Peter May (TSN): Celtics May Not Have A 2nd Round Pick

[Way Of The Ray <wayray@ix.netcom.com>]

New York has first dibs on the 37th pick overall, but the C's
could have the 55th choice (oh joy) if Vancouver passes on it.
It's interesting that Chris Wallace is "still preparing heavily
for the draft..."  And Gentle Ben Pepper may not make it to the 
Celtics camp this year.



      Boston Celtics
      Team Report posted MAY 15, 1999      

      By TSN correspondent
      Peter May
      Boston Globe
      The Celtics had two days of "voluntary" player instruction and workouts in 
      the first two days after the season ended. Those who attended were given 
      moves and muscles to work on over the summer. 
      The key man for Boston in the upcoming months is strength and conditioning 
      coach Shaun Brown, who is referred to as the "offseason director of 
      operations." 
      Coach Rick Pitino was horrified by the shape of just about every player on 
      the team after the lockout ended and is determined to prevent a repeat. 
      Brown not only has workout/conditioning plans for every player, he also 
      plans to stop by and visit the lads over the course of the summer to see 
      how they're doing. 
      Antoine Walker, who reported to camp overweight by as much as 20 pounds or 
      more, has said he will hire a personal trainer for the summer. He can 
      afford one. 
      Walker says he can't be a part of Pitino's summer workout sessions -- 
      they're voluntary, remember -- because he has a young daughter in Chicago 
      and the summer is when he has visitation rights. The girl is too young to 
      travel under the terms of the custody arrangement, Walker said. . . . 
      General Manager Chris Wallace is still prepping heavily for the draft even 
      though the Celtics may not have a pick until the 55th choice. 
      Boston's first round pick will go to Cleveland unless it's one of the top 
      three. Boston currently owns the seventh choice, but the Cavs have the 
      option to take it and Wallace fully expects them to do just that. 
      The Celtics' second round choice, 37th overall, has two teams with bid 
      rights. The Knicks have first dibs (conveyed in the Chris Mills trade) and 
      the Grizzlies have second choice (conveyed in the Tony Massenburg trade). 
      Wallace believes one of the teams will take the pick. 
      The Celtics do have the 55th choice, from Orlando through Denver. Wallace 
      expects Vancouver to pass on that one. The Grizzlies have the rights to a 
      Boston second-rounder in 2000 or 2001. . . . 
      The Celtics' second round pick in 1998, Australian center Ben Pepper, is 
      still questionable for the team's summer league play. The reason: surgery 
      to remove bone spurs in his ankle. Wallace doesn't know how serious the 
      spurs are or the extent of the surgery. 
      The Celtics plan to participate in the Los Angeles Summer League as well 
      as hosting a league of their own in late July and early August. . . . 
      Off the court, the doctor who told the world that Reggie Lewis did not 
      have a serious heart problem is being sued for malpractice. 
      Dr. Gilbert Mudge took the stand in the trial and testified that he did 
      consider arrhythmia as a potential problem, even though his comments that 
      day were to the contrary. Mudge is being sued by Lewis' widow, Donna 
      Harris-Lewis. 
      The doctor is expected to say in his defense that he couldn't treat Lewis 
      properly because the former Celtics captain withheld information regarding 
      drug use until it was too late. 
      PLAYER ANALYSIS 
      The Celtics expect to see a lot of Vitaly Potapenko this summer. 
      The center acquired from Cleveland is a total workaholic, which endears 
      him to his total workaholic coach. There's also much work to be done. 
      Potapenko has offensive skills, but he needs to work on better ball 
      control. 
      As for defense, he can defend almost anyone man-to-man, something which 
      many centers cannot do. But he is neither a shot blocker nor a rebounder, 
      which is something he and the team plan to work on. 
      As if he needed any extra incentives, there are some in Potapenko's 
      long-term, multi-million deal for rebounds. 
      WHAT'S NEXT 
      Not much. 
      The team has targeted a half dozen free agents Pitino feels have been 
      under utilized or who have been underachievers. 
      Rodney Rogers is on that list. Whether he would sign with Boston, or for 
      what the Celtics currently have available (the "middle class" exception) 
      is an entirely different matter. 




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