One more thing (rebounding)

["Berry, Mark S" <berrym@BATTELLE.ORG>]

Almost forgot...

Some of us have been harping on this team's lack of size for years, but it's
really coming home to roost this month. They're getting murdered on the
boards. Obie mutters something about not really having the personnel... No
s**t Sherlock. Maybe playing your new "backup power forward" alongside your
"going to play 40 minutes per game come hell or high water" power forward
might help. Get a center. Get a legit power forward. These are long-term
needs that have been there forever (and could have been solved in the last
draft-now it will be much harder). They're still there. This is how GMs earn
their living, Chris Wallace.

Rebounding is a problem. It has been since the Big Three faded away. Some of
us have been saying all along that it would rear its head again. OK, it has
happened. But it's not just personnel this time. Are Dallas and Houston
great rebounding teams? Antoine has been a force on the boards most of the
season, but he took a couple of nights off in Texas. This team can't afford
that. They're going to have enough trouble against the San Antonios and
Philly front lines-they can't get dominated by the Kelvin Catos, Kenny
Thomases, Eduardo Najeras of the world.

Having said all that... Have you all looked at the Eastern Conference? Does
Detroit scare you? Does New Jersey? Look, the Celts could lose a playoff
series to either of those teams, but they also could win a playoff series
against either of those teams. Same with Milwaukee, which can't get its act
together. And Toronto. Is it going to be easy? No, but it's possible. They
have to incorporate the new guys. It's imperative, and not just in a "Delk
starts at shooting guard and Rogers backs up Toine" way either. They have to
be the valuable bench pieces they've been everywhere else.


Mark