Pervis Raring To GO

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

      Boston Herald
      Forgotten Ellison achin' to play
      by Mark Cofman 
      Wednesday, September 15, 1999
      Pervis Ellison was considered a franchise player when he was selected 
      first overall in the 1989 NBA draft. A decade later, injuries have 
      derailed the 6-foot-10 center's once-promising career and made him a 
      forgotten man around the league.
      Ellison would like to change that as he enters the final season of a 
      six-year contract with the Celtics. Sidelined all of last season after 
      undergoing right ankle surgery, he has worked out regularly at HealthPoint 
      in Waltham this summer. Ellison is healthy and optimistic he can 
      contribute once again.
      ``I've been doing a lot of conditioning drills, working on technique with 
      the coaching staff and playing halfcourt (pickup) games with teammates,'' 
      he said yesterday. ``The ankle has held up well. Right now it feels 
      good.''
      That clears a major hurdle for Ellison, who has appeared in just 39 
      regular-season games the past three years. As always, injuries have been 
      the stumbling block. The Celtics have gotten so used to life without 
      Ellison they make seasonal plans assuming he's unavailable.
      ``It's tough because you know if you're healthy you're capable of helping 
      the team,'' said Ellison, who averaged 20 points and 10 rebounds per game 
      in 1991-92, far and away his best NBA season. ``I've obviously spent a lot 
      of time hurt in my career, but I'd still like to think I could make a 
      positive contribution here. Hopefully it will happen this year.
      ``I think coach (Rick) Pitino sums up my status best. He says I'm a wild 
      card.''
      Translated, Pitino is not counting on Ellison, having restructured his 
      frontcourt during the offseason to add depth and flexibility. Ellison's 
      presence on the roster would be a bonus, giving the Celtics an insurance 
      policy up front. He was once one of the league's best off-the-ball 
      defenders. The instincts are still intact.
      ``Defense would definitely be considered my strength at this stage,'' said 
      Ellison. ``This is a young team and I could provide some veteran 
      experience off the bench. But I'm not thinking along the lines of how I 
      fit in or what kind of production I could offer because that's looking too 
      far ahead. I'm taking this whole thing one day at a time.''
      One can hardly blame him. He has never made it through a full 82-game 
      schedule in his career. Only once has he played in as many as 70 games. 
      That was nine years ago.
      Ellison experienced serious knee problems over the next five years, 
      eventually undergoing surgery on both. When his knees were finally sound 
      again in 1996-97, he was shelved for a season by a fractured big toe. His 
      ankle surgery last year was just the latest chapter in the NBA's 
      longest-running medical drama. The final chapter, he hopes.
      ``I started rehabbing the ankle about six weeks after the surgery,'' said 
      Ellison, operated on for ligament damage a week before Christmas. ``I've 
      gotten all the way back to the point where I'm here (at HealthPoint) on a 
      daily basis preparing myself for training camp.
      ``(Training camp) is when you really begin to get yourself into basketball 
      condition and prepared for the regular season. Right now, with training 
      camp a few weeks away, I'm only concerning myself with staying healthy. 
      That's the only issue that matters right now.''