I think it's a mistake

[Sean Giovanello]

Kim,

I think the problem is that we have built a roster that is loaded with young
cheap players and tried to build through the draft - basically eschewing
veterans of any kind of quality.   We have a few bloated contracts (Pierce,
Ratliff, Wally, and then a lot of fodder and young players due for big money
coming up).

If they were well under the cap, they could make a splash via trade or free
agency.  If they were way over the cap they would have a stockpile of
veteran talent that in theory Ainge should be able to ensure is mostly
quality.  The middle of the road strategy they follow means they are
constrained by the cap, unwilling to pay the tax, dont use the midlevel to
bring in a vet, and (most likely) going to have some real problems when it
comes to keeping the youngs we want and adding new talent.   Will we let
Ratliff just walk so we can use that money for Jefferon OR will we use that
to acquire a quality player or two who can come in and make a difference AND
THEN pony up the cash to sign Jefferson.  Its been pretty well documented on
SoSH, Celtics Blog, and assorted other sites how this team has failed to use
trade exceptions properly, wasted their one foray into using some of the mid
level, and even post Gaston focused on saving a buck rather than spending
one.

I think the big money thing is out because of the relatively small pockets
of the owners and the arena situation.   The getting way under the cap as a
strategy for rebuilding is out because we need asses in the seats every
year.  Instead, we get rebuilding on the fly now heading into an umpteenth
year.

To dismiss any of this is pure folly.

On 4/25/07, Kim Malo <kmalo17 at verizon.net> wrote:
>
> At 11:22 AM 4/25/2007, asterix ninetynine wrote:
> >Well, I guess I just don't see where Wyc's theatrics do anything to
> >help Ainge move Telfair.
>
> Oh I don't either and could happily live without some of Wyc's
> pronouncements in general, but really I don't think they made things
> any worse at this point. Just him being Wyc. We were already trying
> to shop him, even if we weren't his lack of PT indicated we would be,
> and his getting in public trouble in the first place escalated the
> urgency of that in everyone's minds without Wyc saying anything.
>
> >  If I were a GM that had any interest at all in trying to rehab
> > Telfair, I would just wait for him to go on waivers and offer him a
> > minimum contract for 1 year (to go along with the $$ the Celtics are
> paying).
>
> Right, exactly. As I said, NBA players almost never get picked up on
> waivers.
>
> >   I am starting to view our ownership as exceptionally
> > meddlesome.  That would be OK if they were spending money like
> > Cuban.  But they're not.
>
> This cliche about spending has really got to die the death it
> deserves or at least get changed into something more closely
> resembling reality.
> It would be one thing if they were spending down around the minimum
> allowed (75% of the cap) or even JUST at the cap, but they're not.
> And once you're at the cap, most of what you spend to spend like
> Cuban is to re-sign your own players since you can't spend it on FA.
> You really want to offer Scal a new, $10MM a year contract just to
> spend up to Cuban standards and pray that you can then trade him for
> someone really worth that money to keep the spending high? NY and
> Philly are literally spending money like Cuban and where has that
> gotten them? How many championships has it gotten Cuban, for that
> matter? They've spent up to (but admittedly not over) the luxury tax
> since they've been here, have been midlevel on a league basis, and
> they spent more than a number of playoff teams this year including
> the likely Eastern champ. It's how, not how much, that matters.
> THAT's where criticism makes sense, but this constant whining that
> they spend no money at all is just dead wrong. Where it might have a
> basis is over the next 3-4 years when re-signing some of our own
> developing players becomes an issue. But that's yet to be seen.
>
> Kim
>
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