From the Globe

[Mike Dynon <mdynon@.ix.netcom.com>]

To perhaps generate some discussion, here are some 
observations taken from Boston Globe columns this weekend:


>From Dan Shaughnessy:

Don't even know the guy, but I already love rookie
center Steve Hamer. Because of a knee injury, the kid
has played in only four of 46 games, a total of 18
minutes, and here's his quote upon leaving for the
All-Star break: ``I won't be thinking about basketball. It's
been a long season. I'm going to see my girlfriend, see
some other friends, listen to jazz, and relax.'' Whew,
those 18 minutes took quite a toll. This guy has hit the
rookie wall faster than anybody in NBA history. 

Dennis Johnson will get into the Basketball Hall of Fame.
Too bad he's forced to wait. He deserves a shot to
coach the Bullets, but here's hoping we can keep him
around a little longer and let him take over the Celtics
someday soon. With Tim Duncan, Antoine Walker, Eric
Williams and DJ, there might be a reason to watch the
Celtics again. 


>From Bob Ryan:

Antoine Walker is the kind of player who either gets to
All-Star Games or gets coaches fired. Perhaps both. 

We're all entitled to our opinions, but the opinion of
anyone who needs an explanation as to why Dennis
Johnson should be in the Basketball Hall of Fame isn't
worth, in the words of onetime vice president John
Nance Garner, a bucket of warm spit. 

A Rick Pitino/Tim Duncan parlay would make the Celtics
immediate Players. I wonder if Paul Gaston understands
that. 

If you don't get the No. 1 pick in the 1997 NBA draft,
you might as well have the No. 10 pick, because it's not
going to make much difference. 


>From Peter May:

Dennis Johnson had one of your classic ``almost there''
weeks. First, there was the Hall of Fame. For the second
straight year, he didn't get enough votes to make it. One
of these days, that simply has to change. He belongs.
Then, he was mentioned as a candidate for the Bullets'
job, which appears to be going to Bernie Bickerstaff
instead. ``It's an honor to even see your name
mentioned,'' said DJ, who as of yesterday had not been
contacted by the Bullets. ``Whether it's a short list or a
long list, it's nice to see your name on it. It means that
people at least are noticing the work you do and that
maybe you have the qualifications to be a head coach.''

... Hey Rick Fox, watch out. Just ask Dee Brown what
it's like to be closing in on Bird in the Celtics' record
book. Brown, like Fox, was on a pace to break Bird's
franchise record for steals in 1993-94. Then he noticed
that the steals started to dwindle as the season got into
March and April. He ended up 10 short of Bird's record

... Speaking of Fox, he is eligible for free agency this
summer and it may be his last chance to really have an
option as to where he will finish his career. This is his
sixth season and he has always maintained he wants to
finish his career as a Celtic. But he also wants to play for
a contender and he knows he may not have that chance
in Boston for some time. What's a small forward to do?
``A championship is my goal, much more than any
individual thing,'' Fox said. ``Stats? All-Star Games?
Those don't stir my pot. But at the same time, I'm not
hanging my hat on finding a team that could use me or
might want me. You evaluate those things at the end. I
don't know if a championship somewhere else would feel
the same.'' There are teams that could use a small
forward like Fox - Atlanta comes to mind - and are
farther along than the Celtics. Of course, there's always
the possibility the Celtics will decide that Eric Williams is
their small forward of the future and wish their captain
good luck in the open market. One reason? If Boston
has to empty its wallets this summer to re-sign Fox and
David Wesley, it may not have anything left in the
summer of 1998 to shop for the wildly anticipated group
of young free agents.