It is *SO* nice to have players clamoring to be Celtics, again!

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                                Boston Celtics
                                       
   
  HOT TOPICS:
  
   GETTING INSIDE
   
   If you spent the latter part of the NBA season preparing for a
   Celtic-Tim Duncan marriage, you were not alone. Tim Duncan was right
   there with you.
   
   "I'd been hearing about Boston all year," said the draft prize, who
   will be making his NBA home in San Antonio. "I tried not to pay too
   much attention to those things because I was in the middle of my
   season (at Wake Forest), but that's where I thought I was going to go.
   
   "On the day of the draft lottery, I was just sitting there waiting for
   Boston to get the No. 1 pick. I pretty much figured that's how it was
   going to happen. Then when Boston's name came up early (at No. 3), I
   sat up in the chair and started to get nervous. I wasn't sure what was
   going to happen."
   
   What happened was Philadelphia getting the No. 2 choice and the Spurs
   earning the right to the top spot and, undoubtedly, Duncan. And Duncan
   doesn't mind. Though he liked the idea of playing for the Celtics, he
   is quite pleased to be headed for the San Antonio climate ("I spent
   the first 16 or 17 years in the Virgin Islands") and a union with
   David Robinson. It was just a surprise for him to realize he was going
   to be a Spur.
   
   "Nothing was certain before the lottery, so I really tried to keep
   everything open in my mind," Duncan said. "But Boston was really all
   anyone talked about, except for my brother. He kept saying he thought
   I was going to San Antonio.
   
   "But I saw a lot of positive things with Boston, especially with coach
   Pitino coming in. He's a great coach, and I heard he's a great
   motivator. I thought he could really change the situation up there. I
   thought it would have been a good thing to step in there and help
   rebuild the franchise. I know with the players they already had and
   the changes that were going to be made, we could have a lot of fun
   turning things around with that team."
   
   Certainly Celtic types would have had fun with Duncan, but now, if in
   fact they do keep picks No. 3 and 6, they will have to get their kicks
   with others. And those potential draftees seem genuinely impressed
   with the changes the Celtics have made. There is a real interest in
   being part of the more open style Pitino will employ.
   
   "I think everyone would like to play for him," said Utah's Keith Van
   Horn. "He's known for getting the most out of his players, and
   hopefully he'll like me."
   
   Van Horn was scheduled to work out for the Celtics June 1, but the
   birth of his second child and first son, Nicholas, altered the plans.
   He'll now be coming in Tuesday. Time for daddy to go back to work.
   
   Work has been a big issue with Villanova's Tim Thomas, with Pitino
   openly questioning how much the 6-foot-9 bundle of talent wants to
   play the game and is willing to work at it. But Thomas said Sunday the
   rap isn't right.
   
   "I think that started in high school with me," said the 20-year old
   who is entering the draft after just one year with 'Nova. "I grew up
   playing the game. I've got the love for the game. But when I was in
   high school, I was playing against a lot of guys smaller than me, and
   it was easy to dominate. I think I got bored playing in high school,
   and people kept talking about that with me."
   
   "But I know it's going to be tough for any rookie in the NBA. I'm no
   idiot. I know it's going to take a lot of hard work. I'm not going to
   walk into the NBA and be Michael Jordan. Even Michael Jordan didn't
   start off where he is. He had to work at it, and I will, too."
   
   The Celtics have expressed interest in Chauncey Billups, a scoring
   guard at Colorado who says he'll have no problem handling the point in
   the NBA.
   
   "I hope they like me," Billups said. "I met with coach (Jim) O'Brien
   and coach (Winston) Bennett when they were at my workout in Stamford
   (Conn.), and they were great to talk to.
   
   "I just think it would be perfect for me to get to play in coach
   Pitino's system. He's a guard-oriented coach, and it would be a great
   opportunity to be in that kind of system."
   
   Among those who won't be coming in for an audition is Ron Mercer, who
   spent his last two seasons working out and playing for Pitino at
   Kentucky. Though Mercer has doubts about whether he'll wind up with
   the Celtics, he has no question on what Pitino will accomplish.
   
   "It might take him a couple of years, but he'll turn them around,"
   Mercer said. "It'd be great to play for him again, because you know
   they're going to get a lot better. Just look at what he did when he
   came to Kentucky and how much he turned things around there."
   
