from the wire

[lamphier@m.u-tokyo.ac.jp (Marc Lamphier)]

Various Celtics-related news stores from the wire services. 
Nothing particularly new. 

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NEWS: Portland radio personality and former Blazers center Mychal
Thompson predicts P.J. Carlesimo will be fired at the end of the season,
George Karl will come down from Seattle to replace him, and Carlesimo
will take over at the University of Kentucky when Rick Pitino bolts to the
Celtics.

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SPEAKING OF THE CELTICS ... : Times have certainly changed for the
Celtics, who are pinning their hopes for the future on winning the Tim
Duncan lottery this summer.

The Celtics have their own first-round pick and Dallas' pick as a result of
last summer's Eric Montross trade.

When word came out this week that Kentucky guard Ron Mercer was
planning to jump to the NBA after his sophomore season, Boston fans were
dreaming of a draft that might include Duncan as the No. 1 pick and Mercer
with pick No. 3 or No. 4.

One Celtics player, however, doesn't think Mercer would be the correct
pick. And that player, Antoine Walker, knows Mercer well because they
played together at Kentucky last season.

Walker would prefer another big man.

"You have to look at the situation with our centers," he said. "Alton
(Lister) may not be back with us next year. Frank (Brickowski) probably
won't be back. Pervis's (Ellison) knees may never be 100 percent again. If
you put Duncan, another big person, and a healthy Dino Radja in there, that
would make us better."