425">Dikembe Mutombo</A>, <A
HREF="http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?
statsId=3530">Jason Collins</A>, <A
HREF="http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?
statsId=3087">Jamie Feick</A>
Orlando Magic
Doc Rivers is sick of waiting until next year. Unfortunately for Doc,
that's
GM John Gabriel's job. Over the past few years Garbriel has cut
talented
integral players from the roster in an effort to stay below the cap
so the
team could make runs at talented free agents. It paid off, kind of,
in the
summer of 2000 when the team landed Tracy McGrady and Grant Hill. But
Hill
has never been healthy and the Magic have never been able to replace
the loss
of Ben Wallace. Now, with forward Steven Hunter out for the year with
a torn
ACL, the Magic are back to square one. Do they save their cash for
next
summer and make a run at a top free agent, or do they spend the money
now and
make a run at the Eastern Conference Finals?
Step 1: Trade Mike Miller
Miller is good, but the Magic don't need him. He plays the same
position as
T-Mac and Hill and, despite all of the great press, isn't the best
three-point shooter on the team -- recently re-signed Pat Garrity is.
What
the Magic need is a young big man and a young point guard to build
around.
Both the Bulls and Grizzlies have tried to pry away Miller in the
past. Could
the Magic work out a deal that would send Miller and Darrell
Armstrong to the
Bulls for Jamal Crawford, Marcus Fizer and a re-signed (for one year)
Charles
Oakley? While the Bulls will be reluctant to part with both Crawford
and
Fizer, the team needs a veteran backcourt leader like Armstrong, and
Miller
would give the Bulls the outside shooter Jerry Krause has coveted for
years.
Crawford has the chance to be a special point guard, but he'll never
get the
chance in Chicago behind Jay Williams. Oakley would give them another
veteran
up front and Fizer . . . well, read step two.
Step 2: Swap Fizer for Stromile Swift
The Magic like Fizer, but he's a bit undersized for what they're
trying to
do. They already have a tough energy power forward in Ryan Humphrey.
What
they need is some athleticism and shot blocking. Swift is all of
those things
and more. New Grizzly president Jerry West isn't impressed with his
work
ethic and has been shopping Swift all summer. The Grizzlies already
have
plenty of height. What they need is the tough, hard nose player like
Fizer to
give them a little bang in the middle. The best news for the Magic is
that
adding both Swift and Crawford is an inexpensive option. They
would've
already had Miller on the books next season, so, in essence, they get
two big
upgrades at critical positions for an additional $3 million a year.
It's
worth the cash.
Those moves would give the Magic this opening-day roster:
Point guard: <A HREF="http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?
statsId=3407">Jamal Crawford</A>, <A
HREF="http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?
statsId=3195">Jacque Vaughn</A>
Shooting guard: <A
HREF="http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?
statsId=3179">Tracy McGrady</A>, <A
HREF="http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?
statsId=3536">Jeryl Sasser</A>
Small forward: <A HREF="http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?
statsId=2626">Grant Hill</A>, <A
HREF="http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?statsId=3262";>Pat
Garrity</A>, <A HREF="http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?
statsId=3617">Ryan Humphrey</A>
Power forward: <A HREF="http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?
statsId=3401">Stromile Swift</A>, <A
HREF="http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?
statsId=0248">Charles Oakley</A>, <A
HREF="http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?
statsId=3525">Steven Hunter</A>
Center: <A HREF="http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?
statsId=131">Horace Grant</A>, <A
HREF="http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?
statsId=3036">Andrew DeClercq</A>, <A
HREF="http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?
statsId=3441">Olumide Oyedeji</A>
Philadelphia 76ers
Larry Brown loves to tinker and he's at it again this summer. The
Sixers
already made their blockbuster deal, shipping off Dikembe Mutombo (a
guy
Larry Brown had to have at any cost 18 months ago) to New Jersey for
Van Horn
and Todd MacCulloch. No question, the Sixers added some punch to
their
offense, but will Allen Iverson share? The beauty of Brown's 2000-01
Sixers
was that he found a number of complementary players who didn't need
the ball
to make an impact. Now, with the addition of Van Horn and MacCulloch,
and
last summer's big acquisition, Derek Coleman, he has three key
players who
like to score. Even Dikembe Mutombo complained about his touches last
season.
If Cookie Monster isn't getting enough love in the low post, what do
you
think Van Horn and MacCulloch will say? The team also added an
intriguing
rookie in John Salmons and got a second-round steal with Sam Clancy,
but
neither is ready to contribute. Philly's big free-agent acquisition
was
defensive stopper Greg Buckner. Wasn't that Aaron McKie's job?
Step 1: Move Derek Coleman
If you're going to blow up the team, at least do it right. He's in
the last
year of his contract, making him a valuable commodity to the right
team.
Number one on the list are the Heat, who are desperately trying to
move far
enough under the cap to get their hands on a top-tier free agent.
