Re: Randy

[David A Wickerham <aw623@freenet.buffalo.edu>]

Don't wax too poetic.  I seem to remember Brown playing with the Bulls
last year, and him doing nothing to stop us (Hoiberg and Kukoc were the
guys that embarassed us.  I don't think he's a bad pickup, but he won't
make any difference in our final record and he won't beat out Anderson.
Remember, at several times last year, Kenny was our only reliable outside
shooter.

Brown is a career backup.  I hope we don't end up regretting the $8
Million we have invested in him.

****dave

On Thu, 3 Aug 2000, Jim Meninno wrote:

> Randy Brown?  Wasn't that Hugh Grant's hooker?  Anyway, we've had the Herald 
> version.  Now here's the Globe's scoop on our newest Celtic.  I like a lot 
> of what we're hearing.  Tough nosed defender.  Vocal, veteran team leader.  
> He should make a big difference to the second unit, and in the locker room 
> as well.  I wouldn't expect Kenny to see much time at the end of close games 
> (I wonder how he'll react to that?), and I wouldn't expect Dana to see much 
> time at all.
> 
> Jim
> 
> -----------------------------------------------------------------------
> The price and player were finally right for the Celtics, who reached an 
> agreement with free agent point guard Randy Brown yesterday afternoon. 
> According to coach and team president Rick Pitino, the sides have ''agreed 
> in principle and all that remains to be done now is the physical and the 
> signing of the contract.''
> 
> Brown's agent Mark Bartelstein simply said, ''Yes, we have a deal'' and 
> relayed the terms.
> 
> For a deal worth $7.5 million over three years, the Celtics receive a player 
> praised for his toughness, defensive skills, and leadership ability. Brown 
> will earn the mid-level exception of $2.25 million this year and he will 
> hold the option for the third year.
> 
> Brown, 32, will arrive in Boston this morning; the team will formally 
> announce the deal at a press conference today. ''I am pretty excited,'' said 
> Brown from Chicago, where he was born and raised and won three world 
> championships with the Bulls. ''It's started to sink in a little bit now. I 
> finally got a chance to sit down and make a few phone calls. ... It's been 
> on the table for a while. We've had numerous discussions with Boston as well 
> as Milwaukee and some other teams. But the Boston became attractive because 
> of playing under coach Pitino. He just said some things that it was quite 
> clear they were ready to break through.
> 
> ''I was looking at basically team situations. I thought Boston, Milwaukee, 
> Phoenix, those teams, would be a good idea for me because I could come in 
> and help their second units. Being with Boston, they have a younger group 
> and I feel like I can come in and add some leadership qualities ... They're 
> a couple of games away from being a playoff team and I wanted to be a part 
> of that.''
> 
> >From conversations with Pitino and Celtics general manager Chris Wallace, 
> Brown understands he will be the backup point guard. He plans to relieve 
> starter Kenny Anderson. After playing on the Bulls when they were champions 
> as well as when they struggled to win, Brown believes he can help guide the 
> Celtics.
> 
> Despite minor arthroscopic surgery on both ankles last summer and a case of 
> turf toe that sidelined him for a portion of last season, Brown tries to 
> keep his 6-foot-2-inch, 191-pound frame in top condition. Last season, Brown 
> started 55 of the 59 games he played and averaged 27.5 minutes, 2.4 
> rebounds, 3.4 assists, and 6.4 points per contest.
> 
> But perhaps the best indication about how Brown prefers to play the game was 
> demonstrated in the manner he injured his toe last year: He tried to dunk 
> over Shaquille O'Neal and was promptly slammed to the ground. ''I'm a hard 
> working basketball player, but not a smart one,'' Brown said.
> 
> ''It's hard to get a professional athlete to put his ego aside for the team 
> and ever since coming to the Chicago Bulls I've done that. I've put my 
> basketball stats aside to better the basketball team. I thought with Boston, 
> it was a perfect situation. The guys are ready to win. I think they're 
> hungry to win. By me coming in and trying to do the little things, it always 
> works out. Hopefully, from the second unit, it will rub off on everybody.''
> 
> Brown has played the same summer league team as fellow Celtic Chicago native 
> Antoine Walker. And the point guard hopes his years in the NBA will benefit 
> Walker and Paul Pierce.
> 
> ''The most important thing I'd stress to them is to have the confidence to 
> win every game,'' said Brown. ''We're going to be in position where we can 
> win every game. That's the attitude we have to take on the court. We're 
> going to have to have to do it as a team. We're going to win as a team. 
> We're going to lose as a team. Once they realize that, basketball is going 
> to become fun.''
> 
> Pitino may also have a future member of the coaching fraternity in his 
> lineup. When his playing days are finished, Brown would like to coach and 
> views Pitino as a mentor.
> 
> ''I was more than happy to give him that [third-year] option,'' said Pitino. 
> ''One of my goals with Randy is to groom him as a coach.''
> 
> But until he permanently takes a sideline position, Brown will lead from the 
> point.
> 
> ''We don't have anybody who epitomizes what I call a leader, who has the 
> virtues of a leader,'' said Pitino. ''Someone who when times are tough, 
> stands up. When times are great, doesn't embrace it. ... The coaching staff 
> loved him in Chicago. If you don't do things the right way, the coaches 
> aren't going to have to let the players know it.
> 
> ''That's one thing we're void of here. All great teams, if you do something 
> incorrectly, certain players are going to say, `No, you can't do that.'''
> 
> But today, it will be one big ''yes'' from Brown and smiles from the 
> Celtics.
> 
> This story ran on page E3 of the Boston Globe on 8/3/2000.
> © Copyright 2000 Globe Newspaper Company.
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-----------------------------------------------------------------
	  Dave Wickerham
	  aw623@freenet.buffalo.edu
	  Saratoga Springs, NY