Abrams is on cutting edge

["Belanger,Roger" <rbelange@foxboro.com>]

Still more "C's" news.

Roger B.

Abrams is on cutting edge 

By Dan Shaughnessy, Globe Staff, Globe Columnist, 07/09/97 



WALTHAM - Danya Abrams thought about leaving Boston College for the NBA
after his junior season. In his first three years at BC, he'd held his
ground against the likes of Marcus Camby, Rasheed Wallace, Travis
Knight, and John Wallace. All of these players were first-round pro
picks, and insiders told Abrams he'd go late in the first round of the
1996 draft. 



But no. The Eagle forward opted to return for his senior season, and
somewhere along the line, he slipped out of draft contention. His
shooting percentage dropped from 51 (when he was a sophomore) to 44, and
his scoring average fell from 22.1 to 16.4 points per game. Even his
rebounding wilted. 



That was it. No TNT interviews on draft night. No Jerry Maguire showing
him the money. 



Now Abrams is in danger of being cut from the Celtics' rookie camp
before he even gets out of the blocks. 



``I had imagined sitting there in the green room at the draft,'' Abrams
said yesterday, between sessions of the Celtics' annual free
agent/rookie camp. ``After my junior year, I thought it was going to
come easy. I should have known better.''



Now it's going to be difficult. Abrams has his degree in sociology and a
good name around Greater Boston, but he's a long shot to make the NBA
this season. He's one of 26 players (including some veteran Celtics)
going through six workouts in four days under the watchul eye of new
coach/czar Rick Pitino. 



It's been difficult for Abrams to stand out in this crowd. The Brandeis
court has been littered with established players like Dee Brown, Greg
Minor, and Dana Barros, and fans who watched Monday and yesterday's
evening sessions had their eyes trained on first-round pick Ron Mercer.
It's been tough for a 6-foot-7-inch rookie hopeful like Abrams to make
much of an impression when he's been a post-up player his whole life,
and now he's got to start playing away from the basket and guarding
quick forwards. 



For all the hopefuls, things got a little brighter Monday night when the
Celtics cleared their roster of nine free agents. Boston has only 10
players on its current roster, and that includes Dino Radja, who's got
as much chance of playing here next year as Sidney Wicks. There's now
some space on the end of the Celtic bench, and because of salary cap
restraints, Pitino will be looking for cheap help. 



Time for Abrams to introduce himself to Jenny Craig. Scouts think he's
too heavy for the NBA. Abrams admits he weighed 326 pounds when he was a
freshman in high school. He was still overweight when he arrived at BC
but played at 265 during the peak of his college career. He says he was
a little heavy when he went to a pre-draft tryout camp in Phoenix but is
working his way down to the 258 range. 



This is not easy when you're also running through two-a-days at Camp
Pitino. A man needs fuel. 



``I get a little lightheaded at times.'' Abrams said. ``But I'm just
trying to eat the right things.''



Any wonder that his hero is Charles Barkley? 



``I've never met him, but if you come into my room, there's Charles
Barkley pictures all over the wall.''



Abrams was a three-time All-Big East selection. He was the conference's
preseason Player of the Year last year. He saw former college teammate
Paul Grant get picked by Minnesota in the first round of this year's
draft. He saw Villanova's Jason Lawson picked in the second round. He
saw the Celtics sign Knight (formerly of the University of Connecticut)
to a seven-year, $22 million contract. Danya Abrams kicked butt against
these people. So why is he the one without a job here in the summer
after graduation? 



``I don't like to make excuses,'' he said. ``I don't think I got
complacent, but this year I fractured my eye socket, then bruised me
knee, and then I got the flu. I didn't get back into the flow until the
last month of the season.''



While he was speaking, Red Auerbach walked by and flicked some ashes on
him. 



``Hey, you played better today,'' said the Celtic Godfather. ``You
didn't do much last night, but this was good out there today. I saw you
play a great game in the Big East. You even rebounded that night,
heh-heh.''



Then he was gone, and Abrams was left wondering what the brass really
thinks. 



Before last night's workout, things weren't looking too good for Abrams.
One member of the Celtics brass said, ``He's got to do something. He
hasn't done anything yet.''



It's unlikely Abrams will be going to Atlanta for exhibition games
tomorrow. 



``I know in my heart I belong on somebody's team in this league,'' said
Abrams. ``I've got to go out there every day and outwork the next
person. I've got to guard people and prove I'm in decent shape and get
up and down the floor. Right now I'm playing for an 11th or 12th spot,
and those guys always have to work harder. Here I'm just another
number.''



At Brandeis this week, Abrams is No. 54 in your program. He's not
wearing the No. 24 we watched at BC all those years, but he's the same
guy who matched up so well against Messrs. Wallace, Camby, and Knight. 



All of the above went on to become millionaire, ``green room'' guys,
while Abrams has become another faceless hopeful, living in the Newton
Marriott, hoping Pitino will remember him when the Celtics get around to
filling out the final spots on their 1997-98 roster. 



Dan Shaughnessy is a Globe columnist. 



This story ran on page F01 of the Boston Globe on 07/09/97. 
© Copyright 1997 Globe Newspaper Company.