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Holley: Stewart To Decide Between Boston Or Sacramento
He also says the C's would like to re-sign Popeye, and may make even
a minor deal just to free up more cap space...
[The Boston Globe Online][Boston.com]
[Boston Globe Online / Sports]
Celtics have some big plans for Stewart
They're heavily courting center
By Michael Holley, Globe Staff, 01/16/99
Michael Stewart has a decision to make. Two teams are very interested
in signing him and he has to choose which one he likes. One team
plays its home games close to the North End. The other plays in Northern
California. By Tuesday - perhaps sooner - Stewart will be the starting
center for one of them.
Which one? That's the question of the next 72 hours. Rick Pitino certainly
has a large Celtics jersey ready for the 6-foot-10-inch Stewart. The Celtics
president-coach hopes the 23-year-old free agent will choose to wear it
rather than the purple-and-black garb of the Sacramento Kings, whom Stewart
played for in 1997-98.
It is now apparent that the Celtics are pursuing Stewart, most likely by
using their $1.75 million exception as a starting point for a contract. As
of yesterday, the Celtics and Kings were Stewart's top suitors.
Stewart has an affinity for the Kings because he was their ball boy as a
teenager and attended college at the University of California in Berkeley,
just over an hour from Sacramento. But the Kings are unsettled in several
areas. They have ownership woes, basketball operations chief Geoff Petrie
was recently talked out of resigning, former coach Eddie Jordan was fired
after only one season, and they still have to find a way to sign forward
Corliss Williamson and Stewart.
When contacted last evening, Pitino confirmed that he is interested in
acquiring Stewart. But he did not mention any specifics. ''We're looking at
a lot of options right now,'' he said. ''We certainly have a lot of work to
do yet. But Stewart is someone we've been looking at for a while.''
Efforts to reach Stewart's agent, Bill Duffy, were unsuccessful. But it is
known that Stewart would like to have his contract situation resolved before
camps officially open next week (most likely Tuesday). It is also known that
the Celtics are far beyond the initial stages of courtship when it comes to
Stewart. Apparently, they have told him he is the man they want in the
middle.
A few things make Stewart attractive to the Celtics. He weighs only 230
pounds but he is a legitimate center. He averaged 6.6 rebounds per game last
season and was one of the NBA's top shot-blockers, rejecting an average of
2.4 in 81 games. That shot-blocking mark was seventh in the league. Stewart
had 11 fewer blocks than San Antonio's Tim Duncan and averaged more than
Miami's Alonzo Mourning.
If he does become a Celtic, Stewart will find himself at the free throw line
a lot after practice. He was among the league's worst free throw shooters
last season, making just over 40 percent.
But Pitino will worry about the shooting later. In Stewart, he would have a
center with the athleticism to play his running and trapping style. More
important, he would have a defensive presence at the center spot. Scan the
Celtics' roster and you will find no one with a reputation as a
shot-blocker.
In addition to signing Stewart, the Celtics would like to find a way to
re-sign forward Popeye Jones. Those signings would immediately improve their
defense. Boston had the fewest defensive rebounds in the NBA last season.
Obviously, the Celtics would like to change those numbers. But first they
have to reorder their salary cap numbers.
Nearly $1.3 million will become available when Pervis Ellison is declared
out for the season in the next couple of days. Ellison is still bothered by
his surgically repaired right ankle. Because of his injury, the Celtics will
be permitted to use half his salary to sign someone else (they cannot,
however, combine the $1.3 million with the $1.75 million exception).
Also, there is still a possibility of the Celtics making a trade. At this
point, they would be interested in even the most minor deal, just so they
can clear some additional cap space.
So now the Celtics wait. Stewart will make a decision in the next couple of
days. The Celtics hope he makes the decision that will require him to board
a plane leaving the West Coast, heading east.
The team will hold four free ''Meet the Celtics'' open practice sessions
starting next Saturday from 7:30-9:30 p.m. at New Hampshire College in
Manchester, N.H. Ticket distribution will begin at the school Tuesday from 9
a.m.-4 p.m. The other sessions will be at the FleetCenter Jan. 24, the
Worcester Centrum Jan. 28, and the Providence Civic Center Feb. 1.
This story ran on page F03 of the Boston Globe on 01/16/99.
© Copyright 1999 Globe Newspaper Company.