2003-04 MOCK ROSTER

[Eggcentric@xxxxxxx]

We presently have eight players signed (starters AW, EW, TB, TD, PP, 
plus reserves Baker, Brown, and Sundov) for $53.7 million. 

Add to that:

9)   $1,100,000 (16th draft pick - foreign wing?)
10)    $886,000 (20th draft pick - PG?)  
11) $1,500,000 (FA PG - our small exception?)
12)    $637,435 (FA vet. minimum - McCarty?)        
13)    $637,435 (FA vet. minimum - Blount?)
14)    $637,435 (FA vet. minimum  - Erick Strickland?)
Total: $59,098,305 (14 players)

Utilizing our mid-level exception of approx. $4.9 mill would increase 
our '03-04 team salary to $64 mill vs. $52.6 mill this past season.

Unless Danny can talk a Kidd, O'Neal, Brand, or Payton into accepting 
such a pittance, he likely will not spend the $4.9 mill exception (which
he fought so hard for) on the likes of an Olowokandi, Maggette, Malone, 
Terry, Odom, Ratliff, Zo, Brad Miller, Howard, PJ Brown, Keon Clark, 
etc. etc.

Can Obie exist without McCarty, Blount, and the return of Strickland? 
Probably not.  So barring a courageous trade, a fabo draft coup, or 
surprising news on the Baker legal front, it is beginning to look like 
the following could be a reasonable facsimile of what we might expect 
our '03-04 lineup to be. 

(Signed players in upper & lower case; projected additions in CAPS)

PF Walker, McCARTY  
SF Williams, PAVLOVIC, Brown
C   Battie, BLOUNT, Baker, Sundov
PG BEST, BANKS, STRICKLAND 
SG Pierce, Delk

A little deeper roster - yes.  A little more exciting team- yes.  But our 
competitors will also be strengthening their rosters.  Now tell me, Berry, 
couldn't you have implemented these conservative/bandaid roster changes 
for your present paltry $500,000 annual salary instead of the Ainge
$3 million?  Where is our improved rebounding in the above scenario?  
Why keep Sundov (renounce the mistake) or re-sign 3rd string combo 
guard Strickland for the vet. min. in lieu of signing free agents like 
Donnell Harvey or Othella Harrington for the same dollars?

Let us all take a moment to pray hard that the above mock Roster will go 
the way of so many of the draft gurus' fanciful predictions.  

Egg