Peter May: Cap Going Up - Celtics Start Off Easy

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

By the way, the NBA sent out a directive last week, informing teams of
several figures, the most prominent of which is the early estimate for
next year's salary cap. As of now, it is projected to rise to $42.7
million next season, an increase of almost 20 percent. (The Celtics will
still be over.) The maximum starting salary for players in years 1-6
rose from $9 million to $9.658 million and for players at the second
level from $11 million to $11.589 million. The maximum starting salary
for players with 10 or more years remains at $14 million.

The good news


While it's still way too early to project anything for the upcoming
season, a quick glance at the Celtics schedule is revealing. Seventeen
of their first 25 games are at the FleetCenter and here are some of the
opponents: Detroit, Toronto, Washington, Atlanta, Houston, Vancouver, LA
Clippers, Denver, and Chicago. They have a decent shot to go no worse
than 10-5 in November, and one might suggest they have to go no worse
than 10-5 given what lies ahead. In other words, we might know by
mid-December what sort of season they are going to have.