Re: sums it up

["Dan Forant" <dforant1@nycap.rr.com>]

Remember analysts, begins with the word anal.

L8ter
DanF
----- Original Message -----
From: "Tom Titus" <ttitus@mindspring.com>
To: "Celtics List" <celtics@igtc.com>
Sent: Sunday, February 24, 2002 12:20 PM
Subject: Fw: sums it up


> RIGHT ON TRACK!
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Troy Hash <troyhash@kih.net>
> To: celtics list <celtics@igtc.com>
> Date: Saturday, February 23, 2002 10:32 PM
> Subject: sums it up
>
>
> >This is from todays basketball.com news.  I think this pretty much sums
> things
> >up in a nutshell.
> >
> >The Trade Front:   The tenth pick in this season's draft and a first
round
> >pick in the upcoming one for reserve guard Tony Delk?  In essence that is
> the
> >trade Boston made when they shipped Joe Johnson, Milt Palacio, Randy
Brown
> and
> >a conditional 2002 first round pick to the Phoenix Suns for Delk and
> forward
> >Rodney Rogers.  Rogers is a free agent after the season and chances are
> good
> >that Boston will not re-sign him when his contract expires.  What to make
> of
> >this trade?  Probably helps in the short term as Boston seeks to return
to
> the
> >playoff for the first time since the  1993-94 season.  Delk and Rogers
> provide
> >some outstanding scoring punch off the bench, which has been a glaring
> >weakness for Boston this season.  Long term however, the trade works in
> only
> >one way, and that is financially.  Boston's ownership, as are many
> ownership
> >groups around the league, is extremely concerned about the luxury tax
that
> is
> >looming on the NBA horizon.  In short the Celtics' will not pay it and
this
> >trade does much to ensure that fact.  Boston will be drastically reducing
> >their payroll after the season, as the shuffling of players in this deal,
> as
> >well as the five players on the current roster, including Rogers, that
will
> be
> >free agents after this season trims roughly $9-$11 million off the team's
> >salary heading into the offseason.  With Paul Pierce's mega deal kicking
in
> >next season, he is scheduled to break $10 million for the year, Boston
was
> >looking at a player payout in excess of $52-$55 million which would put
> them
> >close to the luxury tax threshold if it was instituted.   With point
guard
> >Kenny Anderson's contract set to expire after next season, the Celtics
will
> >save another $8-$10 million possibly putting them at roughly $40-$42
> million
> >in players salaries heading into 2003-2004.  Whether that savings will be
> used
> >to entice a free agent big man like Tim Duncan or Jermaine O'Neal or an
> >All-Star playmaker like Jason Kidd or rather be used to line the pockets
of
> >the ownership remains to be seen.  Expect the latter given majority owner
> Paul
> >Gaston's desire to run a very profitable business as well as the
> realization
> >that the Celtics are a publicly traded company.
> >
> >Unfortunately the financial implications meant trading away a very
talented
> >basketball player in Joe Johnson.  The local and national media towed the
> >company line stating that the Celtics were down on the smooth player out
of
> >Arkansas.  That he lacked the confidence and intensity to excel at this
> level.
> >However, the apparent lack of confidence was largely due to head coach
Jim
> >O'Brien's poor use of the promising rookie.  O'Brien's system is the
> >antithesis of Joe Johnson's game as it requires perimeter players other
> than
> >Antoine Walker and Paul Pierce to clear out the side for the two
> co-captains.
> >Johnson's immense talents were wasted in such a system and consequently
his
> >free flowing game and skills withered.  He sums it up himself.  "They
have
> two
> >All-Stars (Paul Pierce and Antoine Walker) out there, so it was kind of
> tough
> >to be assertive with the type of game we were playing. Instead of me
trying
> to
> >come out and be more aggressive, I had to play my role. But I feel good
> about
> >this trade."  The Suns will make full use of Johnson's immense talents
and
> >will be the better for it.  Three years down the road, the Suns' gain
will
> be
> >the Celtics' loss.  If only it were the other way around. - RaSi
> >
> >TOP
> >
> >
>
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