Peter May's Report

["Josh Farber" <joshfarber@home.com>]

Here is Peter May's report from yesterday.  Sorry if I am reposting what
someone already posted!

Josh F

Boston Celtics
Team Report posted JULY 11, 1999      Print it!

By TSN correspondent
Peter May
Boston Globe


The so-called moratorium might be stopping teams from signing players but,
according to Ron Mercer, it hasn't stopped them from insulting them. Mercer
and the Celtics are not even close on a long-term extension for the shooting
guard, and it now looks even more as if the Celtics will have to trade him.

Mercer met Thursday with the Celtics, unaccompanied by his new agent,
Tevester Scott of No Limit Sports. He left the meeting underwhelmed by what
the Celtics offered, and Scott went a step further, calling the offer
embarrassing.

No figures were disclosed. Mercer is eligible to sign for as much as $71
million, the same deal the Celtics quickly and unhesitatingly gave to
Antoine Walker last January. Scott would only say that the Celtics' offer
wasn't even close to that figure; Mercer does not expect to get that much
anyway, nor should he. But why should he also be made to feel he's being
lowballed. He is one of their top three players.

Should the gap be unbridgeable, Rick Pitino, who didn't hesitate to shell
out more than $50 million for ex-Celtics Travis Knight and Chris Mills,
might have to move Mercer. The trouble with that is not that Mercer is
unwanted, but rather that he is underpaid by NBA standards and thus would
have to be packaged with another player to get something close to equal
value.

Mercer's name has been in countless trade rumors and will continue to be so
until something is resolved. While he probably couldn't command an
extravagant sum in the open market, Mercer probably won't get that chance if
he's with the Celtics. Pitino will trade him before then, rather than risk
getting nothing for a valued asset.

Under the new rules, the Celtics can talk contract with Mercer, and the two
sides can even agree on a number and announce that they're simpatico. That's
because Mercer still has a year remaining on his original rookie contract.
Nothing will be deemed official until August 1., when the NBA lawyers go
back to work and start examining the fine print.

Pitino has continually talked about budgetary restraints installed by owner
Paul Gaston as one reason why he can't overpay Mercer. (Teams routinely do
so to keep the ones they want to keep.) But Pitino also quickly signed bench
player Walter McCarty last January to a three-year, $8.4 million deal.
Pitino also faces a difficult re-signing with Tony Battie, who blossomed
last season after a horrible rookie year in Denver. . . .

The Celtics begin an ambitious summer league schedule this week, taking a
team out to Long Beach, Cal., for the annual round-robin there. Pitino
expects Paul Pierce, Bruce Bowen, Eric Riley and Dwayne Schintzius to be
among the individuals participating in the 10 days. The Celtics' team will
also be composed of free agents, one expected to be Wayne Turner, who played
point guard for Pitino at Kentucky and went undrafted. Once the team returns
from California, the Celtics will host a summer league from July 26-August 3
featuring the Pacers, Sixers, Nets and other teams. . . .

PLAYER ANALYSIS

Battie went from the Denver doghouse to the Boston rotation and improved as
the year went on. He especially prospered after the acquisition of Vitaly
Potapenko, who took over the center duties. Battie is a good shot-blocker
and decent rebounder who also has a very nice, reliable touch from 15 feet
and in, especially from the baseline. Consistency is what he needs to bring
to the table, and Pitino feels that can happen.

The problem is whether it will happen in Boston. Not only is Battie in the
same category as Mercer, he also plays the same position as Walker. In other
words, there won't be a lot of court time for him if he sticks around.

WHAT'S NEXT

The Celtics are waiting for August 1 like everyone else. They've already
made contact with several players through the players' agents and are
interested in the likes of Tony Delk, Rodney Rogers, Michael Curry and Jon
Barry. Pitino wants to get a second-unit scorer -- Rogers would fit that
bill -- and a big-time defender who can score. Curry might fit there.

The problem will be getting them to come to Boston. The Celtics, like most
teams, have only two exemptions, one for $2 million and the other for a
little more than $1 million. Oh, and they might see if there's any wiggle
room with Mercer while they're at it.