Just another guy names Joe? Or, "A Tale of Two Cities!"

[JB <jimmetz@xxxxxxx>]

	I know there are so many Celtics articles to read each morning, but 
I'm surprised no one else picked up; from this AM's Steve Bulpet 
article, the first indication, that we didn't have to give multi 
talented, but a bit reticent; Joe Johnson, to get Delk and Rogers, last 
season.
	Bulpet reported that Phoenix was willing to take Kedrick Brown;

{The bottom line is that the Celts felt comfortable sending their top 
pick from 2001 (10th overall) to the Suns last February in the Rodney 
Rogers-Tony Delk deal because they believed Kedrick Brown (taken at No. 
11) was and will be better.
``They had interest in both guys, so we had to offer who we thought was 
best for us to offer,'' Celtic player personnel director Leo Papile 
said. ``We couldn't keep them both and it was a very difficult 
split-decision, because both guys have their strengths.}

	There was many a debate as to whether the trade was a good one, based 
on our not signing Rogers after the season and the great potential 
Johnson  showed, in flashes, here, as being a triple double guy, at 
6'8", which is very rare.
	Most of us, conceded that the playoff wins were invaluable to the 
maturation of a previously clueless team and when Delk stepped up to a 
productive starters role, this season, the debate was almost over. We 
even had a bit of backlash when Johnson lost his starters role a few 
weeks ago.
	Well,  something has happened  to "shoeless Joe." He's found his game. 
Actually, he's only found his game on  the road, but I have a feeling 
that his nervousness at home will be short lived. From this AM's 
"Arizona Republic:"

{In road games this season, Johnson, 21, is averaging 8.6 points, 3.0 
rebounds and 2.4 assists, and he is shooting 40 percent.
At America West Arena, he is averaging 3.6 points, 1.5 rebounds and 1.0 
assists, and is shooting 26.2 percent. He averages about 10 minutes a 
game more on the road than at home.
It's a pattern that goes beyond this season.
In his 29 games with the Suns last season, 13 at home and 16 on the 
road, Johnson again was much more effective in opponents' buildings.
In games at America West Arena, he averaged 7.7 points, 3.9 rebounds 
and 3.9 assists while shooting 33.9 percent.
On the road, he averaged 11.1 points, 4.2 rebounds and 3.4 assists 
while shooting 47.6 percent.}


	While this discrepancy underlines Joe's  uncertainties as a consistent 
performer, he's starting to make an impression. Two nights ago in New 
jersey, he provided 16-points, five-rebounds and four assists, while 
tonight, playing 31 minutes in a sixth man role, he scored 19 points, 
while grabbing 7 boards and dishing 3 assists.
	I could live with the trade, accepting it as a necessary evil, 
considering the playoff run, but not knowing we could have kept Johnson 
and given Kedrick Brown instead.
	Chris Wallace got whacked by Brown's agent Arn Tellem, promising that 
we'd draft him with the 11th pick, if he wouldn't let him audition for 
other teams. The truth is, we could have had him with the 21st pick, or 
even the 31st(if we had it) and taken Tinsley/Parker both starting 
point guards  for contending teams at 11 and/or  Brendan Haywood/Loren 
Woods, at 21, to fill a big hole  at center and have been spared the 64 
million dollar  fiasco that is Vin Baker.
	As bad as that was, Wallace seems to have compounded the stupidity by 
keeping Kedrick and trading Johnson.
	If I owned the Celtics and watched Joe torch us tonight and saw 
Kedrick Brown's four uneventful minutes, I would call Mr Wallace in the 
morning  and  tell him to  start sending out his resume.
	No, hold that, why wait for morning?
	
		JB

	Unchain My Heart !