Conference 7.286::boston_celtics

	Time to revive this topic ...

        We have all been talking about who the Celtics should draft
        (this should really pick up after May 18 when the draft order
        is determined), and who should be the coach/general manager 
        for the Celtics next year (looks like Bird wants in as gm, 
        but Pitino will opt to stay at Kentucky - I think DJ has the
        inside position on the coaching job if Bird takes over the
        front office) ...

        But what about free agents?

        The Celtics will probably have two of their own players as
        free agents, David Wesley and Rick Fox (if he opts out of
        his contract, like he said he will) ...

        David is a good (not great) point guard, he has made great
        strides as a starting point guard since ML plucked him from
        the New Jersey bench (ML should get more credit for this
        move than he does) ... but he is looking for a Chris Childs
        type contract ($24 million over six years) ... is he worth
        it? Can David be the type of point guard that leads the
        Celtics to a championship?

        As for Rick Fox, I like Rick, I think he adds valuable veteran
        leadership to a young (the talented players anyway) team ...
        depends what he is looking for in a contract ... 
        if he is looking for a reasonable contract, then I hope the
        C's re-sign him ... he better be careful though, look what happened
        to Walt Williams (a similar player I think) last year ... Walt
        ended up signing for the league minimum in Toronto when all
        his potential suitors went over the salary cap ... 

        As for other potential free agents ... look at Brian Grant in
        Sacremento to get big buck offers ... Walt is a free agent again
        this year (probably Rick's biggest competition for a contract)
        and a back up player I like will be on the market: Andrew DeClerq
        from Florida ... depending on how the draft goes, he could fill
        a role on the Celtics ...

        Vinny

>>if he is looking for a reasonable contract, then I hope the C's re-sign him 

It's not their choice, though.  I doubt that Fox will exercise the option
on his contract.  If he chooses to stay then the Celtics pay him the rate
of the current contract.  They won't have to re-sign him.  The reason I
think he'll stay is that I can't think of any other team that would pay him
the amount he's currently getting from the Celtics.  I like Fox, too, but I
think he's overpaid.

I think it would probably work out best for the Celtics if he chooses to 
take the option.  That should give them a bit more cap money to sign 
Wesley or another free agent point guard.  (Who else is available, anyway?)
Seeing Fox go will be sad because he and Dee Brown are the last to play along
side the Big Three.

Dan

    The Celtics should go big in the draft (Duncan + best big athlete
    available).  The next critical piece is to have an excellent point
    guard.  The PG should be filled through FA.  
    
    I think the what would excite both me and Nazz to no end is KJ in a
    Celtics uniform next year!!!

    
    >Jason Kidd says KJ is the best PG in the NBA
    
    High praise indeed (NOT).  KJ is a very good player and a great scoring
    guard.  He is not, and never has been, anywhere near the best point
    guard in the NBA.  If you can show me any three consecutive games in
    his entire career where the number of assists exceeded the number of 
    points, then I'll consider him as a point guard.  I'm betting you can't
    do it.
    
    Marc
    

    Marc, do you have any idea where data like that is online?  Or did you
    ask the impossible on purpose? ;-)
    
    SportsLine USA - NewsWire
    
     N-B-A All-Time Assist Leaders
    -------------------------------
                                 ASSISTS
                                 -------
     1. x-John Stockton          11,297
     2. x-Magic Johnson          10,131
     3. Oscar Robertson           9,887
     4. Isiah Thomas              9,061
     5. Maurice Cheeks            7,392
     6. Len Wilkens               7,211
     7. Bob Cousy                 6,955
     8. Guy Rodgers               6,917
     9. Nate Archibald            6,476
    10. John Lucas                6,454
    11. Reggie Theus              6,453
    12. x-Muggsy Bogues           5,870
    13. x-Derek Harper            5,834
    14. x-Kevin Johnson           5,788
    15. x-Terry Porter            5,759
    16. Larry Bird                5,695
    17. Rickey Green              5,221
    18. Sleepy Floyd              5,074
    
    X-ACTIVE
    
    Mon Apr 22 04:22:07 EDT 1996
    
    Copyright � 1997 SportsLine USA, Inc. All rights reserved. 

