[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]

Re: call me crazy, but...

At 11:08 AM 1/21/2004, Berry, Mark S wrote:
Josh wrote:

I think we should keep Vin.   If he stays
sober, he gives us the low-post scoring
we desperately need; if he hits the bottle,
we are free and clear of his contract.  It's
crazy to trade him right now.

--- ---- ---

Josh, I agree with the conclusion. But he's not going to give the Celtics anything. How could they possibly send him out there? How can you look the other guys in the eyes and ask them to trust this guy again? Personally, I say bury him and forget about him. Wait for his contract to come off the books, be voided, or buy him out. The only way anyone would trade for the guy now is if they were dumping a longer-term contract, and that shouldn't be an option for the Celtics.

Wallace screwed the franchise with the 2001 draft and the Baker contract. We're still recovering from the draft debacle. Now we just have to wait out the Baker mistake. The only question is if the end will come at the term of the contract, through a buyout after the season, or via termination.

FWIW, I agree with Mark's point about issues with sending him out there, although I wouldn't bury him entirely. But making any extraordinary effort to give him preference with minutes undercuts some of the messages coaches are trying to give to other developing players about earning minutes and the importance of defence. We've a lot of very young players (does anyone know if we're now the youngest team in the league now by average age? We've got to be close to it.), which means that messages like that matter more than the more cynical among us might think.

There's also some question if Vin is going to be the valuable low post option Josh makes him out to be, since his increasing passiveness about carving out position there vs taking jump shots was one of the first signs of trouble. Yes, I know you have to feed him -yada yada yada- but like it or not, some of it IS Vin's fault and is not just a matter of how he's used. And we have other options in development - Mihm, Perkins- who may better fill that need through being more naturally aggressive and better able to do other things without the ball, separate from talent.

That being said, one correction - buyout doesn't get the contract off the books immediately. It just changes the amount you pay for the life of the contract to the buyout amount, prorated over the number of remaining years. http://members.cox.net/lmcoon/salarycap.htm#58
Kim