Vin Baker etc.

["hironaka@xxxxxxxxx"<hironaka@xxxxxxxxx>]

Vin Baker is only 31 this year, but he has four full 
seasons left at approx. 50 million guaranteed.

I personally don't believe one iota of the published 
report that Gaston refuses to take one season's hit worth 
of luxury tax to offer Rodney Rogers more than one 
million. That's saying he's not worth two million to the 
Boston franchise in salary and total taxes. Gaston's 
signed bigger checks than that to ink Randy Brown or 
Calbert Cheaney. 

Yet we're supposed to believe he'll allow Chris Wallace 
to add a 50 million contract (Vin Baker)from a team so 
desperate to trade him that they'll even accept an aging 
high strung point guard in return (to benchwarm for Gary 
Payton)?

Again, I don't think I'm being stubborn in categorically 
refusing to believe Gaston would actually do this, or 
that Chris Wallace would so totally wimp out of taking a 
stand when his greatest trade get sabotaged over chump 
change.

It doesn't add up, given the facts:

1) The Celtics raised ticket prices in the offseason. Huh?
2) The Celtics announce a profit and their stock also 
performs well in a bear market.
3) The new cap and luxury tax benchmarks come in lower 
than expected, meaning the Celtics and every other team 
are over it anyway, regardless. It amounts to a non-
issue. All teams are in the same boat.
4) The Celtics become conference finalist.
5) As much as we like to portray him that way, Gaston 
simply isn't THAT cheap. He paid for Healthpoint, he paid 
for Pitinochio. I could vaguely understand if he opposed 
going over the cap to sign unproven talents on a yearly 
35 win team. But I ALWAYS assumed he would pay to support 
a winner, just like his dad did. I think we all assumed 
this.

It doesn't add up.

As to the merits of re-signing Rodney Rogers during 
this "Filene's Basement" offseason opportunity, my views 
are subjective but they are as follows:

1) Give Rodney twenty minutes per game and he'll get you 
double figures, as shown in 8 years of stats. That's what 
made him a 6th Man of the Year, and a potential repeat 
threat next year now that he's on a winning team. If you 
converted any of half of last year's NBA starters into 
bench players, the vast majority would fail to perform 
that simple task (give you ten points in twenty minutes).

2) Not only is this a specialized skill, Rodney 
accomplishes it within the flow of the offense and 
without forcing shots (what a positive contrast to the 
rest of the Celtics), as born out by his high 2-point AND 
3-point FG% year after year. His career stats are as 
consistent as those of Robert Parish, the most 
statistically consistent player I've ever seen.

2) Deep playoff teams need a dependably consistent double 
figure scorer on the bench. Its fine to have a guy who 
does it every other game, or has "the raw talent" to 
score 20 at any given time. But is that the same thing? 
Like I said, it is a specialized skill.

3) Not only can Rodney play small forward and center, he 
can actually guard small forwards and centers. 
Defensively, no team was able to exploit the purported 
size mismatches (he "plays big" as they say). Rogers did 
just as well guarding "Scoreless" Williamson as Dikimbe. 
He was almost the Cedric Maxwell of our playoff run.

Guys, Rodney WILL sign in Boston. Boston fans do care 
about the Celtics and they are NOT going to stand for 
Thanks Dad and Pond Scum doing this on a conference 
finalist with the 7th lowest payroll in the league last 
year.

Nor will you likely see Rodney's three-million-per-year 
contract traded to pick up long term albatross contracts 
like those of Croshere and Vin Baker. It makes no 
financial sense, it is risky. It is just plain stupid and 
managerially incompentent. Not very pennywise.

It is not going to happen. I honestly believe this.

At the level of money we are talking about, it is a 
steal. 

Rest easy. I've fallen for dumb rumors in the past, but 
this one takes the cake.

Joe H.

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