Make way for Battleship Potapenko!

[j.hironaka@unesco.org]

Josh, Ken, Mike D. etc, look for Vitaly to get an expanded role in the
offense tonight. Below is the type of article that pumps you up as a
Celts fan.

Joe

***

Pitino sees sure thing: Will work Vitaly into offense
by Steve Bulpett (Boston Herald)

Friday, April 2, 1999

You'd think a guy who's 6-foot-10 and 285 pounds would be hard to miss,
but Vitaly Potapenko has been a rare option in the Celtic offense.

It's a discrepancy Rick Pitino wants to correct.

``We need to go to him more because he's a very good 15-17-foot shooter
and he has outstanding low-post moves,'' said the coach after
yesterday's practice. ``We need to get him about 10-12 shots a game
rather than five or six, because he shoots a high percentage.''

The deadline-day acquisition from Cleveland is hitting 58 percent from
the floor, but he's taking just 6.3 shots a game.

Numerically speaking, Pitino is figuring that he can get 12 points and10
rebounds out of Potapenko on a regular basis.

``He has that ability, and with the way he works, I think it can happen
for him,'' Pitino said. ``He just has great instincts period. He's one
of the hardest workers I've ever come across on the NBA level.

``Andrew DeClercq was a hard worker also. But to lose an Andrew DeClercq
with that type of work ethic and get the same type of work ethic with
more offense and 40 more pounds is great for us.

``Here's a young man that is only going to get better - it's his third
year in the league. He's exactly what we need.''

Potapenko has never gotten big rebound numbers, but Pitino pointed out
that the 7.3 boards the Ukraine Train is averaging in 27.9 minutes
compares quite favorably to the nearly nine a game Antoine Walker is
pulling down in 37.4 minutes per game.

Perhaps the largest issue for the large man is his position in the
Celtic full-court defense.

One generally envisions a sinewy shot-blocker with speed and quickness
at the back of the press, but Potapenko is making himself a factor in
other ways.

He may not be the guy who swats a shot into the upper deck as the last
line of defense, but anyone breaking through the traps will have to be
certain his insurance premiums are paid up before taking the physical
challenge Potapenko presents. Fear of a hard foul can alter shots nearly
as well as a well-timed leap.

``The thing he and Popeye (Jones) and Greg Minor all do, is they draw
the offensive foul great,'' Pitino said. ``So he may not block the shot,
but he's going to draw the offensive foul.

``I had a young man in Kentucky, Mark Pope, who was awesome at  it. He
couldn't block shots, but he was awesome at it.

``With the Knicks we had Patrick Ewing. You have to hope you have one or
the other.''

For his part, Potapenko is just trying to fit in.

Twelve games into his Celtic career, he is still finding his way.

 ``It's hard when you get a guy coming in during the season to put him
in the middle of things right away,'' Potapenko said. ``But I'm getting
more and more comfortable on the court - off the court getting to know
the guys, too.

 ``I think we need a guy who can bring the physical points to the  game
and that's what I'm here for.''

Among the qualities Pitino most likes about his new center is his
willingness to work on his body. A renowned weight-room
regular,Potapenko's favorite room in the Celts' new facility is a great
lure.

 ``It's unbelievable,'' he said of the conditioning center. ``It
inspires you to work.

 ``The first time I saw it, I was just like, `Man, I'm ready to stay
here and work out all summer.' ''

*****