RE: Need Help Seeking Older Player

[Kim Malo <kimmalo@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

At 06:59 PM 1/2/03 -0500, Ken Kokubo wrote:
> > Hmmm, there AREe a number of former 34s that would fit well on the 
> > current team, aren't there - starting with X and Oscar.
> >
> > Kim
> Hmmm....you just made me think...I would love to see this team mixed with 
> the post Reggie 90's team....
>
> add Sherm, X, and Oscar to the current mix...hey a healthy Dino would be 
> an upgrade from V or Baker. Throw in Derek Smith...hehe.
Shoot, forgot about Derek Smith, the man the Cs wanted Vitaly to grow up to be.

> I assume most people fantasize about their "best of" teams, this would be 
> a great "might not ever win it all, but would be fun to watch" team.
Yeah, they would. In a bunch of ways. You think X wouldn't be able to drive 
home a few points about sharing with your teammates on offense and shutting 
down on layups on defense : ) Or Sherm remind them that "plays well with 
others" and taking the shots you're supposed to be taking are requirements 
to see the ball on offense when there's a real PG in charge. And that's 
before you even think of the trash talking in-your-face practices that 
might be worth paying to watch for pure entertainment. Or the world's 
ugliest shot contests, although we'd really have to have VP back to make 
that complete. Think of a slashing and knows enough to move without the 
ball Oscar giving Walker another target to pass to, too...

> Sherm, PP, Oscar, Walker, Battie
>
> bench ???
> ---
> X, D Smith, Dino, Walter, EWill, Delk, we'll bring back Vitaly for this 
> exercise, then hide Shammond and lets say...Eric Montoss or Andrew Declerq 
> on "IR"
Gotta start Dino. He did NOT take well to coming in off the bench.  And I'd 
have X starting ahead of Gamble to put some defensive toughness in there 
paired with some inside offense and boards. Hmmm, the more I think about 
this - ya know, they claim to have cloned a baby down in Florida. Wonder if 
X has some DNA to spare...

People forget that Montross was actually useful if not exactly lottery pick 
wonderful his first year. Wonder if he might have been a somewhat competent 
if slow NBA center if say O'B was his coach, given that he wouldn't have 
been likely to run into the same confidence problems after the injury.

> You might be able to say that some of them didn't/don't "get it", or 
> didn't/aren't playing to 100% of their potential, but I think all of the 
> above players "try/tried" to bust ass on floor.
Dino's the only one I'd debate that on. Part of the problem is that we got 
him when he was somewhat past it. But he also tended to get too quickly too 
far down on himself and give up if he mad one stupid play and I believe 
there were some fairly valid questions about his practice and conditioning 
habits. OTOH, he produced some of the most beautiful come up from behind 
someone out on the break blocks I've ever seen from a big man and did them 
consistently enough that it wasn't just chance.

Kim