What do we know?

by Jim Weeks on May 30, 2007 9:38 PM EDT in Green Bandwagon

I remember endorsing the Sebastian Telfair acquisition. Whether I believed it would work or if I simply wanted it to work is irrelevant. Whatever my thought process, it hurts my criticism of the move after the fact. Which brings me to my point about Chauncey Billups. Did anyone think he would be this good? Consider the following segment from an old Bill Simmons' mailbag:

"Here's another theory from Boston reader Lee Cohen, the Kevin Gamble Theory: 'Remember when the Celtics had no small forward on their team and Gamble was given a starting slot? He proceed to average about 15 points a game and everyone wondered where he had been. I always professed that he wasn't all that great -- that almost any NBA caliber player given a starting slot, can pump in 10-15 points. It's all in the playing time. I bet if Walter McCarty was on the floor for 30 minutes a game, he'd average double digits. That doesn't make him an NBA stud. Thus the Kevin Gamble theory -- someone who puts up reasonable numbers just by showing up.' - Reader Question

(Intriguing. You could come up with an entire team of Kevin Gamble guys from this season alone: Lee Nailon, Chauncey Billups, Quentin Richardson, Charles Smith, Rod Strickland, Tony Battie ... the list goes on. I like this one.") - Simmons' response

In a different article from the same time period Simmons argued for the following trade:

"Houston gets Joe Johnson ($1.6m/2005) and Roshown McLeod ($1.5, 2005); Boston gets Moochie Norris ($3.6m/2007). My main man Moochie playing for the C's ... I can dream, can't I?"

This is not an attack on Simmons. The bigger issue is that it is a lot harder to be a general manager than we like to think. The salary cap alone confuses me. Consider the power of agents, the fact that the NBA is a players' league, posses, and numerous other factors and it starts to get interesting. I'm not saying Danny Ainge has done a good job. In fact I believe his employment should depend on this summer. But I could not do it better.

- If Ainge picks Yi Jianlian then I will cease to think up ways to defend him.

Tweet Comment 2 comments | 0 recs |

Do you like this story?

Comments

Sorry for thinking this

"Thus the Kevin Gamble theory -- someone who puts up reasonable numbers just by showing up."

This is why I'm not all sold on Al Jefferson. Just too much garbage time this season to truly know what he'll really become.

by your friendly BullsBlogger on May 31, 2007 12:15 AM EDT reply actions

Interesting

I imagine Ben Wallace and company shutting him down in Chicago does not hurt your thinking. But having lived through the Gamble era and the start of the Jefferson era I think there is a huge difference. You can't teach Big Al's post moves. For example Clifford Ray tutors both Jefferson and Kendrick Perkins. Perk continues to rely on a flat hook shot. Jefferson has any number of moves. For the franchise's sake Al needs to be legit.

Green Bandwagon: Celtics '08 or bust. Are you on the bandwagon?

by Jim Weeks on May 31, 2007 9:23 AM EDT reply actions