Antoine Walker Traded to Timberwolves

In a championship series, Celtics v. Lakers, I'd have taken the C's with a center like Vlad, who could hit free throws in the clutch, over the Lakers and Shaq, and I'm a lifelong Lakers blowhard.

We'll agree to disagree. But I watched Vlad his whole career. Watched the NBA since I was 8 (I'm 36). The best centers I've ever seen are Kareem, Olajuwon (in his prime), Parrish, Robinson, Shaq (except for his obvious flaw at the foul line) and Vlade. After Kareem, Vlade was the best passing center I've seen.

Re: overrating other talent. That's subjective. Strickland could've started for any team. McCarty was a player's player worker bee, as was Eric Williams. Kenny Anderson probably didn't live up to the hype, but again, his contributions, I think, would've been more dynamic with a true center.

 

Bill Walton might be before your time.

Don't forget Moses.

No way the Celts touch Shaq and Kobe unless they get Ben Wallace. You are not going to beat Shaq back then unless you can move him off the block. His physical strength was too much.

 

I'm not sayin Divac isn't any good. I love watching him pass the ball. Wish more palyers could play like that. Could he have meshed with Pierce and Walker, who knows. He couldn't beat the Lakers while in Sacremento with a better cast of players. Those Laker teams were pretty special

 

Vlad-teams beat Shaq-teams many times. I could go back and get the overall career W-L when they played, but there's probably a better stat guru here who could do that.

And JC, those Laker teams were as good as those Jordan-Pippen teams, indeed. I don't think they were as good as the Showtime Lakers, but still pretty damn good.

Re: Walton. Yeah, I only caught him at the end, after the bad knees, when he was shipped to Boston to be 6th Man of the Year. Moses I saw at the tail end, but I certainly remember '83 when he and the Sixers came all over the Lakers (4-0) in the finals.

 

Vlade beat Shaq in a seven game series? When was this?

 

Vlade didn't beat Shaq in a 7-gamer.

The Lakers squeaked by the Kings in Game 7 of 2001, but only when the Kings pretty much choked away the game, up by 15 in the 4th quarter, IIRC. That's how close the Laker dynasty of 2000, 2001 and 2002 was to never happening. It wasn't the Lakers winning that Game 7 of the West finals -- it was the Kings utterly choking.

 

Vlade was too soft to handle Shaq in the low post. O'Neal made him his Serbain bitch in the 7 game series in 2002. Shaq averaged 30.2 PPG and Divac fouled out in three of the games.

 

Antoine ain't playing the 4. Never has been an inside banger, never will. Stand at the line and launch the treys. And I just don't think there's much left in the tank.

Agree that Brewer will work out nicely for the Wolves. Find someone to put in your list at the 4 position instead of Antoine and if you're not onto something at least you're heading the right direction.

 

T-Wolves Starting Line-up (IMO)

PG - Randy Foye
SG - Rashad McCants
SF - Corey Brewer
PF - Al Jefferson
C - Theo Ratliff

Looking at their roster right now, that's what I would have. Although Theo is washed up, they could utilize Jefferson for a while at PF, and fill in at center when Theo needs to rest his weak knees. Juwan Howard is on their bench too, so he could be in there and move Jefferson to center and sit Ratliff. If Minnesota really wants to get crafty, they could try this:

PG - Randy Foye
SG - Gerald Green
SF - Corey Brewer
PF - Ryan Gomes
C - Al Jefferson

It would basically be a transplant of the Celtics' line-up from late last year when Pierce was down with elbow tendinitis. Gomes showed he can do pretty well at the 4, and Jefferson is their center of the future. That would give them a very athletic 2/3 tandem that could be fun to watch, and they could put up some points. Plus, they could bring in Ratliff for defensive situations when they need a big block only.

 

they should've gone out to get derek fisher to be PG

 

Pat Ewing > Vlade.

 

They should never have traded Garnett.