Re: [Celtics' Stuff -"...there are really no people out there...to sign as free agents...."

["Lance Jacobson" <lancejacob@xxxxxxxxx>]

JB Metz writes:

     It was either myself or Lance, who first surmised that the odd financial
structuring of the Baker deal, getting under the tax cap this season, but
killing the     franchise, financially, for the next four years, seemed like a
move, made on the         eve of a sale.

Actually, JB, I thought it looked ridiculously stupid if it were packaged for
the sale.  To wit, a company that's broke goes out and borrows a million in
cash at 20% APR only looks good on the surface.  I'm sure that these guys,
ready yesterday to pay off the $50M of Celtic debt are very aware of the
roster contract commitments over the duration of those agreements.  No way
that they wouldn't, and the Baker deal still has wet ink on it.  The deal
looked much MORE like Gaston saying that he'd want the max return from the
league coffers THIS year, and he'd deal with the coming years as they came up.
Remember, there are plenty of $1M guys out there to round out a 12-man roster
each July.


    Could Wallace have made his statements, that there are no helpful free
agents left,     without checking with the new boys? If he did, he is stupider
than I thought.

I assume he's stupider than we thought, but he'd be crazy to say that there
are good folks left after he signed Wojo to fill the 12th position after
declaring that we'd need size over the remaining PGs.  Besides, if the coach
hasn't talked to these guys yet, just opening their wallets will make Obie
uneasy.  He's not looking for three powerful personalities to be added to the
group.  I'm going to restate that this roster is DESIGNED to wean us off of
Pierce and Walker, and wean those guys out of the control of the offense.

In fact, you can now attribute me with coining the phrase "The Weaning of the
Green".  (May look like a typo on St. Patrick's Day).

    Mark Jackson, Greg Anthony and Rod Strickland would all make this team
better,     in an instant. So would Charles Oakley (now that Gary Trent is
gone); to                 address Michael Marlowe's concern about adding
toughness.

Looks like the Oak Man is about to sign with the Wizards, if that hasn't
already happened.  Jordan's swan song.


    If I really wanted to win, I'd grab Strickland and Oakley. I'd offer them
a few         hundred thousand over the minimum(which is more than they've
been offered to     date,) give them four hours to say yes or no, and look New
jersey right in the         eye!



Yeah, you'd have a solid roster, but the guys clamoring for minutes would look
cattier than the clearance aisle at Filene's Basement.  Obie sees that the
captains are the veterans; he's stroking their egos by not bringing in any old
guys (we had Stith and Carr; who listened to them?).  I think the caps are
intimidated by guys who've made it and don't want to be told what's wrong with
their games.  Just my opinion, of course, but the hiring pattern confirms it.