C's May Not Use Denver Pick Says Issel

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

http://www.denverpost.com/Stories/0,1002,90%257E21916,00.html

First-round pick now less attractive to Celtics

By Marc J. Spears
Denver Post Sports Writer

Sunday, April 15, 2001 - SAN ANTONIO - Now that the Boston Celtics
officially are out of the NBA playoffs, they may have boosted the Denver
Nuggets' hopes of keeping a first-round draft pick.
The Nuggets gave up a first-round pick in a six-player trade with Boston
that brought high-scoring guard Ron Mercer to Denver on Aug. 3, 1999.

It seemed likely the Celtics would use Denver's first-round pick this summer
if they made the playoffs. But now that Boston has a lottery pick of its
own, Nuggets coach Dan Issel said his club's high pick might be safe.

"If it goes by the numbers, we would have the 11th pick and they would have
their own, which would be the 10th pick," Issel said. "I would say now the
chances of them taking it are less than if they made the playoffs and our
pick was 11th and their pick was 14. Then there was a chance they would have
taken it. But now that they have the 10th pick, the chances are better.

"They can still take 10, and have 10 and 11. But since they have the 10th
pick and given how tough the West is, they might pass this year and think
they can get a better pick from us next year."

While the odds are stacked against it happening, the Nuggets' first-round
pick this summer is protected if it is among the top three determined by the
May 20 lottery. Also, the Nuggets couldobtain a conditional first-round pick
from Orlando as well as a pick from Cleveland or Phoenix from another trade.
The Nuggets, however, owe Utah a first-round pick from another trade.