All up - all down

[Eggcentric@xxxxxxx]

This is our team folks, the team we will remain loyal to no matter
what product they put on the floor or no matter how much they raise 
the ticket prices.

This is our team folks, which after a pleasantly uplifting performance 
by a few of our summer warriors last evening, has some fans now 
actually worrying about who we will protect in the expansion draft since 
our team is suddenly so deep.  There is even speculation among some 
loyal diehards that Lenny Cooke is purposely being hidden (instead of 
being immediately signed) so as to not expose his true talents to the 
enemy vultures.  And then there is the cruel lingering hope that the gutsy
Hunter will somehow find a way on to our roster. 

It has been announced that the Celts will not owe a green sou in luxury 
tax for the past season.  Black comedy indeed after all that scrimping. 
Such a saving has apparently caused great euphoria, at least enough
to allow Pagliuca/Ainge to up their offer by a few hundred thousand 
dollars to Walter to appease nose-out-of-joint Obie for chintzing out 
on Obie's #1 FA choice, Erick Strickland.  

Re-sign Walter and that would bring our 2003-04 roster to thirteen.  
But if all goes well, and Sundov and Baker do not remain with our team, 
Walter would only bring our roster to eleven.

Enter #12 and #13 - John Wallace and Mike Batiste?

Out of all the available FA's, are you a bit curious how we came up with 
these particular two roster fillers?  Tweener forward Wallace couldn't 
find employment in the NBA last season, and tweener Batiste was never 
drafted by an NBA team.  He was drafted 79th overall in the 2000 ABA 
Draft, and will be 26 yrs. old come Nov. He played in Belgium, then Italy, 
and last year in Memphis where he averaged 16.6 mpg,  6.4 ppg, .422 FG%, 
.222 3P%, 3.4 rpg.  He has a nice baseline jumper.

It appears that Papile's newest bestest buddy, Jerry West, would prefer 
chump change or a future 2nd rounder to Batiste and his cap-shattering 
$615,000 salary.  
  
Eggy