Here is the blurb

[bocelts@scsn.net (R. Bentz Kirby)]

This article is at the Celtic page at nba.com.

Did anybody watch the game today? If so, did you hear Hannah Storm going
to a break, I think in the third quarter, say, "You're watching the NBA,
uhh, WNBA on NBC?"  I thought that habits are hard to break.

Pretty good basketball.  Nancy Liberman can still run the floor and
handle the ball.  I saw some good passing too.  But, if it ain't the
Celtics, then I just ain't interested.



Boston Celtics 1997 Draft Preview 
                 Celtics Get Ready for Future 

                 THE BOSTON CELTICS WILL BE SETTING UP THEIR
HEADQUARTERS for the
                 June 25th NBA Draft in the FleetCenter this year and
the outlook for the
                 Green is promising. The Celtics own the enviable right
to the 3rd and 6th
                 picks in the first round which could present several
interesting scenarios. 
                     With this in mind, Celtics President & Head Coach
Rick Pitino along with
                 General Manager Chris Wallace and the
                 entire coaching and scouting staffs have
                 been diligently evaluating talent and
                 weighing all possible options to improve
                 the team. The evaluation process is even
                 more challenging with the number of
                 young players and underclassmen
                 declaring eligibility for the draft. "I think
                 there's going to be players available who
                 will go on to have outstanding NBA
                 careers," said Wallace. "We just have to
                 decide what's best for the team and the
                 direction we're going to go in."
                     If the Celtics decide to hold onto their
                 two picks they might have an edge in
                 rating this talent pool. Having spent the
                 last eight years at the University of
                 Kentucky, Pitino and his coaches have
                 rubbed elbows with most of the players.
                 "For this draft we have great knowledge of every guy in
the Top 10 because
                 we're coming out of college," said Pitino. Many of
these players were either
                 recruited by Kentucky or were opponents of the
Wildcats.
                     The possibility of trading away one or both picks
also exists but seems
                 remote. "I keep hearing that we are going to trade our
picks," said Pitino. "I
                 don't know where that's coming from, I'd say there's a
90 percent chance
                 we'll have draft picks and an 80 percent chance they'll
be the numbers 3 and
                 6 picks. I know we have a lot of options, but right now
I like the 3 and 6
                 option."
                     If presented with the right trade offer Boston
might part with one of the
                 picks. "If someone gave us a solid basketball player, I
would trade either
                 one," said Pitino. "We do have a plan for those two
picks in case I do trade
                 one, but my sentiment would be that I'm not leaning
toward a trade."
                     When asked about his team's most prominent needs,
Pitino mentioned "the
                 backcourt and center positions." In addition to
drafting players to fill these
                 needs, the Celtics also have the option to sign a free
agent. The list of
                 candidates in this case could involve players from the
NBA, CBA, or
                 European basketball leagues. Whatever the need may be,
Chris Wallace
                 assures Celtics fans that "we're going to look under
every stone worldwide to
                 come up with players who can win for Rick."
                     The ultimate goal for the Boston Celtics is to
develop future stars. "You can
                 do all the roster management you want, but eventually
you have to get a star,"
                 said Wallace. "When you look at contenders around the
NBA each team has
                 two or three star players." 
                     The road to a 17th NBA Championship for the Celtics
will undoubtedly
                 begin at 1997 NBA Draft. 

- -- 
Bentz
bocelts@scsn.net

http://www.scsn.net/users/sclaw