The Celts lineup

[John <fozzyrocks@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Wow!!!

Gone: Tony Battie (C) - Antoine Walker (F) - Eric Williams (F) - Tony 
Delk (G) -
In: Raef LaFrentz (C/PF) - Eddie Griffin (F) - Cuttino Mobley (G) - Jiri 
Welsch (G/SF) - Chris Mills (SF) - John Amaechi (C/PF) - 1st Round Pick


Tony Battie - Hard working and very likeable player who in my opinion 
always (when healthy) gave it his all, but often-injured and never 
capable of playing to the level that a starting center of a championship 
calibre team requires.

Personally, Batman was my favorite player on the team aside from the two 
stars.

Antoine Walker - What can be said that hasn't already been said and 
repeated a few million times previously by any fan who seriously follows 
the Celtics and watches them.

Occasionally borderline superstar, some days mid-bench caliber, but 
unfortunately for him too often moving from one end to the other. His 
inconsistencies in every area of his game really limited his value for a 
team looking to make the necessary rebuilding to become a championship 
quality team and Danny Ainge realised this from day one. Had he not had 
previous bad coaching which allowed him to have bad habits from an early 
stage in his professional career which he was never able to overcome.

The past three off-seasons he spent under the guidance of Michael 
Jordan's personal trainer, Tim Grover, but as good a condition he came 
into camp at, his limitations both as a player and as a person (unable 
to overcome the coaching he had under Pitino - one of Rick's real 
failures - Toine had (and has) so much "god given" natural ability) 
always made him the target for the fans.

Eric Williams - One of Jim O'Brien's favorite players. We'll never know 
what he may have become in a modern Boston team without Antoine Walker, 
however at his age (31) was never going to be a part of Danny Ainge's 
long-term picture in Boston. We'll sorely miss his toughness and 
leadership (in my opinion his leadership was as rock solid as either 
captain), but in real terms his loss will not truly fit as it allows 
Kedrick Brown (22) and Jumaine Jones (24) both an opportunity to emerge 
as Boston's starting small forward if not for the short term but for the 
long-term depending upon their success, depending on what they plan to 
do with Paul Pierce, Cuttino Mobley, Kedrick Brown, Jumaine Jones.

Tony Delk - The final piece of the short-sighted trade made with the 
Phoenix Suns prior to the 2002 trade deadline. While it was Rodney 
Rogers who made the most impact on that Boston team (Delk was playing 
through an injury and Erick Strickland was more effective) Delk gave the 
Celtics some experience in the guard spot last season. He'll not be 
missed as much as the others but he played his heart out.


Raef LaFrentz - A multi-skilled center who provides the Celtics with 
options at the center, power forward position that the team has lacked 
since at least Dino Radja left the Celtics and quite probably longer. 
His shot blocking ability will be a welcome addition to long suffering 
Celtics supporters. His inside-outside offensive touch will also keep 
opponents guessing. He may play a better inside-outside game than 
Antoine Walker.

Eddie Griffin - Heavily criticized but supremely talented. May in fact 
possess more talent than Antoine Walker. He needs the right situation to 
bring it out of him and Boston may be it. Is still extremely young (21 - 
would be second youngest on the team next either side of Kendrick 
Perkins and Kedrick Brown). He also is a shot blocker. Has all-round 
ability. His talent was considered so special that Houston gave up three 
first round draft picks in 2001(NJ turned the picks into Richard 
Jefferson, Jason Collins and Brandon Armstrong) to get him.

Cuttino Mobley - A creative gunner who enjoys playing the mid-range 
game. His shot extends to the three-point line (.366 career 508/1387) 
but makes his living mid-range. You may consider this guy to be the 
Deluxe Version of Tony Delk. Will become the immediate starter at the 
shooting guard position and has the ball handling ability to help out 
the Celtics point guards, inparticular the rookie, Marcus Banks.

Jiri Welsch - A very multi-skilled player who possesses great ball 
handling ability and court smarts. I was pissed off when the Warriors 
traded him, essentially as a throw-in to the Mavericks in the original 
Antawn Jamison trade. Never did I know that we would soon acquire him as 
a throw-in in the Antoine Walker trade.

I keenly read several reviews from heavily involved Golden State Warrior 
people who had very nice things to say of him- often commenting that he 
was one of the best practice players and often beat Gilbert Arenas and 
Jason Richardson but due to Musselman preferring to play those two as 
well as super sub Earl Boykins, Jiri's opportunities were sparse.

The Warriors deemed Welsch's problems to be a lack of athleticism and 
drafted highly regarded swingman Mickael Pietrus which made Welsch 
expendable.

I believe this guy will be a steal and has the ability to become a 
player somewhere from 6 to 8 in a very good team. If he doesn't emerge 
as that we cannot be disappointed as he has to be considered a throw-in 
regardless of Ainge stating that he wouldn't have pulled the trigger on 
the Toine trade without him.

Chris Mills - He won't play a game for the Celtics and if he does then 
he's not going to be considered an integral part at all. What he brings 
to the team - its already been addressed - is the ability for the team 
at the end of the season to spend their mid-level exception for the 
first time in three (?) years.

John Amaechi - a cap-filler added in purely to make the salaries work in 
the Eric Williams + Tony Battie for Eddie Griffin + Cuttino Mobley 
trade. I would expect the team to waive him as soon as the deal was 
completed as he doesn't add anything to the team and in my opinion is 
inferior to even Mark Blount.

1st Round Pick (Dallas Mavericks) - While the pick will be low (possibly 
as low as the 29th pick in the NBA Draft) it will allow the Celtics to 
draft another talent, most probably a European player who we can stash 
away until they've developed.

The team

Starting Five

C - Raef LaFrentz  - Mark Blount   - Kendrick Perkins
PF - Eddie Griffin  - Vin Baker     - Brandon Hunter
SF - Paul Pierce    - Jumaine Jones - Walter McCarty
SG - Cuttino Mobley - Kedrick Brown - Jiri Welsch
PG - Marcus Banks   - Mike James

What are your thoughts?