Fine: C's Must Take Step Upward

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

http://www.ledger.southofboston.com/display/inn_sports/sports04.txt

PRO HOOPS: Celtics must be set to take a major step next season


By MIKE FINE
The Patriot Ledger

Are the Boston Celtics heading in the right direction? At a time when
young teams never, ever win, the lotterybound - for the sixth straight
year - Celtics apparently are about to head into the NBA draft with each
of their three firstround picks intact. Celtics player personnel
director Leo Papile said he's impressed with the current crop of draft
eligibles, most of the good ones being underclassmen.


For years, really good early entries have been few and far between. For
every Kevin Garnett, Tracy McGrady and Kobe Bryant, there's a Jerome
Moiso or a Kris Clack, both recent Celtics draftees. The Los Angeles
Clippers for years have been making their bed with youngsters, since
veterans don't want anything to do with them, and they've been the
laughingstock of the league. Every NBA champion has gotten to that point
with a strong group of accomplished veterans.


Papile said the Celtics have a good group of veterans, but for each of
his five seasons, Antoine Walker has been criticized, justifiably, for
not focusing in on the team's needs. He often doesn't seem to get it, an
unveteranlike state of mind. Paul Pierce will be a fourthyear player. Or
are we talking about Kenny Anderson and Vitaly Potapenko? Is this the
veteran nucleus?


The Celtics are up against it, of course. Their three picks, expected to
be 10, 11 and 21 depending on the final order determined in Sunday's
lottery, aren't exactly going to fetch a Scottie Pippen or a Dirk
Nowitzki in return, no matter how deep the draft might be.


Plus, the Celtics don't have enough cap room to allow them to attract a
major free agent. Nor will owner Paul Gaston be held hostage to the new
luxury tax.


The Celtics think they have the coaching staff that can get through to a
group of young players. We got a taste of it last season when Rick
Pitino left, and Jim O'Brien had the patience to stick with and reach
his youngsters.


There's one other thing they have in their favor: brain trust. GM Chris
Wallace and Papile know what they're doing. More than once they made
perfectly good suggestions to the former team leader, who vetoed their
ideas. One of the players he chose over their suggestions was Calbert
Cheaney, for instance.


Wallace has years of NBA experience, boosting his career immensely when
he worked for Pat Riley in Miami. One of his finds: Bruce Bowen.


Papile has been coaching at lower levels, including the early CBA, for
30 years. With his involvement in AAU ball, he's been onto young players
since their high school days. Talking about a trip to Los Angeles to
view young players next week, he called it "a waste of my time," because
he's seen them all play so many times. Papile knows talent.


The Celtics must take a major step next season. It's time. Six straight
appearances at the NBA draft lottery are unacceptable for a team such as
this. A seventh is unthinkable. Perhaps if O'Brien can get through to
Walker, and truly get him to understand his role, if Pierce can continue
what was a great second half of last season, and if several other
elements can come together, perhaps the brain trust of this team can,
indeed, find some strong youngsters to flesh out the lineup.


Just pardon those of us who have a healthy degree of skepticism