Re: Chad Ford Talks Battie Trade

[Kestutis.Kveraga@xxxxxxxxxxxxx (Kestutis Kveraga)]

--- You wrote:
(Ray's comments: Rasheed Wallace - that's who I would go after.  And why
Rasheed you ask: Last year of his contract, terrific low post defender and
scorer; would improve the team
this season and future seasons; or you could let him walk and have a sizeable
cap cleavage. And why would the Blazers deal him?  Good question. New GM
trying to restructure the team, create playing time for Seal of Approval player
Randolph,
and Wallace like Walker, bit of a loose cannon, so to say. And do the Celtics
have
the goods to get him?  Another good question. Perhaps, because like Walker
he can depart the Blazers with no compensation realized. And the Blazers do
need a
center, which the Celtics are currently overstocked.  ) 
--- end of quote ---

That presumes that Battie + Williams are worth more than Walker, as the Blazers
reportedly declined an offfer of Walker for 'Sheed. But it may well be so.
Battie and Williams are both "underrated" players (meaning most fans don't
appreciate them enough due to the lack of gaudy stats, but most GMs know
better), with favorable contracts. I've always coveted 'Sheed, crazy as he is,
because he's an awesome talent. 

Although I like what Battie and EWill can do as players, I'd be in favor of
trading them for two reasons:
1) They're Obie's boyz, and at least one of them (EWill) is also a Toine bosom
buddy, so he may have been  (be?) part of the sedition Toine was trying to
incite (as the papers said today). 
2) Removal of those two gives more development time to Kendrick, Kedrick, and
other young kids. 

I don't care if we win 30 games this year, I want to see the young kids
develop. It's much more important and interesting to me than watching the
Pierce-Toine-EWill-McCarty-Battie struggle to win 40+ games and get bounced in
the playoffs would've been. 
Kestas