Re: Globe on Battie, Stith and Blount

["Berry, Mark S" <berrym@BATTELLE.ORG>]

You know, it's positively frightening that the key to this season is Tony
Battie. We wring our hands about Toine and Pierce and Kenny, but at least
you generally know what you're going to get from those guys (good and bad).
With Battie, you never know. I certainly hope he finds the consistency he's
been lacking, and maybe the responsibility of starting will be the push he
needs. I don't know... I just don't have much faith in the guy.

On the other hand, Mark Blount has me excited. Granted, my only look at him
was the Celts' one televised summer league game, but I think he's a
contributor this year--and Pitino's praise on the first day of camp
reinforces that. He's been dismissed as a "project" but I really think he's
more than that. The guy I saw was big, strong, fast and aggressive on the
defensive end. He tried to block every shot, and that's a mentality sorely
lacking in most of the Celts. And his skills seem perfectly suited to
Pitinoball. Is he an offensive threat? No, but neither is Theo Ratliff, and
I think Blount could develop into that kind of player.

Also, I think the Pitino praise of Blount is more than bluster. They've
flirted with trading Vitaly on a couple of occasions this summer (and may
still be talking about it), and I just don't believe they would have
entertained the idea without complete confidence that Blount could handle
major minutes.

Finally, here's Boston Sports Guy's take on Herren. Sounds promising:
"Herren plays a playground style, ala (Jason) Williams or Paul Westphal ...
shaky defense, to say the least ... gifted outside shooter with 25-foot
range (seriously) ... great open-court passer ... good handle ... could play
some 2-guard ... very close to Celts scout Leo Papile, who was pushing
Pitino to acquire an extra second-round pick so they could draft him in '99
... one of those guys who looks great in pickup games ... conditioning has
always been a problem for him (maybe a Pitino camp will help) ... injured
for most of last season in Denver ... has serious "late bloomer" potential
(ala Jon Barry).

Upside: Herren really is talented. He would have been a first-rounder if
teams weren't dubious of his reputation and work ethic. Supposedly he's
turned his life around. Considering that Boston wiggled out of Cal Cheaney's
2001-2002 salary, it wasn't a bad gamble. Bryant Stith was a throw-in;
Herren was the guy they wanted. 

Downside: Herren had a TON of problems over the years, most of them stemming
back to his high school days in Fall River and an aborted run at Boston
College (where he was rumored to be involved with drugs and bookmaking).
He's supposedly been clean (no drugs, no booze) for three years. Pitino and
Papile are concerned about Herren's friends from Fall River, a sketchy bunch
that helped bring him down when he attended BC. Then again, that was five
years ago. Considering they didn't give up anything, I think it was a great
gamble for the Celts. They really feel Herren can provide a boost off the
bench if stays clean.

(One other bonus: the Fleet Center will eat this kid up because he's fun to
watch. And it's a good story -- the troubled local kid makes good. I really
have a good feeling about this one.)