Re: Drafting

[Kestutis.Kveraga@xxxxxxxxxxxxx (Kestutis Kveraga)]

--- You wrote:
Gee..you believe everything you read..dont ya.
--- end of quote ---

Yes, you figured me out - if it's printed or on the Internet, it MUST be true.
I really believe that. 

--- You wrote:
Neither Kedrick or JJ are "timid", IMHO. You should try watching some Suns 
games.
J.J. is a perfectly normal player. He is perfectly willing to hoist up shots. 
This 'timid" stuff is a bit of poetic license on the part of the local media. 
--- end of quote ---

It's not poetic license - it's precisely what he got traded for. Kedrick's the
same way, but with less skill and more athletic ability. If JJ were a
'perfectly normal player' (implying that most NBA players play like him), an
NBA game would resemble a game of horseshoes. 

--- You wrote:
Also who is to say that Wallace didn't get the coaches or players input 
before these choices? I wouldn't be surprised if they looked at his ACT 
scores or talked with his teachers or something like that as far as 
understanding his "psyche" too. 
--- end of quote ---

Then that's even more of an indictment of his ability than if he didn't consult
anyone. Like Mark said, JJ's personality was an issue way before the draft, and
in fact was the main reason he dropped to #10. 


--- You wrote:
Besides since both Walker and Pierce have publically plugged to for Kedrick 
to get more time. So it seems that he does okay with them..<g> It's OB who 
doesn't want to play the guy..
--- end of quote ---

What exactly has Kedrick shown in two years to deserve more playing time? A few
decent rebounding games? Some good D? A single double-digits scoring game? I'm
sure Walker and Pierce love him -   he never takes a shot. You need a cattle
prod to make him shoot. But they can't play 4 on 5 on offense for extended
periods of time, especially when your other two options (usually two of 
Battie/Blount/Eric Williams) aren't exactly scoring machines. You know as well
as I do that if a player hardly ever takes a shot, and usually misses it when
he takes it, the opponents simply stop guarding him and double-team your star
full-time. You can't do that for very long if you want to win, especially in
Obie's offensive scheme, which is predicated on spacing the floor with
shooters. 

--- You wrote:
Wallace has proven to be a horrible GM because of his Baker trade...but as 
far as picking players and signing free agents he has done alright. Strick 
can play..and he signed him last year. J.R. Bremer is pretty damn good for an 
undrafted guy. And Brown and JJ will be ten year NBA players if not for the 
Celtics.
--- end of quote ---

Well, Mark already eviscerated the above statement, I won't even bother. 

--- You wrote:
I wouldn't be the least bit surpised if Wallace got work with another team 
after the Celtics. Like I said before drafting is a gamble..sure Jerry West 
picked Kobe Bryant but he has screwed up alot as well. Red picked Forte. Its 
not senility...it was just a bad bet.
--- end of quote ---

Red hasn't exactly displayed a keen judgment of draft picks' character or
basketball ability in his later years. At some point "bad luck" just becomes a
statistically unsupportable conclusion. With Wallace, you wouldn't even need to
do statistics - it's that blatantly obvious. As for his getting another NBA
job, I don't think any owner with a grain of intelligence would hire Wallace as
anything but gym manager. Then again, John Lucas keeps getting hired to
submarine NBA teams, so maybe there's hope for Wallace. 

Kestas