Would Pat
Riley swap Brian Grant for Coleman? Grant is more comfortable
crashing the
boards and has never figured out how to mesh his game with Alonzo
Mourning's.
He won't have the same problem in Philly given MacCulloch's game.
While
Coleman isn't a big upgrade for Miami, he allows them to get far
enough under
the cap next summer to be a true player in the free-agent
sweepstakes. The
other possible scenario is to ship Coleman to Golden State for a
combination
of Danny Fortson and Adonal Foyle. The Warriors need the cap space
next
season and Fortson no longer fits into their plans now that they plan
to move
Antawn Jamison to the four. If the Sixers threw in a young prospect
like
Samuel Dalembert, would the Warriors pull the trigger? The move would
give
the Sixers extra depth in the middle with Foyle (ranked 1st in the
league in
blocks per minute) and Fortson (ranked 4th in the league in boards
with 11.7
rpg).
Step 2: Take away Larry Brown's credit card
Brown is a coaching genius, but he gets out of control with all the
moves.
Teams need time to bond and build chemistry. He should have all the
pieces in
place now. If he continues to tinker with this team, it just won't
have the
time, or the inclination, to bond. If this team can stay healthy, it
will
have as good a chance as any. Give them time Larry and they'll be
good.
Those moves would give the 76ers this opening-day roster:
Point guard: <A HREF="http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?
statsId=3045">Eric Snow</A>, <A
HREF="http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?
statsId=3624">John Salmons</A>
Shooting guard: <A
HREF="http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?
statsId=3094">Allen Iverson</A>, <A
HREF="http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?
statsId=3296">Greg Buckner</A>
Small forward: <A HREF="http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?
statsId=3169">Keith Van Horn</A>, <A
HREF="http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?
statsId=2640">Aaron McKie</A>, <A
HREF="http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?
statsId=2647">Monty Williams</A>
Power forward: <A HREF="http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?
statsId=3180">Danny Fortson</A>, <A
HREF="http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?
statsId=3124">Efthimios Rentzias</A>, <A
HREF="http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?statsId=3642";>Sam
Clancy</A>
Center: <A HREF="http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?
statsId=3370">Todd MacCulloch</A>, <A
HREF="http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?
statsId=3178">Adonal Foyle</A>, <A
HREF="http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?statsId=42";>Mark
Bryant</A>
Also see: <A
HREF="http://espn.go.com/nba/s/2002/0819/1420004.html";>Heat Fixer-
Upper</A> | <A
HREF="http://espn.go.com/nba/s/2002/0731/1412265.html";>Knicks Fixer-
Upper</A> | <A
HREF="http://espn.go.com/nba/s/2002/0724/1409470.html";>Wizards Fixer-
Upper</A>
Hunter's down, can the Magic get up?
Magic second-year big man <A
HREF="http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?
statsId=3525">Steven Hunter</A> was diagnosed with a torn ACL in his
left knee Monday. It's possible that he could miss the entire season
rehabbing the knee. The injury is yet another blow to a small Magic
team in
serious need of some size on the frontline. Orlando has only <A
HREF="http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?
statsId=131">Horace Grant</A>, <A
HREF="http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?statsId=3036";>
Andrew DeClercq</A> and <A
HREF="http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?
statsId=3441">Olumide Oyedeji</A> to play center. The Magic do have
their
full mid-level exception, but are reluctant to spend it due to salary-
cap and
luxury-tax issues. The team is already on the verge of the tax this
season
and needs to keep players off the books so that it can have some cap
room to
make a run at a free agent next summer.
That means, if the Magic are planning on replacing Hunter, they'll
need to
either work out a trade or sign a veteran free agent to the minimum
salary.
"We were already looking to add that," GM John Gabriel told the
Orlando
Sentinel. "It just punctuates what we have to do."
Several big men, including <A
HREF="http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?
statsId=3180">Danny Fortson</A> and Derek Coleman, are on the
trading block. The Magic, however, are reluctant to part with any of
their
core players, especially third-year forward <A
HREF="http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?
statsId=3404">Mike Miller</A>. As far as free
agents go, there are several decent big men left, including Popeye
Jones,
Chris Gatling, Charles Oakley and Gary Trent. The Magic could also
decide to
gamble on Shawn Kemp, who cleared waivers last week.
Typically, the team has been reluctant to add players with off-the-
court
issues. But Kemp, who reportedly has hired a personal trainer, is an
interesting option.
Asked about Kemp, Gabriel would only say, "We're exploring all
options."
>Magic's Hunter tears ACL</A>
Jerry Brewer / Orlando Sentinel
Will Popeye replace Rashard Lewis?
Should Rashard Lewis decide to bolt Seattle for Dallas b" and that's
still a
giant if at this point b" the Sonics are already preparing a backup
plan.
That plan, according to the Tacoma News Tribune, includes Wizards
free agent
Popeye Jones. Jones was in Seattle on Monday talking to the team. The
Sonics
would use their $1.4 veteran's exception.
