Peter May: Kenny Comments On Mercer; Kris Isn't Going To Be Missed

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

                                [The Boston Globe Online][Boston.com]
                                [Boston Globe Online / Sports]

                               

                                PRO BASKETBALL NOTES
                                Ewing's ankle a sore spot for Knicks again

                                By Peter May, Globe Staff, 09/12/99
                                <Snips>
                            

                                Cross off Kris

                                The 1999 NBA draft may go down now as an
                                official Waste of Time for the Celtics.
                                The player they drafted, Kris Clack, the
                                Texas guard that they ''couldn't believe''
                                slipped all the way to 55, won't even be
                                invited to training camp. ''We feel Kris
                                needs more time and seasoning to get to
                                the NBA level,'' GM Chris Wallace said.
                                ''He's not going to get that with us.''
                                Clack played for the Celtics in their
                                summer league, but not well enough to
                                warrant an invitation. ''He really needs
                                to work on getting his body in shape and
                                learning what his game is,'' Wallace said.
                                The Celtics would like Clack to play in
                                the new International Basketball League,
                                whose Baltimore franchise has his rights.
                                Another option is the Continental
                                Basketball Association. As of now, the
                                Celtics have 15 players on scholarship and
                                Rick Pitino may decide to leave it at
                                that. ''He's not a big believer in
                                bringing in players just to be in camp,''
                                Wallace said. Of those 15, however, two (
                                Greg Minor, Pervis Ellison) are potential
                                injury-list candidates ... Kenny Anderson
                                also showed up at the Wheelchair Games and
                                didn't seem all that upset about the loss
                                of Ron Mercer. (Maybe because it means
                                more shots for him?) ''I like our team
                                right now,'' said Anderson. ''What it does
                                for me is put more responsibility on me in
                                the backcourt. And I like that, because I
                                didn't feel I had that last year.'' (What
                                planet was he living on?) Anderson also
                                said Mercer ''was asking for X amount of
                                money and didn't do, you know, X amount of
                                work. It's kind of strange.'' Did he think
                                Mercer wanted out of Boston? ''I think so.
                                But you know, sometimes the grass isn't
                                greener on the other side. He's in Denver
                                now. What's the difference there? It's a
                                business thing, but did he re-sign with
                                them? No. Now you've got to play out a
                                season to get his money? It's a rough
                                situation. Now you've got him on a Nick
                                Van Exel -[ Antonio] McDyess team. I hope
                                it works out for him. I've got no gripes
                                or bad things to say about him. But
                                sometimes, being in the league long
                                enough, you learn the grass ain't greener
                                on the other side.'' ... As for former
                                Pitino favorite Bruce Bowen, he was in Las
                                Vegas working out with the Milwaukee
                                Bucks. He's been getting some one-on-one
                                attention and Milwaukee did lose Michael
                                Curry via free agency. Bowen also has
                                drawn interest from Seattle, Miami, New
                                York, and San Antonio, but agent Steve
                                Kauffman has yet to hear those magic
                                words: ''guaranteed contract.'' The Spurs
                                may decide to opt for Chucky Brown and
                                then there's a drought at small forward (
                                Shandon Anderson excepted). However, teams
                                like Orlando will be forced to make cuts,
                                further flooding the market. ''As far as
                                the supply/demand goes, the numbers look
                                bad,'' Kauffman said. ''It's really out of
                                whack. And it's not fun relating this to
                                my players.''

                               
                                Material from personal interviews, wire
                                service reports, other beat writers, and
                                league and team sources was used in
                                compiling this report.

                                This story ran on page F22 of the Boston
                                Globe on 09/12/99.
                                © Copyright 1999 Globe Newspaper Company.