Some thoughts

["Gregg Allen" <gallen@dhhs.state.nh.us>]

The more I read about Danny Fortson, the more excited I get.  In Fortson
and Walker we have two of the top ten rebounders in the league (I believe
Antoine finished in the top ten in rebounding or very close to it).   Paul
Pierce, Potapenko, and Battie are not too shabby in that departmen either,
and will get their share of rebounds as well.  Bottom line, the Celtics
should have vastly improved rebounding this season, and that can only be a
huge plus.

I'm also excited about the flexibility of the current roster.  As others
have noted, there are only three single position players on the team (at
the moment), Potapenko, Anderson, and Turner.  Every other player can play
more than one position.  As a result, Pitino can put quite a few different
lineup combinations on the court.  That flexibility is a big plus too, IMO.

My 0.02? on Eric Williams:  Seems like quite a few on this list have no use
for Eric.  Why write him off so quickly?  He certainly played well for us
before he was traded to Denver, and he's reportedly in excellent shape.
True, his performance slipped playing for the Nuggets, but one could
attribute that to a number of factors, not the least of which was his knee
injury.  To me the jury is still out, and I'm inclined to think that the
Eric Williams we saw previously (as a Celtic) is closer to the "true" Eric
Williams than the Eric Williams who played for the Nuggets.  Time will
tell.  Of course, this may all be made moot if Pitino trades him (not a
farfetched idea).

RE Trader Rick:  Yup, Coach Pitino has been active in this department.
That's great, I say.  When Rick Pitino took over as coach, the Celtics had
a pathetic lineup.  NOBODY wanted to trade with the C's, we had virtually
nothing to offer!  That's not true today.  The Celtics are a better team,
and if we need to make a trade to improve the team further, we do have
something to offer.  My hat's off to you, Coach!

Anyway, I'm really looking forward to the start of the season.  We all know
what Walker and Pierce can do.  Fortson definitely improves the team.  A
great addition IMO.  I see a lot of potential in Tony Battie, and am
heartened to hear of his outstanding play in the summer leagues.  He could
develop into an impact player.  I'm also very curious to see what Cheaney,
Griffin, Turner, and Washington bring to the table.  All in all, I think
the glass is more than half full.  Can't wait for opening night.