Former teammates look forward to seeing Potapenko

[Jakob Roland Munch <jmunch@econ.dk>]

              Tuesday, March 23, 1999

              By MARY SCHMITT BOYER
              PLAIN DEALER REPORTER

              He'll be wearing the green of the Boston Celtics, but Vitaly
              Potapenko has to feel like he's coming home for tonight's
              game against the Cavaliers in Gund Arena.

              The popular power forward is returning to Cleveland for the
              first time since the March 11 deal that sent him to Boston for
              Andrew DeClercq and a No. 1 draft choice, and the Cavs
              expect he'll get a nice welcome.

              "I would think so," coach Mike Fratello said. "I think people
              liked 'V.' They loved his work ethic. They loved him when he
              was here. I think they'll give him a nice welcome."

              Bob Sura and Zydrunas Ilgauskas were Potapenko's best
              friends on the team, and both said they'd been checking the
              box scores to see how he's doing. He has become the
              Celtics starting center and is averaging 9.2 points and 7.0
              rebounds and shooting 56.4 percent in six games with the
              Celtics.

              "He's been up and down a little bit," said Sura, who has not
              talked to Potapenko since the trade. "But once he gets
              accustomed to what's going on, I'm sure it will work out fine."

              Ilgauskas said he has talked to Potapenko a couple of times.

              "He sounds good," Ilgauskas said. "It's different for him. It
              takes some time to get used to, but he's going to be fine. I'm
              sure he's excited [to come back and see everybody-."

              When reporters joked that Potapenko probably would go to
              the wrong locker room, Ilgauskas grinned and said: "There's
              nothing wrong with that. He can walk in."

              Shawn Kemp, too, said he will be happy to see Potapenko.

              "It will be good to see the big fella," he said. "Unfortunately,
              he's on the other side now, but I look forward to seeing him.
              He's playing without his mask [to protect a broken nose-. It
              looks like he feels pretty good."

              Kemp probably will guard Boston power forward Antoine
              Walker, which will leave DeClercq matched against
              Potapenko. The Cavs newcomer knows that will invite the
              inevitable comparisons but said: "That's not something for me
              to worry about. I'll leave that up to you [reporters-."

              Actually, DeClercq, who has moved into the Cavs starting
              lineup and is averaging 7.3 points and 6.5 rebounds, has
              demonstrated a similar attitude and work ethic to
              Potapenko's, and he has been equally engaging with
              reporters. He said it would be an unusual evening for him, too.

              "It will be a bit awkward," he said. "But I'm just going to try
              and help us win the ballgame."

              DeClercq said he hadn't had much opportunity to keep in
              touch with former teammates.

              "I've been kind of busy," he said, referring to joining the team
              in Houston, traveling to Chicago and then trying to find an
              apartment in between the three home games last week and a
              trip to Washington.

              He has exchanged phone calls and some e-mail and has
              kept up with how the Celtics are doing. But he definitely has
              completed the transition from Boston to Cleveland.

              Asked about the Celtics, DeClercq said, "They're one of the
              teams we're fighting for that last playoff spot." 

-------------------------------------------------

Jakob Roland Munch
Ph.D.-student
Building 350
Department of Economics
University of Aarhus
DK-8000 Aarhus C
Denmark

phone +45 8942 1615
fax +45 8613 6334
e-mail jmunch@econ.au.dk