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Leprechaun Pipe Dreams 
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| June 6, 1999, Dizzy.
With all the students clearing out of the city, we've finally hit the offseason in Beantown and it means we can think of our basketball future without the general nuisance of ignorant New Yorkers piled into sports bars. While most fans will be all (unjustifiably) excited about the upcoming draft, we in Boston have been spared this distraction with the Potapenko trade. This looks like a solid move considering the anemic crop of big men on the horizon, and the fact that the eighth pick is unlikely to bring the type of immediate improvement a veteran pick up can. In fact, Vitaly's impressive frame and adequate post moves should be big assets this coming year, given the opportunity to integrate his play after a full training camp. We still have a shot at some fun in the second round too, with a couple local favorites available to back up the point, either Wayne Turner, from Kentucky and Beaver Country Day in Brookline or Chris Herren, the Fall River legend and Boston College exile. We all know there will be some kind of additional activity from Pitino and Chris Wallace this summer to improve upon last year's disappointing season. The latest rumor on our playoff-quiet homefront is that the Celtics are going after Penny Hardaway with an offer of Kenny Anderson and Ron Mercer. This will not happen and would hurt the Celtics anyway. Apart from the sensitive Penny not meshing well with Pitino's vocal style, the players just don't make sense. Penny would improve the defense and passing from the 2, but Mercer is a premier scorer when he's healthy with a tremendous upside. Kenny Anderson, whom I have heartily criticized all season, is still one of the premier veteran point guards and should draw offers on his own. The Celtics rationale is of course to dump a couple contracts (Mercer's up for renewal and Anderson for a salary bump in his current contract), but there are better trades to be made. Kenny could probably bring in the type of power forward the Celtics need (maybe a disgruntled Lorenzen Wright?), and Mercer is a rare find in the current NBA with his comibnation of athleticism and mid-range jumper. Rather than sacrifice the type of depth that is so essential in the NBA today, the Celts should look to move Kenny, Ron, or Antoine only for players that solidify a team with good prospects going into the 1999-2000 season already, ideally a rebounding power forward and defensive-minded point guard (Briant Grant and Greg Anthony sound pretty good, don't they?). Oh and by the way, my advice to Penny: head out toward Vancouver. They have nice people, low expectations, and talented kids you can get credit for helping develop.
- Dizzy
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 "And if it doesn't work out, you can always get Brian Hill sacked again..."
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