Re: additional thoughts?

["Josh Ozersky" <jozersky1@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Mark,

Interested in your thoughts as well.  I'm excited by the trade,
but there's no hiding that we have only one guy on the team
that can create his own shot (although Baker and Williams
and -- i guess - lafrenz can score if you get them ball down
low where they like it.)  Still, for a title team, I think you need
another prime-time scorer.  I've never seen Griffin, but he
was very highly rated coming out of college, and I would love
to see him blossom in green.  He was said to be a great, not
good, offensive player in school.  I like that trade a lot, in short...

The roster looks like Raef at C, Baker at 4, Brown at 3, Paul
at 2 and James at 1.  You and I have lots of thoughts on who
we would like to see get minutes (e.g. Banks, Hunter, Jones,
Welsch) but minutes are the only carrot and the only stick a
coach really has, and Obie will use it to coax defensive effort
out of his guys.  I think it's a mistake to start raef -- he's better
playing off his guy, and Baker isn't ready to play major minutes
yet.  Plus it has to upset Tony after all his work to be made a
reserve for a guy who hasn't done jack for the team.  Dopey.
Whatever.  I guess a trade is in the works, but I think it has
to be a blockbuster -- we can't just trade Tony and/or Eric for
more spare parts.  We need a quality starter when all is said
and done, and maybe better than that.  I don't like making up
trades because what's the point?  But I would love to see us
go after someone like Griffin or a big, tough, scoring mumser
like Malik Rose.

expectations:  Raef will be good, but not an impact player. He'll
make a few key three pointers, get a few rebounds, block a few
shots, and get burned on D by the good players.  I love this mythical
"East" the sportswriters talk about, where anyone can be an all-star
at center.  Who are these midgets that they think are playing 4 and 5
in the east?  The last time I looked, the Celtics had to worry every
night about Kenyon Martin, Ben Wallace, Jahidi White, Jermaine
O'Neal, Brian Grant, Todd McColluch, etc. etc.  No Tim Duncans,
but no pantywaists either.  Welsch has more upside -- he could be
one of these multiskilled, athletic european swingmen.  I doubt he
will shoot like Peja Stojavic, but I would settle for a poor man's ginobli
in a heartbeat, esp. as a throw in.  Neither will impact the game negatively,
though, and both should actually be able and willing to play uptempo ball.

Josh

  ----- Original Message -----
  From: Berry, Mark S
  To: 'Josh Ozersky'
  Sent: Wednesday, October 22, 2003 1:04 PM
  Subject: additional thoughts?


  Josh,



  Any additional thoughts on the deal after the stories and columns of the
last two days? I know how you want the roster and rotation to shake out, but
how do you think it will happen? What are your expectations for Lafrentz and
Welsch, as well as Baker? Thoughts on Obie? Any thoughts on a
Battie/EWill/Mills trade or some combination thereof? Would you do Battie and
EWill for Eddie Griffin and Kelvin Cato? Cato's contract is ridiculous, but
it's up in two years. Griffin is a young guy with huge talent. Would you take
a chance on him. Anyway, just thinking out loud. Would like to hear more of
your thoughts.



  Mark