Re: The Boston Celtics Mailing List Digest V4 #369

[Peter Delevett <pdelevett@nopg.com>]

>Well how about this for a starting
>line-up:
>
>PG: Stoudamire
>SG: Billups
>SF: Mercer
>PF: Walker
>C: Knight

I don't like it -- it would give us one of the shortest backcourts in the 
league, for one thing. For another, if we're going to spend the huge FA 
dollars Stoudamire will demand, I'd much rather we went after somebody 
6'10" or bigger.

I'm on the bandwagon of those who say it's way, way too early to give up 
on Chauncy at the point. He has never been on a team where he didnt have 
to be the primary offensive option; give him time.

To those who posted questions about a possible Joe Smith trade: the LA 
Times story seemed to deep-six that, but I wanted to share my two cents 
anyway. One, has Pitino ever said anything about liking Smith? 
Could/would Smith play Pitino's trapping, pressing style? Who would we 
trade for Smith -- I can't believe for a second the proposed deal was 
Billups for Smith straight up, G'State would have to be crazy to trade 
big for little. And finally, how on earth would we pay Joe the mega-bucks 
we will command as a former #1 pick and still pay to keep Antoine?

The Celts are at least one FA big man (and several years of maturity) 
away from a title run, but when that big man arrives, you can bet he wont 
be a Joe Smith/McDyess/Vin Baker type. There's only enough money to go 
around for one $100 million man, no matter how high the cap may go, and 
Walker will be it. Look instead for someone like an Elden Campbell or 
Antonio Davis. Thanks for listening.


                                    
           Peter Delevett             
            Staff Writer         
     New Orleans CityBusiness       
         pdelevett@nopg.com