Possible picks?

[peter delevett <pdelevett@amcity.com>]

Just a few thoughts on who the C's might pick up in the bargain basement slot
next Saturday:

First of all, forget about Chris Herren, from what I've read. He had a great
predraft camp and will be long gone by the # 50-something pick. A possible
alternative, if Pitino is intent on getting a point guard, might be Vonteego
Cummings. Accoridng to ESPN, he "showed limited range on his jumper [in
Chicago] but he was something  special as a floor general. He consistently got
the ball to the right people in the right places -- all important aspects of a
great point guard." Of course, I'msur eotherteams noticed too.

A kid I've heard great things about is Rodney Buford of Crieghton. Given his
good showing in the NCAA tourney and in the camps, he will almost surely be
gone by the time the Celtics pick. But if by some chance he should slide off
people's radar, he will likely be the best player still on the board.

We may end up going big, just to roll the dice. Mississippi State's Tyrone
Washington is 6'10 or 6'11 and was among the NCAA leaders in boards and blocks
last season. He apparently played very poorly in Chicago; we'll have to hope
it was a fluke, if he slides down to us.

Old Dominion has a guy named Cal Bowdler who's around 6'10 or 6'11 and also
was among the NCAA leaders in blocks and boards; he played well in Chicago.
Lari Ketner, by contrast, played poorly, but whether he played poorly enough
to slide down to the bottom of the barrel remains to be seen. I know people on
the list aren't high on Bud Eley from SW Mo St., but he has put up terrific
numbers for a college big man the past two years. Calvin Booth from Penn State
is definitely second round material, but in this weak draft will go earlier. I
remember too hearing something about Jeff Foster from SW Texas St., who played
very well in Portsmouth -- I think he's a center, anyone know more? Bottom
line, none of these guys will replace Vitaly or fill our starting PF need, but
could help.

I know this message is really a mix of wishful thinking in some cases, and of
clutching at straws in others. It wouldn't surprise me in the end to see
Pitino trade the pick altogether, just to be rid of it.