re:FILA "No Limit"

[j.hironaka@unesco.org]

I noticed that Ron Mercer will be playing for Percy Miller's "No Limit"
entry in the Fila Summer Pro League.  I hope he shows 3-point range! I
assume Master P will hog a lot of minutes at point guard, although
rookie Jason Terry is also on that team.

Mercer's "No Limit" agent, Tevester Scott, has decided to set an
aggressive public tone in the contract re-negotiation, criticizing
Pitino/Wallace for stupid FA signings in Peter May's Globe column: ''You
can't punish (Ron) because of what you did before. What they offered him
is embarrassing. We're not even in the same state. When he called me and
told me what it was, we both fell out of our chairs laughing.'' Ouch.

As I've said before, it is preferable IMHO to sign Ron Mercer now (or
trade him) rather than do nothing until after next season (apparently
Pitino's present plan of action). If Mercer enters the season without
his extension, I will predict 10 fewer wins for the Celtics and NO
playoffs. Left unsigned, you really can't really blame Mercer for
feeling compelled to continue jacking up mucho shots like he did in his
"contract extension" year last season. The one pass he has developed so
far involves turning down the mid-range shot to dump off a jump pass
inside. While that's a big improvement over nothing, it's the same bad
habit (leaving your feet before you pass) that led Pitino to trade away
Chauncey Billups. If Mercer wants to make "Allan Houston" money, he'll
have to focus on getting his 18 ppg by taking considerably less shots
while drawing more fouls and nailing 3-pointers. If Mercer played as
unselfishlessly as he did as a rookie, it wouldn't matter to me that he
has no hint of natural passing ability and seems forever stuck with a
high, soft dribble (you could say all the same things about Reggie
Lewis, more or less).

Joe

p.s. I haven't looked at all the rosters, but I think/hope the Celtics
can win the league championship with ease behind a frontline of Pierce,
Battie and Potapenko. Everything is on the line at shooting guard
between free agents Bruce Bowen, Kris Clack and "Yo" Adrian Griffin,
only one of whom should make the team. Wayne Turner and Marlon Garnett
are the only point guards. I'd have much preferred to see Damon Jones
run with our "first team" frontcourt instead.  Beat LA!