Pot and Half The C's Practicing

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

      C's start to stir as camp nears
      by Mark Cofman 
      Wednesday, September 8, 1999
      Since a five-day stretch of intense wheeling and dealing to start the 
      sign-and-trade period, the Celtics have been eerily quiet for a month. But 
      things are starting to pick up again at the team's practice facility in 
      Waltham with training camp just three weeks away.
      Nearly half of the Celtics' 15-man preseason roster worked out at 
      HealthPoint last week, including Paul Pierce, Tony Battie, Dana Barros, 
      Pervis Ellison, Vitaly Potapenko, Wayne Turner and Adrian Griffin. 
      Potapenko, Turner and Griffin continued informal workouts this week. 
      Newcomer Danny Fortson is due to join them in a few days.
      ``You will see this place get very busy soon,'' said Potapenko, beginning 
      his first full season with the Celtics.
      ``I've been coming here the last month trying to get into the best 
      condition I can for training camp. I've seen many of my teammates doing 
      the same thing.''
      Particularly Griffin and Turner, free agent standouts in the Celtics' 
      summer league at UMass-Boston during the final week of July. Celtics coach 
      Rick Pitino and general manager Chris Wallace wasted little time signing 
      them immediately after the league's moratorium on trades and signings was 
      lifted Aug. 1.
      That set off a dizzying stretch of activity in the Celtics' front office, 
      during which Pitino and Wallace added four more new faces. They dealt Ron 
      Mercer, Popeye Jones and Dwayne Schintzius to Denver for Fortson, Eric 
      Williams and Eric Washington, then used the team's $2 million salary cap 
      exception to sign ex-Wizards guard Calbert Cheaney to a free agent 
      contract.
      When the dust finally cleared on Aug. 5, the Celtics had six new players, 
      or half of an active roster. Even Washington, considered a throw-in in the 
      exchange with Denver, has a legitimate shot at making the regular-season 
      squad. One of his major strengths is defense, always an endearing trait 
      with Pitino.
      Washington is an off-guard, a position that underwent the biggest facelift 
      on the Celtics during the offseason with Mercer's departure, Greg Minor 
      likely out for the season and free agent Bruce Bowen not returning. Pierce 
      will shift from the frontcourt to take over Mercer's starting job, with 
      Cheaney the primary backup and Washington and Griffin vying for additional 
      playing time.
      Celtics notes
      Exhibition games will play a key role in determining the Celtics' final 
      few roster spots. The Celtics open their preseason schedule at the 
      FleetCenter on Oct. 13 against Charlotte, one of three home dates on the 
      exhibition slate.
      They host Atlanta at the Providence Civic Center on Oct. 15, followed by 
      an Oct. 19 game at Charlotte, Oct. 20 against Utah in Nashville, Tenn., 
      Oct. 23 against Utah at Rupp Arena in Lexington, Ky., Oct. 25 against 
      Atlanta at Gulf Coast Coliseum in Biloxi, Miss., and Oct. 27 against 
      Washington at the FleetCenter.
      An eighth and final game is expected to be added to the Celtics' preseason 
      schedule against Washington, but the Wizards have not yet announced a site 
      and date for that game. . . .
      The Celtics moved into HealthPoint full-time and practiced there during 
      the final month of last season. But the structure was only partially 
      completed when the team broke for the offseason on May 6. Four months 
      later, the health club is up and running with the third-largest membership 
      in the state. Other than tenant space for rent and some of the primary 
      care sections of the facility, work is complete.