Re: Vin Baker

[JB <jimmetz@xxxxxxx>]

On Wednesday, November 6, 2002, at 05:46  PM, Shawn Niles wrote:

> Vinny made ESPN's list as one of the top 10 cancers in the NBA.
>
> 10. Vin Baker
> Before he was traded to the Celtics, here's the impact Baker had on 
> Seattle last season: with him, the Sonics were 26-29. When he was out 
> of the lineup, they were 23-4. Enough said? Maybe not. Here's what an 
> NBA scout recently told SI about the Sonics going into this season, 
> without Baker: "There was a bad aura around him that carried over to 
> the other players, plus he demanded the ball and took a lot of time 
> when he got it, which bogged down the offense."
>
> And here's what ESPN.com's Frank Hughes wrote about Boston's 
> acquisition of Baker: "It might look good for a month, it might look 
> good for four months. But I know Vin Baker ... this is his modus 
> operandi on a basketball court: Work really hard for a little while, 
> because he wants to prove people wrong, and then when they are sold 
> that he has changed, start slacking." Hughes' final words on Baker's 
> four-year, $56 million deal: it's "going to cost the C's their soul."
> ESPN
> 		*********************

	Wow! another ringing endorsement of Baker.
	Actualy, I am not forwarding and/or, reposting this, just to add more 
negativity to the evaluation of; "The Trade."
	What I found interesting, was the comment about Vin demanding the 
ball: "......he demanded the ball and took a lot of time when he got 
it, which bogged down the offense."
	Perhaps our "brain trust" knew more about Baker than we are giving 
them credit for. Perhaps they are trying to make him earn his shots and 
touches, by playing defense and rebounding, unlike in Seattle, where he 
got his shots and waltzed through the rest of the game.
	Now, I started off ranting about Wallace and O'Brien last season and 
had done a 360, at least as far as Jimmy "O" was concerned, advocating 
him as a strong coach of the year candidate.  If he can get Baker  to 
play our style of game and then integrate him into the offense, to his 
fullest potential, which admittedly is high, I'll tout both of them for 
season honors.
	This is not a new concept, others have suggested this, of course, but, 
I've got to keep up some hope. It's going to be a long season and 14 
minutes and 2 points aren't going to justify 12 million dollars in 
salary, although the 5 rebounds is perhaps encouraging.

		JB

	Unchain My Heart !