Re: Newest NBA superstar!/Auerbach

[Georgek27@AOL.com]

In a message dated 2/24/2002 3:14:46 PM Eastern Standard Time, 
johnlyell@hotmail.com writes:


> Only a few like the Lakers and I think Indiana is on the right track have 
> been able to take an old team and rebuild quickly through good decisions
> 

As for the Lakers, the best decision they made was moving to LA from 
Minneapolis because it was that fact plus cap space that enticed Shaq to sign 
there. If the franchise had still been in Minny the cap space would have 
meant as much as Chicago's did post-Jordan.

Indy has made some shrewd moves primarily in picking up "the other" O'Neal 
but look at the cash they tied up in Croshere, they have the NBA's worst 
coach at the helm, and only time will tell if their recent blockbuster trade 
was actually a good one. Hey, Chicago is 3-0 since the trade. Antonio Davis 
for Bender?

It's a different league today. Players are drafted before they are ready to 
contribute and by the time they are ready to do so they must be signed to 
huge contracts which often proves to be a mistake. As overpaid as many feel 
that Antoine is, what if we had invested the same dollars in Keith Van Horn 
instead? Or Eric Dampier?

As for trading a high draft pick (which became Andre Miller) for an unproven 
center, a lot has been said about that deal. The basic truth is that you 
cannot trade a high draft pick for a PROVEN center because teams don't trade 
them unless there are underlying circumstances or an overwhelming return. 
Supposedly the Celtics could not believe that Miller would last beyond the 
top 5 in that draft. I was against that trade but was talked into liking it 
(at the time). Unfortunately, Vitaly has not progressed -- he has regressed. 
Maybe that's the fault of our coaching staff as well.

Many of us could be great GMs (in our minds anyway) if we had Mark Cuban 
bankrolling our moves but that's not NBA reality. Unfortunately most teams 
are going to work within a budget whether I like it or you like it.

George