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Michael Holley On Trading Walker for a Power Forward; Signing Turner; V Added Needles Weight...
They wanted Ruben Patterson; Clack won't make the team....
[The Boston Globe Online][Boston.com]
[Boston Globe Online / Sports]
Griffin signs: Turner next?
Celtics have more to do
By Michael Holley, Globe Staff, 08/02/99
The Celtics began
yesterday
morning by making
Adrian Griffin's
one-year contract
official. By the
afternoon, they were
thinking about another
deal that is almost a
cinch to be made: the
signing of Wayne
Turner.
Turner impressed many in the organization
with a Summer League week at UMass-Boston
in which he made more than 60 percent of
his shots and averaged 11 points and five
assists. But it was his final-seconds
reverse layup against the Sonics yesterday
that excited everyone in the Clark
Athletic Center.
Rick Pitino, watching the play from a
press table, smiled and clapped after
Turner's shot helped keep the Summer
Vacation Celtics undefeated (14-0).
Comedian Bill Bellamy, who was sitting
courtside, stood up and mimed the shot
immediately after it went through the net
and gave the Celtics a 100-99 lead with 3
seconds remaining. Long before the shot
was taken, former college coach Kevin
Mackey looked at Turner and said, ''This
kid is ready for the NBA right now. I
don't think people realize how good he is.
And look at his record [three NCAA title
game appearances in four years]; he's a
winner.''
There were plenty of raves for Turner, who
acknowledged that he ''had no idea'' the
shot was going in the hoop. He does have
an idea where he'd like to work. ''I want
to be a Celtic,'' he said after the 102-99
win. ''I grew up here [in Mission Hill],
so it would be a great situation for me.''
Turner also pointed out that his strengths
- playmaking and defense - are what the
Celtics want from their lead guards.
When Turner is eventually brought to
training camp, it will not be the only
significant change to the Celtics' roster.
There are several areas/concerns that
Pitino and general manager Chris Wallace
will be exploring in the next month:
The addition of Griffin.
The 25-year-old swingman received a
guaranteed one-year deal with a team
option for a second season. Pitino said
the 6-foot-5-inch player is one who can
deceive you with his steady and flawless
game. The coach recalled a conversation he
had with assistant Jim O'Brien, who
initially said he didn't think Griffin
could play for the Celtics. Then the team
went to the LA Summer League.
''Obie came back and I said, `OK, let's go
over the roster,' and we got to Adrian.
Jim immediately said, `We've got to sign
him.''' Pitino asked his friend why his
opinion changed so quickly. O'Brien told
him, ''I just watched him. He didn't make
one mistake in 10 days.''
Pitino envisions Griffin coming off the
bench to score. Last season with the CBA
champion Connecticut Pride, Griffin
averaged 19 points and 7.6 rebounds and
was league MVP. He said he won't have any
problem in Pitino's system because the
Pride ''tried to actually imitate what
Boston was doing as far as their
full-court press.''
The (failed) pursuit of Ruben Patterson;
the possibilities of Samaki Walker and
Rodney Rogers.
Like many teams watching the Summer League
games, the Celtics were interested in
signing the 6-5 Patterson. Indiana
president Donnie Walsh watched Patterson
defend and said, ''I love Ruben. Can you
imagine having to face him every day in
practice?''
But as hard as the Celtics tried to
recruit him, Patterson appears headed for
Seattle. The Celtics still have an
interest in 6-9 free agent Walker,
although he never has played as many as 50
games in a season. The team continues to
insist that rumors of a sign-and-trade
involving Walker and Ron Mercer are the
wishful musings of the Mavericks, Walker's
former team. Pitino was interested in
Rogers, but he is leaning toward the
Nuggets.
The Mercer/Tony Battie decision.
As for Mercer, Pitino said yesterday that
he believes the Celtics offered the 6-7
guard a fair amount to extend his
contract. Mercer and his agent have said
the number is unacceptable. Pitino said
the Celtics have to either find a way to
give Mercer more money or trade him. But
it is unlikely that the team will be able
to extend both Mercer and Battie. And the
6-11 Battie has many fans in the
organization, especially after his
20-of-28 performance (71 percent) from the
field in three games last week. It seemed
that whenever Battie was within 7 feet of
the hoop, he was thinking dunk. He was
usually successful.
The status of Antoine Walker; the weight
of Vitaly Potapenko.
It is also becoming obvious that the
Celtics are building the team around Paul
Pierce. If they could trade Walker for a
rebounding power forward, they would. But
any deal involving Walker most likely
would be a three-way trade because of the
complexities of the forward's contract.
The Celtics also have to wonder about
Potapenko. He was overmatched in the LA
Summer League and had added 15 pounds that
the team viewed as unnecessary.
The status of rookie Kris Clack.
Pitino said he likes the second-rounder's
game but doesn't think he can make the
team this year. The Celtics still would
like to keep his rights, so they would
like it if he played overseas for a
season.
This story ran on page D01 of the Boston
Globe on 08/02/99.
© Copyright 1999 Globe Newspaper Company.