Bulpett: C's now considering signing El-Amin

[CeltsSteve@AOL.com]

El-Amin opens up C's eyes

by Steve Bulpett

Thursday, July 19, 2001

The Celtics claimed there was no room at the inn for outsiders trying to find
a job with the club during this summer league week, but they may be
reconsidering that position.Despite the fact the point guard list swelled to
three with yesterday's signing of Milt Palacio (Kenny Anderson and Randy
Brown are already in the fold for two more years apiece), Khalid El-Amin may
yet find work in Boston.Player personnel director Leo Papile is strong on the
idea of bringing the 5-foot-10 former UConn star to camp, and El-Amin's
representative isn't frightened by the crowded point.

``Khalid's good in those situations,'' said agent Rob Metcalf. ``He's the
kind of kid who pitches better with the bases loaded. The more times people
say he can't do something, he'll step up and rise to the occasion.''

Papile took the analogy to a different sport when discussing El-Amin.

``He's the Doug Flutie of point guards,'' Papile said. ``He just needs
somebody to believe in him.''

Given 25 minutes in Tuesday's game against Washington at the Shaw's Pro
Summer League at UMass-Boston, El-Amin responded with 16 points on 7-for-13
shooting and earned the praise of coach Jim O'Brien. It was a nice step for a
guy who began last season as Chicago's starting point and ended up being
released. Papile sees this is a good chance to pick off another plum.

``A year ago, we had a similar conversation about Mark Blount,'' he said.
``People were surprised at the depth of our interest. Well, at that time I
think we used the term that it was like the commissioner awarding us a bonus
first-round pick. If anyone examines that one year later, they would say
that's been validated when you look at some of the big men who went in the
first round.``This kid (El-Amin) was the 34th overall pick last year, but if
he'd stayed in school he would have moved up a half dozen or so spots. He
could have very easily been the first point guard taken in this year's draft.
So this is the second year in a row we could have the opportunity to get a
bonus first-round pick without having to give the three-year money commitment
that a first-rounder gets. It's like a gift.''

A gift that could work in both directions.

``Yeah, I definitely think it would be a great fit,'' Metcalf said. ``Khalid
loves the Boston market. He loves the East Coast atmosphere of big-time
basketball. And it's a neat situation because you have a lot of young
athletic players who can score points, and now you just need to find somebody
who can break down defenses and get these guys the ball in a position to
score. And if they don't leave to help, Khalid can finish. He can make
buckets. That's an attractive thing that the Celtics like about him. Now
whether or not this works for their roster situation, who knows? But I think
it would be good for Khalid to come back here and play for a coaching staff
that he feels very comfortable with.``There's other teams that have interest
in Khalid that we're talking to, but I think this is a matter of whether or
not Boston has an interest in a guy that's come here and demonstrated what
kind of a worker he is and how productive he can be.''

Metcalf spoke with the Celts before the draft and was encouraged for his
client when the C's didn't take a point guard.

``I think it'd be hard to walk away from a guy like Khalid,'' he said,
``especially when you have such a young team and you could really start
something special here with some real young talent that could be together for
a long time.''

CeltsSteve

Bill Russell recently paid Havlicek the ultimate compliment, when he said
that if he were choosing up sides in an imaginary pickup game with all the
players in history, that John Havlicek would be his first pick.