Re: PIERCE

["Celtic Ky" <celticky33@hotmail.com>]

clipped from CNN


BOSTON (AP) -- A shocked and smiling
                 Rick Pitino drafted a player who may be a
                 perfect 10 for the Boston Celtics. 

                 With the 10th pick Wednesday night, he
                 snapped up Paul Pierce, projected by many
                 to be one of the first three players taken. For
                 some reason, he kept sliding and sliding until
                 he dropped into the coach's eager arms. 

                 "No matter what scenario we went over, we
                 never expected to get Paul Pierce," said
                 Pitino, who didn't even bother to bring Pierce
                 in for a workout. "If you can get someone
                 who can run, score and rebound from the
                 small forward position, he fits us to a T." 

                 The 6-foot-6 Pierce, of Kansas, also is a fast runner 
and strong defender,
                 talents essential to Pitino's uptempo offense and 
pressing defense. 

                 In each of his three college seasons, Pierce increased 
his scoring, field goal
                 and free throw percentages, rebounds and assists. He 
admitted he needs to
                 work on his ballhandling but averaged 20.4 points per 
game as a senior. 

                 So why did one player after another get taken in the 
NBA draft in
                 Vancouver before a player of his skills and 
athleticism? One report indicated
                 he may have been out of shape in pre-draft workouts. 

                 "I never did hear that. I don't know what the reason 
is," Pierce said. 

                 Pitino was sure of one thing: "He'll be in shape for 
us." 

                 Pierce gives Pitino a four-man nucleus with guards 
Kenny Anderson and
                 Ron Mercer, the sixth player drafted last year, and 
forward Antoine Walker,
                 the sixth pick in 1996. 

                 The Celtics still lack a solid center from a group that 
includes Andrew
                 DeClercq, Travis Knight, Zan Tabak and the oft-injured 
Pervis Ellison. 

                 "We're a center away from being a really strong 
basketball team down the
                 road," Pitino said after his second draft as coach of 
the Celtics. 

                 The first one didn't start out very well. They had the 
best odds to get the first
                 pick last season but ended up with the No. 3 choice in 
the draft lottery, plus
                 the No. 6 pick obtained in a trade. 

                 "We were a little unlucky last year," Pitino said. "We 
were very lucky this
                 year." 

                 The Celtics improved from 15 wins in 1996-97, M.L. 
Carr's last season as
                 coach, to 36 last season. They should improve on that 
if Pierce can win a
                 starting spot, which would allow forwards Walter 
McCarty and Popeye
                 Jones, a strong rebounder, to come off the bench. 

                 "They have a lot of young talent there. It's a good 
mix," Pierce said. "They
                 really improved last season. ... The team can get 
better and better each
                 year." 

                 Pierce was the Celtics' only pick since they sent their 
second-rounder, the
                 38th pick overall, to New York. 

                 Pitino thought he had a shot at Pierce when Sacramento 
sprang the first big
                 surprise of the draft by choosing point guard Jason 
Williams of Florida at
                 No. 7. Pitino thought Philadelphia might take Pierce 
with the eighth pick, but
                 the 76ers went for shooting guard Larry Hughes of St. 
Louis. 

                 And Pitino knew Milwaukee, picking ninth, wanted a big 
man. The Bucks
                 took 6-foot-11 Dirk Nowitzki, who Pitino would have 
taken had
                 Milwaukee chosen Pierce. 

                 That made Pitino a very happy man. 

                 "Jason Williams made it all go for us. They [the Kings] 
needed a point
                 guard," Pitino said. "To be honest with you, I'm really 
in shock." 

                 Pierce, who worked out only for the teams with the top 
five picks, also was
                 surprised. 

                 "I was sitting there wondering where would I end up. I 
just wanted to be in a
                 good situation. I'm just happy Boston is giving me this 
opportunity," he said. 

                 Not as happy as Pitino is to give it to him. 

                 "This young man is exactly what we need. He's a 
scorer," Pitino said. "I'm
                 going to sleep with a big smile on my face." 


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