CELTICS DRAFT ALERT

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

This is an official Way Of The Ray Celtics Draft Alert with the
latest information on the Celtics drafting plans. More accurate
than Sportstalk, and free of charge to boot.

Where to begin... Where to begin.....

Let's start with the Celtics drafting plans. Sadly, it's
been revealed to me by a very reputable source,
(I say again: A very reputable source), the Celtics
don't plan on trading any of their draft picks to
move up in the draft. To me this is insane, because
it's always better to get one very good to great player,
than 3 solid players. But the Celtics really like the
talent available at their spots. They obviously do, because......

The talented Pau Gasol calls to them. Do the Celtics
love this guy or what? Yes, they do, in a considerable big
time affirmative way. So much so, that
Celtics coach Jim O'Brien actually flew out to Espana and
had a face to
face meeting with Gasol, after watching him in practice and
a playoff game. O'Brien is wowed by Gasol's intelligence
and skill level.  Gasol knows team basketball unlike many
twenty year olds, and as O'Brien will tell you, the Spaniard is very
big and skilled, with a terrific looking shot, and he can play
both forward positions, along with having excellent ball-handling
skills. He's the Lex Lugar of the draft world: the "Total Package".

But alas as it will be revealed in tomorrow's Peter May
article in the Globe,  the Celtics "are not inclined
to trade their two top picks to move up higher and get Gasol."

Boo hiss, I say. O'Brien, May, Reputable Source all emphasizing
the fact the team won't trade picks.  But as R.S. says: it's still too
early to speculate and they haven't even worked out everyone yet.
So, maybe they'll come to their senses.

Or maybe the talent available at 10, 11, and 21 is so good, that
it precludes the trading of draft picks.....

A possibility, as another Euro Big Man has entered the Celtics
sights: Vlad the Hoop Impaler Radmanovic.

There's eyewitness confirmation that Vlad had a near-Jordanesque
WOW level workout for the Rockets, tossing down 360 dunks
and burying three-pointers. Apparently, he's much more athletic
than the typical Euro player and appears capable of playing both
small forward and shooting guard at the NBA level. And the guy's
6-10 to boot! No wonder, the Celtic are loving their picks.
Of course, if Vlad's that good, the Land of Cleve and Detroit will
nab him before the C's, as they're both looking for a scoring
forward. But that just pushes someone else of quality
down, and the C's are quite taken with a lot of players in this
draft.

They even like point guard Will Solomon of Clemson.
For some intriguing reason, Solomon, who's barely mentioned
as possibly going in the second round by most Mock Drafts, is a
Celtics favorite. They've had him in for two workouts already and
O'Brien has mentioned his name as a candidate with
the other point guards.  Obviously, a Chris Wallace
sleeper special. But let's hope if they draft him, it's not at 21
but via a trade for a second round pick, as I can't imagine anyone
else selecting him in the first round.
Ray