Murphy - C's have plenty of draft options

[Eggcentric@xxxxxxx]

 ``If I had to list this with some sort of priority, I'd say someone who 
can play on the wing opposite Paul, a one (point guard), five (center) 
and four (power forward), but we'll take whichever one of the best is 
available,'' said Ainge, who has the 16th and 20th picks in the first 
round." -Ainge
 
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C's have plenty of draft options

by Mark Murphy
Thursday, June 19, 2003

Priorities, priorities.


If you're Celtics management, the prime challenge right now is making 
one, with next Wednesday's NBA draft rapidly approaching.

You've been impressed by everyone from Boston College guard Troy Bell 
to Louisville's Reece Gaines in this year's deep point guard field.

North Dakota power forward Jerome Beasley was good enough during his 
workout that you've asked him to come back a second time. Ditto for 
Arizona's Luke Walton.

But the options are too broad to list. Centers and small forwards have 
caught your attention, too. The bottom line is that your team needs 
scoring options, from whatever spot on the floor is available on the 
draft board.

In short, beyond Paul Pierce and the shooting guard slot, next week's 
draftees could fill any of the other four positions.

``Could it be a scorer to play opposite Paul Pierce on the wing? It 
sure could,'' said Danny Ainge, the Celtics director of basketball 
operations who, after a busy month of workouts, started the tough 
process of whittling the list this week.

Though common wisdom has Ainge, coach Jim O'Brien, general manager 
Chris Wallace and chief scout Leo Papile combing the bushes for a point 
guard and a rebounding big man, the actual breakdown is far more 
complex.

``If I had to list this with some sort of priority, I'd say someone who 
can play on the wing opposite Paul, a one (point guard), five (center) 
and four (power forward), but we'll take whichever one of the best is 
available,'' said Ainge, who has the 16th and 20th picks in the first 
round.

The upcoming free agent market will be just as important, especially 
regarding point guard help. Ownership has given Ainge permission to use 
the team's mid-level salary cap exception if a player of maximum-level 
quality drops down due to an anticipated cold market.

Though this year's draft crop is the deepest in memory at the point 
guard position, Ainge may overlook the whole bunch.

``I'm prepared to go the free agent route on point guards,'' he said. 
``We won't draft a wing player just to draft a wing player. Point guard 
is going to be the easiest and deepest position in the free agent 
market. There's a lot of (impending free agent point guards) that we 
really like.''

That said, the Celtics were impressed not only by Bell's private 
workout, but also by his workout at the NBA's pre-draft camp in 
Chicago, where he was one of the highest-graded point guards in 
physical conditioning.

They also like St. Joseph's point guard Jameer Nelson - another 
standout in Chicago - though Nelson hasn't traveled for private 
workouts due to financial constraints. Gaines, who could be long gone, 
is also a favorite.

But there is clearly so much more to choose from right now. The 
Celtics, like a number of other teams ahead of them on the draft board, 
want to bring back Beasley for a second workout. Illinois power forward 
Brian Cook, the son of former Celtic Norm Cook, impressed them with his 
shooting, as did Viktor Khryapa, a 6-foot-9 Russian who had a good 
workout as a shooting small forward.

They were also fans of Sofoklis Schortsanitis, a 6-9, 18-year-old Greek 
known as ``Baby Shaq'' who lived up to his reputation as a raw, 
powerful rebounder.

But with 15 more players due in for workouts, including a number of 
second-look candidates, the whittling process is far from over.

``We're in the process of crossing names off,'' said Ainge. ``But we 
already have a good feel for what's out there. It's not as if workouts 
are going to make or break the guy.''