Bulpett: Pitino Not Interested In The Draft; Oakley Sticking With Toronto

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

Andre Miller intrigues the Herald reporter....


      Boston Herald  

      Lottery jackpot unlikely: Pitino sees no wealth in draft drawing 
      by Steve Bulpett 
      Friday, May 21, 1999
      There isn't much mystery for the Celtics in tomorrow's NBA draft lottery, 
      and what little ancillary question there was has been answered by the 
      Cavaliers. 
      The Celtics have the seventh-best chance to emerge with one of the top 
      three picks when the ping-pong balls start flying at the headquarters of 
      NBA Entertainment in Secaucus, N.J., but in that it is a weighted system, 
      it is incredibly likely they will remain at No. 7. If they do get one of 
      the top three picks, the Celts get to keep it. If not, the Cavs can take 
      it as completion of the Vitaly Potapenko-Andrew DeClercq trade.
      And Cleveland will do so this year, passing on the chance to have the pick 
      in either of the next two drafts.
      ``We feel their draft choice would be worse than No. 7 next year because 
      they are a young and improving team,'' said Cavalier president Wayne 
      Embry, a former Celtic. ``It's our belief the pick will be better this 
      year than next year.''
      Rick Pitino certainly hopes so. In fact, if the Celts follow his 
      oft-stated plan, next year's selection won't even be in the lottery. The 
      third year of Pitino's blueprint calls for the Celtics to make the 
      playoffs, and he has not backed off that plank in his platform.
      Pitino isn't placing much stock in tomorrow's drawing. He won't even 
      venture to scenic Secaucus, instead putting general manager Chris Wallace 
      on the dais for a little national television exposure at halftime of the 
      late-afternoon playoff game.
      Let's just say that Pitino is far from the NBA version of NFL draft freak 
      Mel Kiper Jr.
      ``It really doesn't matter to me,'' Pitino said of the lottery. ``We're 
      not looking to get younger, so I'm not sure we'd keep the pick if we did 
      get it (in the top three).
      ``There are no centers in this draft, certainly none that can help us. 
      There are a lot of twos and threes (shooting guards and small forwards), 
      but we already have twos and threes. So I don't even care about the 
      lottery.''
      One thing this draft does have is point guards, and while Pitino insists 
      it won't be the case, the belief remains that the Celts might wince a bit 
      if Utah point guard Andre Miller is still on the board when the Cavaliers 
      are using that seventh pick.
      But even then, the coach is leaning on the positive from the deadline day 
      deal with Cleveland.
      ``We're very happy with Vitaly,'' Pitino said. ``We needed a center on 
      this team, and there's nobody in the draft as good as Vitaly for that.
      ``We've got a very slim chance in the lottery. It could happen, but the 
      percentages are certainly not in our favor. But even if we did get a 
      break, we'd probably be looking to trade the pick to get a veteran 
      ballplayer.''
      As for the draft itself, the Celtic staff has taken due note of all the 
      underclassmen coming out. A talent like Rhode Island's Lamar Odom would be 
      intriguing.
      ``He's got tremendous potential,'' said Pitino. ``But I don't think this 
      is a lock draft. The No. 8 pick could be as good as the No. 3 pick. 
      There's no Tim Duncan out there. It's more a draft for need, and I think 
      that's what you'll see teams do.''
      Any shot the Celtics may have had to snare free agent power forward 
      Charles Oakley from Toronto has likely gone by the boards.
      Oakley is a Pitino pal and would give the Celts a needed measure of 
      toughness, but the Raptors will offer him a three-year deal in the 
      vicinity of $12 million-$14 million.