May Says Minor Moves

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

http://www.sportingnews.com/nba/teams/celtics/

Upper roster set, but minor moves may still occur
SEPTEMBER 7, 2000

Peter May
TSN

The Celtics roster may be set, at least at the top, but the team is
still open to tinkering with the middle and lower levels.

Especially if it can save some money, which now seems to be as much of a
driving force as talent.

The latest possible deal to emerge is with Denver, a frequent trading
partner of the Rick Pitino Celtics. Boston would send Calbert Cheaney
and newly acquired Robert Pack to the Nuggets for Bryant Stith and Chris
Herren.

The appeal for the Celtics would be dumping Cheaney, who has two years
left on the three-year, $6.6 million deal that Pitino bestowed upon him
last year. The other three players are in the final year of their
contracts. However, there is a moratorium in place on dealing Pack, who
came to Boston last month.

He cannot be dealt for 60 days, meaning that if the deal does go down,
the new players would miss most of training camp. Pitino is a stickler
and a big believer in training camp and the benefits therein, so that
might be enough to quash the trade.

The Celtics had an interest in Herren earlier this summer when they were
trying to work a deal to acquire Tariq Abdul-Wahad. Herren is a
Massachusetts native and was one the state's more celebrated high school
stars. . . .

Pitino, meanwhile, surfaced to do a live chat on NBA.com this week and
mostly fielded softball questions about the team and the upcoming
season. He acknowledged what everyone knows: that defense will continue
to be the team's top priority, that they are young and need to take
advantage of that youth and that newcomer Randy Brown is being counted
on to be a locker room leader.

No one asked him what most people are thinking: that Ralph Nader has a
better chance of being elected president than Pitino does of walking
away from $20-plus million if the team continues to spin its wheels.

The coach/president did say, however, that if he could have one player
on his team, he'd take Tim Duncan, not Shaquille O'Neal. Of course, the
prospect of coaching Duncan in a Boston uniform, along with $50 million,
is what prompted him to leave Kentucky for the Celtics more than three
years ago.

PLAYER ANALYSIS

One player the Celtics like may not be around this season. But that's
fine with them. Josip Sesar is a sharpshooting swingman who has played
professionally in Croatia the last four years. He can shoot 3-pointers
and is an excellent percentage shooter from both the field and the
free-throw line.

He also can drive to the basket and last season spent time in the
backcourt focusing more on playmaking, tripling his assist total from
the previous season. Sesar is only 22 and the Celtics aren't in any
hurry to bring him here. They have a crowded roster and his strengths
are not what the Celtics need. They need defenders.

Still, he's an intriguing prospect who may, some day, make it across the
pond.

WHAT'S NEXT

The Celtics still might add a player or two to their camp roster, which
now is 15 and counting. One possibility is Kris Clack, the team's second
round draft pick in 1999. He had a solid summer league, lost weight, and
plays a position (off guard) which Pitino feels needs some depth.