CelticsScope Out Desert Classic

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

More and more it looks like the C's are going to ditch the
picks for a veteran or two. That's fine if it's Bibby or Shareef,
but they're likely to get the Brevin Knights of the world....

Celtics scour Desert for talent
by Mark Cofman
Wednesday, May 2, 2001


Chris Wallace, Jim O'Brien and Leo Papile yesterday embarked on their
first business trip since signing new contracts with the Celtics last
week. The trio, which will collaborate on all personnel moves in what
promises to be a hectic summer for the Celtics, traveled to Tempe,
Ariz., to evaluate talent at the Nike Desert Classic.

The Desert Classic is the second of three major post-collegiate
showcases for potential draft picks. And while the event is limited to
college seniors, it's of particular interest to the Celtics, who are
scheduled for at least two first-round picks and possibly a third in the
June draft.

``It's a relatively small percentage of quality players who we know for
certain will be available come draft night,'' said Papile, the Celtics'
director of player personnel. ``You can make educated guesses as to
which underclassmen and high school players are going to be in that
pool, but until the deadline (for players to declare for the draft on
May 13), you're not dealing in certainties about the quality and/or
depth of the draft.''

Until May 13, about the only certainty for NBA front offices planning
draft strategy is the pool of available college seniors. Yet with
underclassmen and high school hopefuls throwing their names in the draft
hat in increasing numbers during the past decade, the impact of college
seniors on the draft has been in steady decline.

``Even if the NBA were to implement an age limit on the draft (which has
been discussed by the league periodically), there would be a substantial
adjustment period before most of the seniors would be considered impact
players again,'' said Wallace, the Celtics' general manager. ``The
system, and the talent involved in the system, would require time to
regenerate.

``That would just be a natural development of years and years in which
the top end of the draft has been determined by underclassmen and in the
last 5-6 years, the high school players.''

Continuing that trend this season, Duke's Shane Battier could be
destined to be the only senior to hear his name called among the lottery
picks. But while seniors are no longer the heavy hitters in the lottery,
they do begin to surface more frequently in the middle and latter stages
of the first round. One of the Celtics' picks falls in that range.

The Celtics have their own pick (which, barring some lottery luck, would
be No. 10 overall), Phoenix' pick (No. 21) and the right to use Denver's
selection (No. 11) unless the Nuggets gain one of the first three picks
in the lottery. In that scenario, Denver can pull back the pick.
Otherwise, the Celtics could very well be looking at three rookies on
their roster next season.

Asked whether he preferred his team use all three picks or trade one or
more for veteran help, O'Brien said he was leaning in one direction but
would not divulge which. A good guess would be that O'Brien, who signed
a three-year contract as head coach after leading the Celtics to a 24-24
mark in an interim capacity, would prefer immediate help to players with
long-range potential. The Celtics, after all, got next to nothing from
first-round draft pick Jerome Moiso this past season. Veteran help would
likely serve a playoff run more effectively.

O'Brien has been working closely with Wallace and Papile on offseason
strategy, which is why he's on this trip. If there's a senior out there
who could help the Celtics, chances are the team's brain trust will know
by the end of this week. Open practice sessions for the Desert Classic
began yesterday and resume today at Arizona State's Wells Fargo Arena,
with tournament doubleheaders scheduled tomorrow through Saturday.