C's Want Songaila To Go Quietly To Europe

[Way Of The Ray <wayray@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Songaila could throw a wrench into Wallace's plan,
by being cut at training camp, with the Celtics losing his rights.
After reading this, I once again state, they should have taken the
Argentinian guy....

http://www.boston.com/dailyglobe2/178/sports/Celtics_wait_their_turn_and_land_Songalia+.shtml

 Celtics wait their turn and land Songalia


By Shira Springer, Globe Staff, 6/27/2002

ALTHAM - For the Celtics, the 2002 NBA draft will go down as The Year of
the Long Wait. The selection process was 3 hours 8 minutes old before
deputy commissioner Russ Granik stepped to the podium at The Theatre in
Madison Square Garden and announced the Celtics' pick of Darius Songaila
at No. 50.

 Mercifully, Songaila had a name that was relatively easy to pronounce
compared with the other foreign-born players selected, and his game is
decidedly more familiar stateside since he played for Wake Forest and
prepped at the New Hampton School in New Hampshire.

Boston wanted a power forward or center who could develop overseas for a
couple of years, then come back and either make the roster or be part of
a transaction. The Celtics, however, don't have any commitment from
Songaila that he will play overseas. Last night Songaila planned to
attend training camp and try to make the team, despite the fact that
relatively few roster spots will be available.

If Songaila goes to training camp and gets cut, the Celtics lose his
rights, so they might try to dissuade him from showing up in the fall.

''I expected to get drafted anywhere and I did,'' said Songaila by
phone. ''It was a nice surprise [going to the Celtics]. They have a
great tradition. It's a great team. I'm looking forward to getting there
and seeing what I can do in the summer league. I hope to be in training
camp and make the team [this year]. I want to try to make the team right
now because that's my dream. I want to go there and give it my best
shot. I think I'm ready [for the NBA].''

Born in Lithuania and a member of the Lithuanian national team, the
6-foot-9-inch, 245-pound Songaila spent the last four years playing for
the Demon Deacons, leading them in scoring (17.9 points per game) and
rebounding (8.1 per game) his senior season. The 24-year-old power
forward was also named an honorable mention All-American as a senior and
represented Lithuania in the 2000 Sydney Olympics.

''He was one of the better players in the [Atlantic Coast Conference]
this year and he visited a number of teams from the late 20s in the
first round to the early second,'' said Celtics general manager Chris
Wallace. ''As happens with several other players, the draft just went
against him. He's a unique player because he has a high level of
American college experience and he's a four-year senior, but he's a
foreigner.

''He can step out and shoot from outside. He was doing a really good job
on his visits with his 3-point shooting at the NBA 3-point line, and
he's rugged and can rebound. He's tough. He's just a good basketball
player.''

Wallace made all the requisite complimentary comments after the
selection. He praised the experience and skill of Songaila. But truth be
told, little will be heard from or about Songalia this summer as the
draft fades into the background, save for his participation in the
summer league. The Celtics' focus now shifts fully to free agency; the
draft was merely a prelude to the real business at hand. Wallace has
said he would like to re-sign a number of the Celtics' free agents, but
the looming luxury tax threshold and the market for Rodney Rogers will
be big factors in the decision-making process.

With nine players holding guaranteed contracts for next season and a
payroll of $51.7 million, Wallace has his work cut out. The Celtics have
five free agents (Rogers, Erick Strickland, Walter McCarty, Mark Blount,
and Roshown McLeod), but the GM expects no more than 13 players on the
roster next season because of financial limitations. The luxury tax
threshold is expected to be around $53 million-$54 million.

In fact, money (or lack thereof) was the reason Boston was not
interested in a first-round selection and traded the No. 22 pick to
Phoenix in the deal that brought Rogers and Tony Delk to town.

''In an ideal dream world, we'd bring back three or four of our own
guys, but after Monday, we'll see what the other people have to offer,''
said Wallace. ''It looks like a tight free agent market out there this
summer, but it only takes one team. We definitely would not be the same
team [without Rogers]. It would take some scrambling to minimize his
departure. I prefer not to consider the scrambling part right now and do
what we can to get him signed.

''He'd like to stay here. He had a very positive experience here in
Boston. He enjoyed himself on and off the court. He sees where he can
fit in with this team. He got along well with everybody, from the
coaching staff through all the players. So there's no geographical,
style-of-play issue or playing time or any of that. He clearly
understands what he means to us and what type of role he could have in
the future.''

Talk about free agency was one of several signs that draft night 2002
was much different than draft night 2001. Since Boston had no pick in
the top 28, the atmosphere at the Celtics' training center was a
complete change from that of the 2001 draft, when they had three
first-round selections, including two in the lottery. Last year TNT
broadcast live from the Boston war room. Antoine Walker and Paul Pierce
attended. Red Auerbach left a trail of cigar smoke. Wallace and head
coach Jim O'Brien were ''ecstatic'' about Joe Johnson, Kedrick Brown,
and Joseph Forte.

Last night Wallace was simply satisfied and O'Brien did not attend the
draft. The wait-and-see attitude the Celtics used on draft night will be
the same one they adopt as Songaila develops.

''I know teams always tell you this, but we really didn't think he'd be
there at that point,'' said Wallace. ''We thought he'd go a little
earlier, but these drafts just drift off in meandering ways and
sometimes they work against players. There were just a lot of surprising
things in this draft.

''[Songaila] will be here for summer league. But as far as on the
roster, who knows? It's going to be a tight roster, 12 at most 13
players. We took our little shot with Darius [yesterday] and we'll see
what happens.''