Maxwell for Walton: An Exchange of Question Marks?

September 1, 1985

MAXWELL-FOR-WALTON WOULD BE AN EXCHANGE OF QUESTION MARKS

Bill Walton for Cedric Maxwell. If and when it happens, it's the trade of the NBA off-season and will be debated from coast to coast until both players are through playing basketball. It would be a rare swap of two name players (both in their 30s), each of whom has a plaque at home that reads "NBA Championship Series MVP."



The bottom line on this deal is that the Celtics and Clippers really don't know what they're getting. Walton has a history of medical problems and Maxwell still needs to prove he can come back from last season's arthroscopic knee surgery.

The acquisition of Walton would give the Celtics a four-man front line of Walton, Larry Bird, Kevin McHale and Robert Parish. If Walton shows any hint of his former greatness, it's conceivable that for the next year or two, this could be the most devastating frontcourt in the history of the game.

But there are two major questions facing the Celtics.

1. Walton's health. The Clippers were unable to depend on him from game to game. Boston has the luxury of not needing him for 35 minutes every night, but he has to be healthy and effective enough to spell Robert Parish and fill in at the big forward slot. Walton passed his physical in Boston, but folks in Los Angeles claim that the Lakers weren't interested in him because of what they consider serious physical problems.

2. The Celtics lack a legitimate small forward. Who is going to guard the Bernard Kings and Alex Englishes of the world? Boston's forwards are Bird, McHale, Walton and Scott Wedman. All four lack the quickness to keep up with the NBA's top scoring forwards. Bird might end up wearing himself out on defense.

Cedric Maxwell will be missed. When at the top of his game, he probably complements Boston's frontline as well as any player, but the Celtics weren't willing to gamble that Max would return to form. And Boston had good reason to doubt Max: his effort and production were questionable in two of his last three seasons here and the team was afraid of paying big bucks to a lethargic Max for another three years.