Bulpett: Schintzius Feels he Can Be A Great Player

[Way Of The Ray <wayray@ix.netcom.com>]

                  BOSTON HERALD
                                              
                  Schintzius buy's Rick's optimism          
                  Celtics Notebook/by Steve Bulpett         

                  Friday, January 22, 1999

                  Dwayne Schintzius was still in limbo during the first
                  Celtics practice yesterday while his contract was being
                  put together. That said, the operative question becomes
                  whether his mind and body are together.
               
                  Buoyed by the free agent pitch of Rick Pitino, Schintzius
                  insists he's prepared to achieve what has eluded him since
                  being a first-round pick of San Antonio in 1990. ``He said
                  if I come in here and give him 100 percent that I can be a
                  great player in this league. And I feel that,'' the
                  7-foot-3, 255-pound Goliath said. ``I've got all the
                  skills. Everybody's said that all along. If I can just
                  stay injury free and just really work hard, which I plan
                  on doing, you know, the sky's the limit. ``I'm kind of
                  starting fresh again. I'm 30 years old and I'm starting
                  over.'' Missing last season because of ankle surgery gave
                  him important time to restore his body and ponder his
                  situation. ``It just gave me a lot of time to really
                  heal,'' said Schintzius, who will receive a minimum of one
                  year with a team option for a second season. ``I've had
                  nagging injuries in the past. I feel like I'm 100 percent
                  healed and I'm just ready to play basketball. I feel
                  really good. ``It's going to be tough; I know that. But I
                  wouldn't have come here if I wasn't prepared for coach
                  Pitino. There were a few teams interested, but I wanted to
                  come where I feel I can do the most amount of good.
                  They're going to push me here, and I need that right now
                  in my life, coming off ankle surgery and missing all of
                  last year.'' The Celtics are hoping to get from Schintzius
                  a guy who can lean on big opponents and provide a measure
                  of inside aggression the club sorely lacks. What the C's
                  get on the side is a guy who has done some acting and is a
                  dead ringer for the Ivan Drago character from ``Rocky
                  IV.'' Let's just say Schintzius is not a natural blond,
                  but this, he claims, is as wild as it will get. ``I think
                  it'll stay blond,'' he said. ``I don't think it's going
                  Dennis Rodman style where I'll get different colors. It'll
                  either stay blond or go back to my original color.''
                  Stewart a Raptor
                  The Celtics lost out to Toronto on Michael Stewart even
                  though they were offering him the $1.75 million slot and
                  the Raptors tucked him into the $1 million exception. Why?
                  Because Toronto was willing to give Stewart a one-year
                  deal with the implied promise they would take care of him
                  in his next contract. Pervis Ellison (ankle surgery) and
                  Dontae' Jones were the absentees on the first day of camp.
                  Ellison is still rehabbing, while Pitino said Jones, with
                  one year left on his contract at $898,000 (prorated for
                  this season), does not fit into the club's plans. C's will
                  be busy
                  The Celtics finally got a look at the NBA schedule, and,
                  as expected, it's not pretty. They open with back-to-back
                  games at home, starting with Toronto on Feb. 5, then play
                  the next six on the road. But after a quick run to Orlando
                  and Miami, there is a week off before a western swing to
                  Sacramento, Vancouver and Portland and the trip finale in
                  Washington. The Celts have two sets of three games in
                  three nights, both in April. The last time the club had
                  such a hat trick was during Larry Bird's rookie season,
                  1979-80. They play just six games against the Western
                  Conference. Tickets for Celtics home games will go on sale
                  Sunday at noon at the FleetCenter box office or through
                  Ticketmaster. That afternoon, the club will host a free
                  open practice at the FleetCenter from 2-4 p.m.