	Re. Fox

	Dan - Rick has publickly stated that he WILL opt out of his
	contract at the end of this season ... once he does that, it
	will be the Celtics call whether to re-sign him or not ...
	Personally, I would hope that he doesn't opt out, then he
	would remain a Celtic for three more years at a very reasonable
	salary ...

	Re. Free agent point guards

	The free agent point guards that I can think of include
	David Wesley, Sam Cassell (shoot first, pass second), 
	Kevin Johnson (shoot first, pass second, supposedly retiring),
	and Eric Strickland, the undrafted rookie from Nebraska
	playing for Dallas ...

	Supposedly, Charlotte will be looking for a point guard
	in the free agent market ... if Denver doesn't draft
	Chauncy Billups from Colorado, I would think that they would
	also be looking to obtain a point guard ...

	Overall, this is reported to be a very weak free agent market 
	this season ...

	Vinny

I think that Marc's comments describe Muggsy Bogues perfectly.

And don't forget a_NBA record for season and career assist-to-turnover
ratio. Even with some really bad wheels, he's leading the league again
thised year with his usual 4+:1.

BTW, SI did a thing on PGs and reached the conclusion that Terrell
Brandon from the Cavs was it.

TTom

    
    >Marc, do you have any idea where data like that is online?  Or did
    >you ask the impossible on purpose? ;-)
    
    You didn't expect something easy did you 8^)
    
    Don't get me wrong.  Without KJ or Bogues, those two teams are hurting. 
    They can punish you in a variety of ways.  However, those ways do not
    always include the pass.  
    
    If I'm Danny Ainge and the Suns are down by one in the closing seconds,
    I want the ball in KJ's hands.  That is because he can score from
    anywhere.  If there is a couple minutes left I want the ball in Kidd's
    hands because he can pass to a variety of players that will do the
    scoring and as a result the other players won't be "standing around".
    
    Marc
    

    KJ started meeting with Colangelo yesterday.  They are trying to talk
    him out of retirement.

    Not that he's available but...how is Edney doing in Sacramento this
    year? I always liked his game and wished ML could have grabbed him in
    last years 2cnd round (like they need one more guard under 6')
    
    Wesley strikes me as competent...but I don't think you're going to see
    him get better X 2. What with "the plan" being 3-5 years to compete for
    a title, I'd like to see some kid, who's upside may be better than
    Wesley's, force fed the position for a few years.
    
    Anyone wallowing on someones bench (ala Brandon) who could be pried
    loose for some of our pine riding fodder or as an F.A.?
    
    ("The Plan" is, of course, MHO)

Edney is averaging 7.1 pts, 1.7 rbs, 3.3 assists in 66 of 76 games. He's
started 20 games and averages 20 minutes.

TTom

    Edney recently lost his starting job again, this time to, of all
    people, Bobby Hurley!!!  He is obviously not the answer for the Celtics
    at the point.
    
    I am almost sure Fox will opt out of his contract, for two reasons:
    he will only (!) make $1.75 million next year if he doesn't opt out;
    and with such a weak free agent crop this year, he could potentially
    double that salary with a team stupid enough to offer him big money.
    
    NAZZ
    
    

    Did Edney lose the job because The kings were going no where or was
    his performance that lacking?
    
    Speaking of "why not"...
    (Why didn't Hamer Start the last month of the season for the Celts?)

    Cedric Maxwell on weei was very high on Tim Thomas.
    
    Hamer?  I suspect that Hamer would have given the Celtics too good a
    chance of winning more games and they didn't know how close they'd be
    to Vancouver and San Antonio.  Also, they may be hiding him.  He
    certainly looks like he can play.
    
    Nothing about the Celtics 1996-97 makes any normal sense except that
    the number 1 priority was to get Duncan.