Globe:Pierce Raps Story on Wrap

[opi@unesco.org]

Pierce raps story on wrap
By Peter May, Globe Staff, 12/14/99

According to Aaron Goodwin, Pierce told him he had been told he could
remove the wrap if it became uncomfortable and that he could replace it
with a sleeve. That was exactly what Pierce did.

''If he had been told definitively by the doctors not to remove the
wrap, he would not have done so,'' Goodwin said. ''It makes him sound
irresponsible and creates the impression that he doesn't want to play.
He wasn't neglectful.''

''We think it's mostly a miscommunication,'' said Goodwin.

Pierce sprained his ankle at practice Saturday. At the time, the
severity of the injury was not known, but Pitino said his leading scorer
might miss a week. Then, Sunday night in New York, Pitino told reporters
that Pierce made a ''major mistake'' by removing the wrap before he went
to bed.

''He was told not to take it off and he took it off, not realizing [the
implications],'' Pitino said.

The ankle swelled up overnight, and Pierce may be out as long as three
weeks.

''He's got a bad ankle sprain,'' Pitino reiterated yesterday. ''He's
going to be two weeks to 20 days.''

Pierce had treatment back in the Boston area yesterday and was,
according to Goodwin, not pleased to read Pitino's comments.

''Anyone who knows Paul knows how much he wants to play,'' Goodwin said.
''He wants to be out there as much as possible, as often as possible.''

But, Goodwin said, Pierce will not hurry back, as he did last year from
an ankle sprain. He hurt himself last March 9 in Charlotte but was back
on the court five days later. Pierce later said he came back too soon
and suffered because of it.

''We don't  want  a repeat of last year,'' Goodwin said. ''Paul needs to
take his time and let it heal and then he can come back stronger.''

Only two players in the hallowed hoop history of Providence College have
scored more points than Jamel Thomas: Jimmy Walker and Eric Murdock.
That particular skill - scoring - landed Thomas here yesterday for an
afternoon workout with the Celtics. ''We needed a shooter, obviously,
with Paul down,'' Pitino said. ''We'll see what he can do.'' Thomas went
undrafted last June but made believers here with his play in the
Cavaliers' summer and fall camps. He almost made the team. ''We were
trying to figure out a way to keep him,'' said Cleveland GM Jim Paxson
yesterday. ''He has the ability to score in bunches and we were always
thinking that if we had a need for a player like that, we would have him
back.'' Thomas arrived here from Quad Cities, where he led the CBA
Thunder in scoring (19.9, fourth in the league). When he got the call
from the Celtics, he said, ''It was one of the best moments of my life
since I graduated from college.'' Thomas said he already has been
humbled by (a) not being drafted and (b) not making an NBA roster in
November. ''Going through adversity, you get stronger and stronger,'' he
said. ''I didn't put my head down. Any person would have given up in my
position.''