C's Load Up On Veterans For Summer League

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

Haywoode Workman, if he has anything left, is a name you should
keep an eye on. A very good back-up point guard and sometime
starter in his day....

Old story for Celts: Go veteran route at Shaw's
by Mark Cofman
Boston Herald - Monday, July 17, 2000


The Celtics open their second annual Shaw's Pro Summer League at
UMass-Boston today looking for a few good men. A few good experienced
men.

The Celts' league roster is heavy on players with professional
experience at the minor league or European levels. Of the eight NBA
teams that will participate in the weeklong event at Clark Athletic
Center, the host's roster appears the oldest. That's by design.

``There was a very limited pool of undrafted players that we were
interested in this year,'' said Celtics general manager Chris Wallace,
who put his team's squad together with coach Rick Pitino and director of
scouting Leo Papile.

``Last year, we leaned a bit more toward bringing in a cross-section of
younger guys, but right now we would prefer to focus our efforts on
evaluating some of the older guys who are available.''

The Celts' preference for age and experience over youth and potential
this summer is understandable. Pitino and Wallace have set their sights
on ending the team's five-year playoff drought in 2000-01, so the last
thing the Celts need is to get any younger.

``We set up (the roster) with that approach in mind,'' said Wallace.
``We felt that if a certain player hoping to earn a job had NBA
experience or high-level CBA or European experience, we were more
inclined to see what he could offer over the pool of college players who
weren't selected (in the draft).''

Among those fitting Wallace's profile on the Celtics' squad are former
Indiana Pacers point guard Haywoode Workman; shooting guard Roberto
Bergersen, a former Boise State star who played for Idaho in the CBA
last year; power forward Mark Blount, a Pitt product who played for
Trenton in the IBL last year; center Kevin Salvadori, a former North
Carolina star who played two years with Sacramento; and point guard
David Vanterpool and swingman Silas Mills, both from CBA champion
Yakima. Mills was the CBA's MVP last year.

Adrian Griffin, the Celtics' most significant find of last year's
inaugural summer league, also was a swingman who had won the CBA's MVP
award for the league-champion Connecticut Pride before making his mark
with the Celtics.

Meanwhile, former Texas swingman Kris Clack will return to the Celtics
squad for another shot. Clack was the team's lone pick in the 1999
draft, but after playing on the summer team, the second-rounder never
made it to Celts training camp. He played with San Diego in the IBL last
season.cw-2

The C's experience-oriented squad, which also includes regular roster
member Tony Battie, does have a couple of noteworthy rookies. Power
forward Jerome Moiso, the team's first-round pick from UCLA, is expected
to play the first four days before going to France to attend a cousin's
wedding.cw0

Moiso's college teammate, JaRon Rush, also will play for the Celtics.
Rush, projected as a shooting guard, became a free agent after he was
passed over in the draft.