RE: Wallace is bound for somewhere

["John Lyell" <jlyell@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

We need to take Portland's second rounder and take Charlie Villanueva or
Keith Bogans a scrappy defensive player

John



-----Original Message-----
From: owner-celtics@igtc.com [mailto:owner-celtics@igtc.com]On Behalf Of
Stephen Beauregard
Sent: Thursday, June 05, 2003 5:18 AM
To: celtics list
Subject: Wallace is bound for somewhere


CELTICS NOTEBOOK

Wallace is bound for somewhere


By Shira Springer, Globe Staff, 6/5/2003

HICAGO -- According to Warren LeGarie, the agent for Chris Wallace, the
Celtics' general manager should have a new job in another city sometime this
summer. A move could happen even before the NBA draft June 26.



Portland remains the most logical destination, given that Wallace is far
along
in the interview process with the Trail Blazers and once worked for the
team,
though Washington, Atlanta, and Charlotte also have been mentioned as
possibilities.

''Based on my instincts and my experience, my feeling is that Chris will be
someplace else by mid-summer,'' said LeGarie. ''Under the circumstances this
is a good thing with what he's had to endure there and go through. But at
the
same time he's still doing his daily duties, and [director of basketball
operations] Danny [Ainge] has voiced on more than one occasion his
reluctance
to let him go.''

Washington has not formally asked permission to talk with Wallace, but the
franchise is gathering information on him. The Celtics ownership has said
Wallace has permission to talk with any team interested in his services.

''At this moment, he's in a holding pattern until they [the Trail Blazers]
finish up some interviews with some other people,'' said LeGarie. ''Our
instincts are that they'll come back and he'll be one of the top two or
three
people that they want to talk again with. We see this process stretching out
to or near the draft. They're not in a hurry to bring anybody in prior to
the
draft.

''There is a history together. Chris once worked there [in Portland]. People
have re-emerged in the organization who were there when Chris was there
before. They liked what he did. They liked how thorough he is and how
prepared
and that he's a consensus-builder. They like the fact that he's able to get
information from a lot of different sources. They didn't have that luxury in
the last few years.''

Wallace, along with Ainge, director of player personnel Leo Papile, head
coach
Jim O'Brien, assistants John Carroll, Lester Conner, and Dick Harter, and
owner Steve Pagliuca are all at the NBA pre-draft camp. But Ainge admits it
has been hard to prepare for the draft with Wallace in the midst of a job
search.

''I wish that I knew Chris was 100 percent with us,'' said Ainge. ''That
would
be ideal. But more than anything I need to know [what's going to happen]. I
understand why it's going on and it has to happen this way. I think it will
probably all be resolved within a couple weeks. It isn't keeping me from
doing
what I need to do. I'm trying to get as much out of [Wallace] as I can, but
also you need to bounce ideas off your staff. I have Chris, but it's a
little
more difficult because you don't know if he's going to be with you in two
weeks.''

Staff work The Celtics have verbal agreements with all the assistants on
O'Brien's staff. As soon as the official paperwork is drawn up on the
three-year deals, Carroll, Conner, Harter, and Joe Gallagher are expected to
sign. A league source said that Harter and Carroll had generated interest
from
other teams as assistants.

''All the coaching staff [is done],'' said Ainge. ''I have not dealt with
the
scouting staff, the trainer, the doctor, the strength coach.''

Ainge plans to meet with trainer Ed Lacerte, team doctor Arnold Scheller,
and
strength coach Shaun Brown.

''With everybody, I really want to take each person's worth and value to our
franchise and analyze that and see if I can do better, just like I do with
the
players,'' said Ainge. ''Each situation needs to be discussed and figured
out
if everything's a fit.''

Getting the point? The Celtics admit they are in need of a true point guard,
but that doesn't mean Ainge is resigned to selecting one in the draft. But
among the point guards that Boston likes are Kansas's Kirk Hinrich, Oregon's
Luke Ridnour Louisville's Reece Gaines, and UNLV's Marcus Banks. Texas's
T.J.
Ford is an obvious choice, but the Celtics know he probably won't be around
at
No. 16. Of the point guards at the pre-draft camp, Ainge and his staff are
keeping a close eye on Alabama's Maurice Williams and Boston College's Troy
Bell.

''At 16, we may go big and at 20 go with a point guard because there's not a
certain one that's standing out,'' said Ainge. ''We could easily go point
guard at 20 and a 3, 4, or 5 man at 16. Or, depending on who it is, we may
grab a point guard at 16.''

Ainge said the Celtics ''anticipate'' keeping both picks as they are, though
he has had discussions about trading both picks to move up, trading both
picks
for future picks, or moving down with one pick.

''Most of the time, there's more talk than substance,'' said Ainge. ''I'm
right now focusing on the entire draft, just to be prepared so I know more
what we're talking about when we talk about trading down or trading up. But
I
anticipate we'll have 16 and 20.'' . . . There were a few surprise
appearances
at the pre-draft camp, including Lakers coach Phil Jackson, who usually has
a
prior engagement this time of year, and the University of Memphis coach John
Calipari.

Thanks,

Steve
sb@maine.rr.com

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