Jones has also been talking to the Mavs and it appears that he may go
to
whichever team Lewis spurns. The Sonics feel like they need some help
up
front with the loss of <A
HREF="http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?statsId=1279";>Vin
Baker</A>. Apparently, they feel Jones is the answer.
"He has proven that he can rebound, and rebounding was one of our
problem
areas last season," GM Rick Sund said.
According to the News Tribune, the Sonics are also speaking with free-
agent
swingman Bryon Russell, though it is less likely Russell would join
the team
because he will probably sign with Washington.
>Sonics show interest in Popeye</A>
Frank Hughes / Tacoma News Tribune
Grandpa Willis joins the Old Man of the Sea
Say this for the Spurs, they now have about 200 years worth of NBA
playing
experience on their frontline.
The Spurs signed Kevin "Mendelbaum" Willis to a one-year contract for
the
veteran's minimum Monday. Willis, who will celebrate his 103rd
birthday in
September, is already being tagged as David "Seabiscut" Robinson's
backup.
Willis will have nothing to do with it. "I still have a few tricks up
my
sleeve. I'm not going to let some young whipper snapper like <A
HREF="http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?
statsId=288">David Robinson</A>
steal my thunder."
Willis, who said he still feels like he can play another decade or
two, isn't
fond of the Spurs new frontcourt nickname, "The Golden Girls.""Give
me my
cane boy and I'll whoop your a . . " You get the picture.
>Veteran center Kevin Willis will spell David Robinson.</A>
Glenn Rogers / San Antonio Express-News
Peep Show
World Championships: <A
HREF="http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?
statsId=3510">ZhiZhi Wang</A> was snubbed by Team China Monday. The
team
left him off its World Championship roster after ZhiZhi refused to
play for
the team in the Asian Games in October. "The CBA wanted me to play in
the
Asian Championships in October, but I want to play in the NBA
preseason,"
Wang told the Fort Worth Star Telegram. "Because of the Asian
Championships,
I'm not playing in the World Championships."
Rockets: The team threw six years and $84 million at <A
HREF="http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?
statsId=3325">Steve Francis</A> Monday.
But what about all of those migraine headaches he experienced toward
the end
of last season? A visit to the Mayo Clinic confirmed the diagnosis of
Rockets
physicians that Francis had Meniere's disease, a treatable and often
temporary inner-ear condition. Francis said he was committed to his
treatment
-- including medication and careful adherence to a low-salt diet.
Some
stipulations about his treatment were written into his contract. He
said he
has been free of headaches since the end of the season.
Blazers: <A HREF="http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?
statsId=3009">Damon Stoudamire</A> thinks the Blazers will make a big
mistake if they
trade him. Stoudamire was impressive Saturday during a 20-minute
scrimmage
against Team USA in the Rose Garden. Team USA won 31-28, but
Stoudamire made
Blazers assistant Herb Brown take note. "Damon looked good, huh?"
Brown told
the Oregonian. Stoudamire, who mostly went against <A
HREF="http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?
statsId=3331">Andre Miller</A>, was just as
happy with his performance. "I tell you what, they might not want to
trade
me," Stoudamire said, laughing. . "I've got something in store for
everybody."
Heat: With Troy Hudson the latest point guard to get away, the Heat
are
quickly running out of options to run the point this year. They're
still at
an impasse with Rod Strickland and free agent Travis Best is still
asking for
too much money. That leaves players like Rafer Alston, Damon Jones
and Mookie
Blaylock. Are the Heat interested? According to the Sun Sentinel, a
league
source said Alston is talking to the Heat, Knicks, Mavericks and
Pacers and
is close to signing.
Nuggets: Now that the team finally has a head coach, are there any
more moves
up GM Kiki Vandeweghe's sleeve? "I am always looking to improve the
team,"
Vandeweghe told the Denver Post. "I am never going to close my eyes
to any
opportunity. We didn't win an NBA championship last year, so it's not
time to
[relax]. We've got a lot of work to do. It is my job to get it done.
It won't
be my time to relax and rest until we accomplish our goal. I'm not
satisfied
with being mediocre." The big roster question, however, is point
guard <A HREF="http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?
statsId=163">Mark
Jackson</A>. There has been talk that the Nuggets may waive Jackson
and bring in
a young point guard for an audition. "At this point, he is on our
roster,"
Vandeweghe said. "We expect him to be in camp."
>China snubs Wang</A>
Art Garcia / Fort Worth Star-Telegram
>Francis receives extension worth about $85 million</A>
Jonathan Feigen / Houston Chronicle
>Commitment dandy if Rocket can find winning touch</A>
Fran Blinebury / Houston Chronicle
>Stoudamire on the move?</A>
Jason Quick / The Oregonian
>Point guards slipping away</A>
Harvey Fialkov / South Florida Sun-Sentinel
>Quick fixes not in Vandeweghe's repertoire</A>
Marc J. Spears / Denver Post
--- End forwarded message ---