Re: Wallace and Baker were on "The Zone"

["Dan Forant" <dforant1@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Thanks for the update Mark. What's up with the 2 picks 1st round Philly, if
they make the playoffs? How did that happen? If he's only 6 lbs. over, are
they lying? The big line of Baker, Walker and Battie may be workable.

DanF


----- Original Message -----
From: "Berry, Mark S" <berrym@BATTELLE.ORG>
To: <celtics@igtc.com>
Sent: Tuesday, July 23, 2002 1:45 PM
Subject: Wallace and Baker were on "The Zone"


> Wallace kept making jokes and interrupting the interviewers whenever they
> tried to ask a tough question... "Chris, I want to ask you about Joe
> Forte..." Wallace: "Hey, here's Vin Baker, I'll let you talk to Vin..."
>
> Wallace says they decided they can get by at point guard this season. Says
> if Philly makes the playoffs, we get two first-rounders next season in a
> deep point guard draft. Says none of the guys on the roster are 30 mpg
point
> guards. Says they'll be scouring the free agent and waiver wire. He was
> asked about guys they would look at and the first name out of his mouth
was
> Damon Jones (ugh). Also mentioned Greg Anthony (better), Troy Hudson and
> Chris Childs. Said all of those guys believe they'll get more than the
> minimum, but Wallace isn't so sure. I think it's Damon Jones.
>
> Wallace says Baker was an "assumable risk." Of course, he quoted his
numbers
> against the Eastern Conference. Said the PF/C rotation of Antoine, Baker
and
> Battie takes a back seat to no one in the East.
>
> On Forte, Wallace eventually said they "had to" include Forte to make the
> numbers work "for us." In other words, they wanted to dump his salary. I
> guess he's just the "price of doing business." I've heard that way too
much
> from Wallace.
>
> Baker was very nice (everyone says he's a nice guy). Says he's about five
or
> six pounds away from where he wants to be. Says it looks like he'll play
> center most of the time and a little PF. That means Battie to the bench
(I'm
> sure he'll love that). Compares Shammond Williams, developmentally, to
Eric
> Snow when Snow left Seattle for Philly. Baker says he has a much better
> "support group" in Boston, including his mom and dad (he is 30 years old,
> right?).
>
> MY OPINION: The one thing I was hoping from this trade was that the Celts
> would go with a big frontline of Baker, Battie and Walker. Battie could
have
> guarded the more dangerous forward. Offensively, it would have given the
> Celts three post-up options in Antoine, Baker and Pierce. Antoine has
always
> been his best against smaller defenders. And Battie is a better player
than
> Eric Williams. The big lineup would have put Ewill on the bench instead of
> Battie. But it's not going to happen. At least, not much.