re: Aldridge's take

[bird <birdwl@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

> From: "Thomas Murphy" <tfmiii@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> [from Aldridge]
> Baker better come with major
> defensive intensity from Minute One next fall if he's going to please
> O'Brien, who I hear may not have been the strongest advocate of the deal.
>
>  Baker better come with major defensive intensity from Minute One next 
> fall
> if he's going to please O'Brien, who I hear may not have been the 
> strongest
> advocate of the deal.
I like how this was emphasized by saying it twice.  (I know, I know.)  But 
I think it's one of the best points in an article full of 'em.  Two 
separate sub-issues, though: 1) Baker's lack of D, and 2) Obie's take and,
 by extension, the whole chemistry thing.  Aldridge is right about the C's 
essentially gambling on Vin Baker's performance and nothing else, though.  
With the salary situation, we're getting no other help, so if Vinnie gives 
20 and 10 and fits in to whatever scheme is going to be hatched 
offensively and defensively, then maybe it works.  It may possibly not 
work for sooooo many reasons, but it'll only really work if one thing 
happens: Vin Baker fits in and then performs well.  (OK, maybe that's two 
things.)  But that leads down the path to the Dark Side, so --

--  HappyFaceTime!  The Celtics have three legit possible All-Star 
candidates.  Baker can be an "inside presence".  He will be at home.  He 
will be in the East.  There's nothing to see here.  Move along.  These 
aren't the droids we're looking for --

-- And, just to be clear, I'm not making fun of anyone's attempts to put 
this deal in a good light.  I, for one, obviously need to be convinced.  
Joe's right -- this is a "done deal" (well, it sure looks done, anyway), 
and we best get used to it.  Because with three guys making 35 or so 
million over the next few years, and the cap being a bit above the present 
by then (say 43 million, maybe?), and the luxury tax threshold near 50+ 
million, nobody of note is going anywhere, either to or from the team, at 
least until they are in the last year of their contract.  After the seven 
guys under contract, the team'll be full of salary-minimum guys.  And by 
"full", I mean 10-12 guys.  There's nothing that says you *have* to field 
a twelve-man team, is there?  Gaston's not going to pay the tax.  that's 
clear.  So what's he going to do when "The Big Three (Salaries)" kick in?  
Have Chris Wallace dump salaries and have Leo Papile proclaim one or two 
guys in the next batch of summer league hopefuls, the next "ShawShaq 
Redemption" or "Jump Shot Away From ..." or the like.  The team's not 
going to be able to "afford" anything else.

If Bruno plays well, the C's probably "won't" be able to sign him.  
Shammond Williams they're probably not looking to re-sign.  Who plays 
point next year? Delk.  Bremer.  Shammond Williams.  Damon Jones?  
Waitaminnit.  Yup, I just sliced off Darth Vader's head, and there was my 
own face in the helmet! --

-- Happy, happy, joy, joy.

Bird

P.S. Time to start taking bets on the starting point.  Delk has to be the 
frontrunner now, I guess.  Obie's not going to start anyone over him, is 
he?  I'm not talking about what people would like to see, but what will 
actually be.  Who knows, maybe another guard will appear on the horizon.