Peter May (TSN): Clack Will Be Lucky To Make The Club

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The Sporting News: NBA - Boston Celtics


      Boston Celtics
      Team Report posted JULY 1, 1999      

      By TSN correspondent
      Peter May
      Boston Globe
      DRAFT DISH 
      The Celtics feel they did quite well in the draft. Considering they picked 
      at 55 and have no room on their roster, that's a revealing statement. They 
      didn't have a first-rounder, but they felt they got one and they may well 
      have in Texas guard Kris Clack. 
      He was ranked no lower than fifth on most shooting guard lists and many 
      mock drafts, including Boston's, had him going late in the first round, 
      not late in the second. Drafting where they did, the Celtics had one 
      simple plan: take the best guy on the board, regardless of position. 
      The Celtics had traded away their first-rounder in March in the deal for 
      Vitaly Potapenko and while the big guy isn't your prototype center, he 
      fills a need and is far better than anything they may have extracted in 
      the draft. 
      Boston also doesn't really need a shooting guard, but Clack was the top 
      guy there and he was considerably higher than 55, so why not? (He also 
      could come into the picture if he plays well in the summer league and Ron 
      Mercer is dealt.) 
      Rick Pitino didn't sound so excited -- he spent most of the draft watching 
      it on television while running on the treadmill. With 12 guaranteed 
      contracts and a free agent or two sure to come, the Celtics weren't 
      counting on much, if anything, from the draft. Clack may change their 
      minds and their plans. Grade: B. 
      STRENGTHS 
      Clack has decent size for a shooting guard; he's 6-5 and weighs 225 
      pounds. That is an undeniable asset, which he uses to his advantage, 
      mainly on defense. He's known as an aggressive defender and has 
      shot-blocking capabilities for his size. He spent four years at Texas and 
      finished seventh in scoring. 
      But he was also second in steals, fourth in rebounds and fourth in blocked 
      shots. This is a perfect defensive stopper who can also score, though not 
      reliably. He also was the MVP of the Nike Desert Classic, where he 
      averaged 13.7 points, 5.3 rebounds, 2 steals and 2 blocked shots. 
      WEAKNESSES 
      When you start talking about the defensive qualities of a shooting guard, 
      well, you get the picture. Clack played mostly small forward in college, 
      so that's where he accumulated a lot of his rebound/block shot stats. 
      But he's not going to be confused with Trajan Langdon anytime soon. Last 
      season, he shot 40.4 percent from the field and dipped from his junior 
      year totals. He also makes 30 percent of his treys and, ahem, 65 percent 
      of his free throws. 
      Those are frankly unacceptable numbers for a shooting guard. The flip side 
      is that he's known to be a streaky shooter and that he is thought of as a 
      scorer, not a shooter. That's a backwards way of saying you hold your 
      breath when he goes up for a shot. 
      IMMEDIATE ROLE 
      None. If he makes the team, he'll be lucky. 
      PROJECTION 
      Clack should have one goal in mind: to find an illness or injury which 
      will enable the Celtics to hold on to him if they're so inclined. It's a 
      stretch to see him making this team as a contributor. It's not a stretch 
      to see him making the team as one of 15 players with three on the injured 
      list. That's his best hope. 


      


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