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[CeltsSteve@xxxxxxx]

<A HREF="http://www.insidehoops.com/nba072502.shtml";>BASKETBALL ARTICLE - NBA article</A> 
http://www.insidehoops.com/nba072502.shtml


NBA BASKETBALL
July 25, 2002   


All Around the NBA, in the Amico Report 
By Sam Amico 

    
BAKING UP SOMETHING GOOD 

I like the Vin Baker deal. 

There, I said it. 

In fact, I'll say it again -- I really like the trade that sent Baker and 
Shammond Williams from Seattle to Boston for Kenny Anderson, Vitaly 
Potapenko, and Joseph Forte on July 22. I even like the Sonics' end of it 
(but more on them later). 

For now, let's talk about Baker and the Celtics. For now, I'll give you my 
very first thought after hearing about the deal: 

"Man, if the Celtics get a point guard who can dribble, the rest of the 
Eastern Conference is in for some serious trouble." 

I mean, can you imagine what happens if Baker becomes the motivated player he 
was in Milwaukee? Can you imagine an inspired Baker playing alongside 
all-stars Antoine Walker and Paul Pierce? 

I can, and it ain't pretty for the rest of the East. 

Actually, all Baker has to do is display a little more aggressiveness, and 
the Celtics get my vote for the team with the most potent trio in today's 
NBA. 

We always hear about the outstanding duos -- Shaq and Kobe, Webber and Bibby, 
Stockton and Malone, even Garnett and Szczerbiak. But I really like the sound 
of Walker, Pierce, and Baker. 

Granted, this is Baker who we're talking about, the same man whose passion 
was in question during each of his five seasons in Seattle. 

As SuperSonics coach Nate McMillan said on the day of the trade, "For 
whatever reason, the marriage of Vin Baker and the Seattle SuperSonics didn't 
work." 

McMillan makes a solid point, as Baker never averaged 20 points per game in 
any of his seasons in Seattle. This despite averaging 21 points in each of 
his final two years in Milwaukee (1995-96 and '96-97). 

Still, Baker was never bad with Seattle. He just never turned into the 
all-star the Sonics expected, after unloading Shawn Kemp in that three-team 
deal involving Cleveland and the Bucks. 

But I like Baker. He just completed his 10th NBA season, and even on his 
worst days he brings a certain degree of professionalism to the court. Plus, 
Baker is an old-school big man -- meaning he actually has some moves in the 
low post, a concept lost on many of today's younger players. 

You can bet Pierce and Walker will be pushing Baker, doing their best to 
convince him that if he plays well consistently ... well, then the Celtics 
are just a point guard away from very big things. 

ABOUT THAT POINT GUARD 

Right now, the only true point guards on the Celtics' roster are Williams and 
Omar Cook. I'm the world's biggest Omar Cook fan, but he didn't play in the 
NBA last season, and even I admit that he isn't ready to take a team deep 
into the playoffs. 

Williams has also proven to be nothing more than a solid backup -- and 
there's nothing wrong with that. It's just that solid backups shouldn't be 
forced into starting (Indiana's Kevin Ollie, while arguably the nicest guy in 
the NBA, supports that point). 

So hopefully for Celtics fans, general manager Chris Wallace is still working 
the phones, trying to bring in an experienced floor leader. 

Of course, if you read my book, "A Basketball Summer," then you know Wallace 
NEVER stops working the phones. (Yes, when it comes to plugging my book, I am 
shameless). 

AS FOR THE SONICS 

A lot of Sonics fans have e-mailed me a question with the following sentiment 
-- "Couldn't we have gotten more for Baker?" 

My answer is obviously not. Let's remember that Baker never got comfortable 
with his role as The Guy Who Replaced Shawn Kemp. It would've been difficult 
for anyone to replace Kemp in Seattle, and after about six months in a Sonics 
uniform, Baker seemed to just shrug his shoulders and give up. 

And who knows? Maybe Potapenko will be the hustling big man the Sonics need. 
There's still time, as he's just 27 years old. 

