Kenny for Coleman; Papile/Wallace Wanted....

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

Kenny For Coleman?

Rick Bonnell - Charlotte Observer
http://www.charlotte.com/observer/sports/docs/bonnell0325.htm

Ex-Hornet Kenny Anderson has hinted he'd like to get traded because the
Celtics don't use him enough (Antoine Walker is Boston's primary
ball-handler as a "point forward"). The Celtics would happily move
Anderson, but there aren't a lot of takers for his salary - a total of
about $17million over two years. I wonder if a Derrick Coleman-Anderson
swap would work? Anderson would have to accept being Baron Davis' backup
in Charlotte.


Other Teams Amazingly Interested In Wallace and Papile
http://www.bostonherald.com/sport/basketball/cside03252001.htm


Papile, Wallace get looks
by Steve Bulpett
Sunday, March 25, 2001



You're not the only ones finding the Celtics more interesting these
days. Other employers are taking a look at some Shamrock people.

Director of player personnel Leo Papile discussed the Northeastern
University head coaching position with a member of the Huskies'
hierarchy this week, while general manager Chris Wallace has drawn the
attention of the Denver Nuggets, who will likely have a similar position
open when the club decides what to do with coach-president Dan Issel.

Papile, who also coaches the BABC AAU team, confirmed the interview, but
said no job was offered.

``At this point in time, no,'' he said when asked if he'd be interested
should an offer come. ``We talked about the job and we also talked about
some other candidates, but right now I really want to stay with what
we're doing here and see it through. We're at a critical point right now
with the three first-round draft picks coming up this summer. I wouldn't
want to make any changes before we see this through to the level of
success we're looking for.''

The Nuggets aren't ready to make a move on Wallace, who's contract runs
out this summer, or anyone now. What is known is that he has a good
relationship with new Nuggets owner Stan Kroenke.




PRO HOOPS: NBA isn't picking on the Celtics
http://www.ledger.southofboston.com/display/inn_sports/sports05.txt

By MIKE FINE
The Patriot Ledger

It's somewhat amusing that the same people who complain that the Boston
Celtics have been on a tailspin for the last decade also want to know
why the league is picking on their players.


The argument came to a head this week when Paul Pierce failed to receive
NBA Player of the Week honors after back-to-back 42-point games last
week in Los Angeles and Phoenix.


Houston's Cuttino Mobley received the honor instead. Mobley didn't score
as many points as Pierce, but he was steadier after Pierce came in with
a 14-point effort at Denver. Mobley also had more rebounds and assists,
and reportedly held his opponents to fewer points than Pierce's. The
Rockets went 3-0, the Celtics 2-1.


Celtics coach Jim O'Brien was indignant, just as he was when Antoine
Walker didn't make the All-Star Team. Perhaps he should have been in
that case, but to suggest that there's some kind of vendetta against the
Celtics is baloney.


The roots of this argument might lie in the glorious history of the
team, with its eight straight titles in the 50s and 60s, 16 overall, its
dominance in the 80s and, perhaps as much as anything, Red Auerbach's
continual bamboozling of many other GMs throughout the league.


In the early 80s, when the New York Knicks were trying to lure Kevin
McHale away, the Celtics presented offer sheets to several Knicks
players, forcing the Knicks to re-sign them, breaking their budget and
keeping them from signing McHale.


So when Len Bias died of a cocaine overdose two days after being drafted
by the Celtics in 1986, the Celtics were stonewalled. With Knicks
management leading the way, NBA owners denied the Celtics any
compensation – in the form of draft picks, or whatever – for their loss.



When Reggie Lewis died in 1993, ditto. No compensation. Nothing.


Yet, since then, owners have reversed themselves. Any major injury to
any player, such as Alonzo Mourning this season with the Miami Heat, now
calls for some form of recompense. If a player dies, there are rules now
in place to help a team replenish the loss.


Should the Celtics suggest the league has it in for them on matters such
as All-Star selections and Players of the Week? Come on.


The Celtics have pretty much stunk the last decade. Even when a player
might have had a good week, another team's player had a better one.
"Every week we pick one (player), and we get three people upset," said
NBA VP Brian McIntyre.


It's one of those things, but the days of vendettas have long passed. So
get over it.

STANFORD NOTEBOOK
Jason Collins Likely Leaving

Mark Fainaru-Wada    Saturday, March 24, 2001

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/chronicle/archive/2001/03/24/SP233886.DTL

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------




Anaheim -- Stanford center Jason Collins will make himself eligible for
this summer's NBA Draft if he is projected as a first-round pick,
according to a source familiar with the team.

Collins already has said his decision about whether to leave Stanford
would be impacted largely by his predicted standing in the draft, but
the source all but said Collins is headed for the NBA.

The 7-foot, 260-pound center is on schedule to graduate in May, but he
could stick around for two more seasons because injuries forced him to
miss most of his first two years.

"I haven't given a lot of thought to what I'm gonna do next year,"
Collins said.

Sophomore forward Casey Jacobsen said yesterday there was almost a sense
of urgency surrounding this team given that it has three senior starters
(Ryan Mendez, Michael McDonald and Jason's twin brother, Jarron), plus
the possibility of Jason Collins leaving. And when pressed whether he
figured Jason wouldn't be back, Jacobsen said, "I will answer that
question honestly after the season, but right now I'm not gonna comment
on that."

Jason Collins, who has been a dominant factor in the Cardinal's three
NCAA Tournament victories, figures to be a first-round NBA selection --
though a recent Los Angeles Times mock draft of all possible prospects
put him on the bubble.

"He has said that if he's a first-rounder, he'd owe it to himself to
come out," said the source.