RE: Insider 1/27/03

["Berry, Mark S" <berrym@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Let's hope the BDT stays far, far away from Alvin Williams. He's decent.
He's paid like he's a lot more than decent. The last thing we need is
another bad contract, especially one that runs as long as Williams'.
Remember, he's putting up his numbers on a truly terrible team this season.
When Carter and Antonio Davis are healthy, Alvin Williams is the third
option at best, and those numbers are going to go down. Beware inflated
numbers on bad teams.

Someone mentioned Gilbert Arenas. I hate what he's pulling out there with
his grousing about playing time while the team is winning, but he's a great
talent. And before this latest episode, I had considered him a good team guy
dating back to his collegiate days at Arizona. The problem with Arenas is
he's a free agent after this season and I think, under NBA rules, the
Warriors (or any team that trades for him) will only be able to match an
offer up to the mid-level exception. If he continues to put up the numbers
he has been---16 ppg, 5 rpg, 5 apg---there's a chance someone may pay more
than the exception. Denver reportedly has big-time interest in Arenas, and
they have gobs of cap room.

So a deal like Shammond and a first-rounder would be great-if the Celts
could sign him after this season. But if you make that deal and lose the
first-rounder, it's not so good. Too bad the Celts didn't take him instead
of Joseph Forte. This wouldn't be a problem. You could say the same thing,
of course, about Parker, Tinsley and, for crying out loud, Jeryl Sasser.

Anyway, I'm not sure about Arenas. I've seen him play a little this season
and he looks good. He's a scoring point guard, I'd say in the mold of what
we all hoped Chauncey would become. He has pretty good size, long arms. Nice
all-around game. In that sense, he seems like a good fit. The Celts
freelance so much, you need guys who can operate in that kind of game.

Mark

P.S. Did everyone read the JackieMac column in today's Globe? Interesting
stuff. Sounds like the Celts are fortunate to have a couple of thick-skinned
captains. Other teams probably couldn't handle the kind of intense arguing
the Celts' two stars do.