Re: Top Five Most Important Things For The Celtics This Season

[CeltsSteve@xxxxxxx]

In a message dated 9/1/02 2:34:02 PM Pacific Daylight Time, 
wayray@ix.netcom.com writes:


> 2. Find a Big Time Point Guard. Don't care whether they trade for a a Marko 
> Jaric (my suggestion) and develop him, or go after a ready made PG like 
> Cassell or the more peripatetic Nick Van Exel. This team needs an impact 
> PG, and backup types like Strickland or Hardaway or Reefer Alston aren't 
> going to cut it in the playoffs.
> 
> 5. Sign Charles Oakley. How many back-up PGs does a team need? Deal for a 
> legitimate lead guard and use the veteran's minimum on a guy like Oakley. 
> Adding Oakley frees up Battie to be dealt in a trade.
> Ray



Well Ray, it looks like the Miami signing of Best means the only way the C's 
acquire a legit PG this year is by trade. There's really nobody left out on 
the FA market now that is substantially better than who the C's currently 
have.

Given the financial handcuffs that Thanksdad has placed on Team Wallace, I 
would think he'd be looking at who might be available for a reasonable price 
even as I type this. The first team I'd be dialing if I were him is Memphis 
to inquire about the cost for Brevin Knight to take his contract off the 
Griz' books. He may not be what you refer to as a "big time PG" but he is a 
legit point man none the less. I'd also be asking about the cost of an 
expanded package of Knight and Stromile Swift.

Oakley is older than Methuselah. I damn sure wouldn't sign him just so I 
could dangle Battie as trade bait. I would sign a younger, more productive 
version of Oakley in the person of Gary Trent, though. And even then I still 
wouldn't dangle Battie in a trade unles I got back someone "substantial" in 
return to address a position of need. Battie's very reasonable salary 
probably makes him worth more to the C's than what another team would give in 
return anyway.


Steve