Be Leery Of Cleaves

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

- After the Greg Minor, Robert Parish, and Marcus Webb situations
do you really want another player on the Celtics connected
with spousal abuse?

- And as Bob Ryan notes in today's Globe: "There may not be one
player in the 2000 Final Four who will play in an NBA All-Star
Game. Oh, sure Mateen Cleaves will be in the NBA... but stardom
for them will be no guarantee."  

- Ryan who's referred to Cleaves in the past as a Ricky Sobers type,
reflects my view, that Cleaves is good - a solid NBA player, but not 
great. I don't see him in the same category, for instance, as Andre
Miller, but more of a long term solid pro, who will be ranked in the
second tier of point guards.

- The C's have to take the best player available in the draft
when it comes their turn to select, and that isn't Mateen Cleaves. 
They need to increase the talent level of their core group of 
players, as the higher the talent level - the better the chance of
competing for an NBA title. 
Ray