next year...(not really Celtic-related)

["Berry, Mark S" <mberry@journalink.com>]

I've been meaning to post something about this since last week...

I covered a practice for the World University Games team last week in
Dayton. There were 16 players there, but the team has since been whittled
down to the final 12. I sat with a scout from the L.A. Clippers who I met
two years ago when the Celts played an exhibition against the Nets in
Lexington, Ky. He's not one of their key scouts (he was scouting next year's
players in Dayton, Ohio a week before the draft after all) and usually just
scouts the CBA, USBL and some high schools.

He did have some interesting things to say about this draft: Like everyone,
he thinks it's awfully thin. He didn't give any insight into the Clippers'
plans, but then again they seem to be the one team everyone agrees upon
(Barron Davis). The most interesting tidbit: He loves Jonathan Bender. This
guy completely disdains high school players jumping to the NBA, but he said
Bender is the closest thing he's seen to Kevin Garnett.

As for next year's crop he was watching in Dayton, he loved Marcus Fizer, a
power forward from Iowa State. Fizer was tremendous in the one practice I
saw, dominating Cincinnati's Kenyon Martin in the trenches. But Martin made
the team and Fizer was cut. I think that had more to do with the team's
coach, University of Dayton's Oliver Purnell (who knows Martin well from the
proximity of the schools) than with Fizer's ability.

He doesn't like Texas center Chris Mihm, who figures to be a lottery pick
next year (absolutely no toughness, he said). He said North Carolina center
Brendan Haywood "plays like a Nigerian" in that he has little natural feel
for the game.

He questioned Ohio State's Michael Redd simply because he brings the ball up
straight in front of him to shoot, instead of tight against the body. He
thinks Redd is a good player who will need a lot of room to get off his
shot.

He likes Scoonie Penn (maybe the top point guard in next year's draft), but
doesn't love him (he's 5-10 after all).

Anyway, I know this really isn't Celtic-related, but I found it interesting
and hope some of you might as well.

Mark