   NOTES, QUOTES, ANECDOTES
   
   So great is Antonio Daniels' desire to play for Rick Pitino that the
   Bowling Green point guard is trying to schedule a second audition with
   the Celtics. Daniels was suffering from a sore knee when he worked out
   for the Celts at UMass-Boston two weeks ago, and he wasn't pleased
   with his performance. Nor were the C's overly impressed. "I had a bit
   of jumper's knee, and it limited some of the things I could do,"
   Daniels said. "I'm almost fully recovered now, and I want to get back
   to Boston to work out for them again. I want to show them Antonio
   Daniels at 100 percent. I didn't like how things went the last time,
   and I'd hate to have that be the main thing they remember of me." Like
   others who figure to go at the top of the June 25 draft, Daniels would
   like to be a part of Pitino's up-tempo system. "I just think he'd be
   great to play under," Daniels said. "He was a great guy to talk to --
   a very classy guy. But I don't think he really saw what I have to
   offer, and I want to show him." Daniels hopes to impress with his
   passing skills. "I think the shoot-first point guard is kind of
   outdated," he said, neglecting reigning Rookie of the Year Allen
   Iverson. "I'm a team point guard. That's how I play." ... The Celtics
   are in the process of learning they have some very interesting options
   in the NBA marketplace -- and some of them may be named Shawn Kemp,
   Scottie Pippen and Antonio McDyess. Or maybe Vin Baker, Elden
   Campbell, Jerry Stackhouse and Brian Grant. Though Pitino said the
   odds are still that the Celts will keep the Nos. 3 and 6 overall picks
   in the June 25 draft, he might be hard pressed to pass up some of the
   more immediate solutions to the Boston problems that will be made
   available to him. Generally speaking, one can expect far more trade
   movement than usual this season because of the first class of
   three-year free agents from the 1995 rookie crop that will hit the
   market next summer. Teams are trying to clear cap space to go after
   one of these prizes, and so may be willing to part with a better
   player than they normally would. Clubs are also afraid of losing their
   '95 rookies and getting nothing in return, so if there is a question
   whether that player can be re-signed, he, too, will be on the market.
   
   Said one general manager, "Under normal circumstances, there is no way
   Denver would be willing to talk about Antonio McDyess. But if they
   don't think they can sign him, they have to at least find out what
   they can get for him before he goes as a free agent and they get
   nothing. And they must have some question, because they're definitely
   talking to people."
   
   So are the Celtics. While Pitino may simply use his picks and try to
   develop the raw talent he gets into real NBA players, he would have to
   be interested in what Kemp could do for him now. Kemp has asked
   Seattle for a trade, and the Sonics (who had him dealt for Pippen a
   couple of years ago before their owner stepped in) are investigating
   the wisdom of such a move. The Celts could offer an interesting
   package of picks and players, though they couldn't replace the
   toughness Seattle would be losing. ... When these clubs talk (if
   general manager Chris Wallace hasn't already gotten the discussions
   started), the names of Dino Radja and Eric Williams could be raised in
   separate situations. Radja said Pitino told him he has no plans to
   deal him, but anyone from a 15-67 team would have to realize that
   nothing is out of the question. The Bulls will entertain thoughts on
   Pippen (they like the picks and they've always been fond of Radja),
   but unless the Celts could make a complementary move to add another
   veteran talent, it might be foolish to take on a guy who will be a
   free agent looking for huge money next summer. Interestingly, the
   Celtic who may be most wanted is Williams. Clubs feel he has not
   nearly approached his true game. "We wanted to talk about him last
   year," said one GM. "I still think he's a hell of a player, but they
   haven't done anything with him since he got there." Pitino has liked
   what he's seen of Williams thus far, but he certainly has to be open
   to suggestion. "I keep hearing that we're going to trade our picks,"
   he said. "I don't know where that's coming from, but I'd say there's a
   90 percent chance we'll have draft picks and an 80 percent chance
   they'll be the 3 and 6 picks. I know we have a lot of options, but
   right now I like the 3 and 6 option." Philadelphia isn't yet locked in
   totally on Tony Battie at No. 2, but if he goes there, Villanova's Tim
   Thomas could well be the next choice. "He's a young kid with a lot to
   learn," said one league coach. "But he may be the most skilled guy in
   this draft. He's got incredible talent."
   
   QUOTE TO NOTE: "You mean now I gotta start thinking about the Celtics
   again?" -- Charles Barkley reacting to the arrival of Rick Pitino.
 
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