Also, Anderson will be a wonderful backup to Payton, and the Sonics may even 
use Anderson and Payton on the court at the same time. 

Finally, I think Seattle may have gotten a steal in Forte. 

Yes, he played in just eight games for Boston as a rookie last season, 
scoring a measly six points. Yes, he seemed overwhelmed in practice. And yes, 
he should have stayed at North Carolina for another year. 

But Forte will get an opportunity in Seattle to be a contributor, and will be 
taught by a former NBA guard who once got the most out of his abilities in 
Coach McMillan. 

AND FINALLY ... 

Did you realize that the Celtics have now traded two of their three 
first-round picks from last summer? Joe Johnson, who the Celtics selected 
10th, was traded to Phoenix at midseason (in the deal that brought Tony Delk 
and Rodney Rogers to Boston). 

And now Forte -- who was selected 21st at the urging of Red Auerbach -- is 
also gone. That leaves Kedrick Brown as the lone first-rounder from Boston's 
2001 draft. Brown was chosen 11th, but played sparingly last season and is 
not expected to be much of a contributor for some time. 

SUMMER TIP-INS 

More thoughts from the NBA summer leagues: 

-- I've really enjoyed watching little point guard J.R. Bremer, who went 
undrafted out of St. Bonaventure and is now playing for the Celtics' summer 
entry. Of course, I'm a little biased, as Bremer and I are the only two guys 
mentioned in this week's newsletter who are natives of Northeast Ohio (we're 
also both lying when we say we stand 5-10). Anyway, with Kenny Anderson 
having been traded, Bremer has a shot to get called back for veterans camp in 
October. 

-- Former UConn and Chicago Bulls point guard Khalid El-Amin has resurfaced 
as a member of the Minnesota Timberwolves. Just like last summer, El-Amin is 
playing very well, and has even outshined T-Wolves second-round draft choice 
Marcus Taylor. 

-- New Jersey second-round pick Tamar Slay (Marshall) has been outstanding 
and appears to be a steal. Slay has shown an ability to put the ball in the 
basket, but he's also been a strong passer and ballhandler for a player his 
size (6-foot-7). The Nets have 11 guaranteed contracts on a 12-man roster for 
next season. So far, Slay has proven he deserves the final spot. 

-- John Salmons has looked very good for Philadelphia's summer team, as has 
Johnny Taylor. Also, point guard Eric Murdock is trying to return to the NBA 
with the 76ers. 

-- Remember Chris Porter? The former Auburn standout who was drafted by 
Golden State in the summer of 1999? Well, after bouncing around the minor 
leagues, Porter is currently battling for a spot in the NBA with Portland. 
Josh Davis (Wyoming) -- one of my favorite college players from last season 
-- is also on the Trail Blazers' summer roster. 

-- Another of my favorite college players from last season, Preston Shumpert 
of Syracuse, is currently playing for the Bulls. I would be shocked if 
Shumpert made it -- simply because he reminds me too much of one of my other 
favorite former Orangemen, Lawrence Moten. (No, I'm not a Syracuse fan. I 
just liked those two guys). 

-- John Linehan, William Avery, LaRon Profit and Gyasi Cline-Heard are some 
of the more familiar names on Utah's summer roster. Cline-Heard is the son of 
former NBA forward Gar Heard, and Gyasi went undrafted out of Penn State last 
summer. 

-- Michael Wright is playing for San Antonio this summer. Wright came out of 
Arizona in 2001 as an undersized forward and early-entry candidate. He still 
doesn't appear to be ready for the NBA -- although I love how guard Jason 
Hart has played for the Spurs (Uh-oh. Isn't Hart another Syracuse guy?). 

-- Finally, keep an eye out for guard Tyrone Ellis, a former NAIA 
all-american who played in the NBDL last season as a rookie. Ellis is 
currently on Dallas' summer roster. He's 6-4 and can play either guard 
position. Scouts are also impressed with his 42-inch vertical. But more than 
anything, Ellis is said to be just a good person all the way around. 

CeltsSteve 

"Laissez Les Bon Temps Roulet"