'01 draft revisited and O'Brien's culpability

[Tammo29@xxxxxxx]

> remember Chris Wallace supposedly liked Tony Parker and then didn't take
him
> for some strange reason. Maybe he bluffed himself out.... -  DJessen33>
>


>>Red and Wallace were at different poker games that night.

>>CeltsSteve


Excuses.

They conveniently blame Auerbach for the Forte pick, but yet Jim O'Brien was
on record BEFORE the draft saying he loved Forte but didn't think he would be
around at 21.  Then after the draft he gushed about how thrilled he was to be
able to get him.

    "From Red Auerbach, Chris Wallace, Leo Papile to my
     coaching staff, Joe Forte was a player we coveted.''

      Wallace also said it was between Forte and Parker.  ``Tony Parker was
the No.   1- ranked point guard on our list, but we made a
       decision to take the best player on the board. That's how Red Auerbach
and
       Jerry West did it and that's good enough for us.''
       Wallace envisions ''seeing him play some minutes at the point next
season.''



Then there's this:
        **Celtics: According to the Boston Globe, Celtics coach Jim O'Brien
isn't            focusing in on a center in this years draft.''People will say
we don't have a             great center, but we have three centers that we're
very happy with,'' said            O'Brien. ''When we're looking at any
center in the draft, we would have to            say how long would it take
somebody to become our starting center. If the             answer is not in
the
foreseeable future, then I don't think we would take that            player.''
 **


The Celtics then go out and get three young wing players, only one of whom
ever had the chance of starting.  Go figure.


       ''I'm ecstatic about the 10th and 11th pick, Joe Johnson and
Kedrick,''
       said O'Brien. ''I went down my wish from a talent standpoint. I wanted

       3-point shooters that are athletic and can handle the basketball. I
think
       people like that are exactly what we needed."


I'm not letting Wallace off the hook, especially after the disasterous Baker
trade, but anyone who doesn't think this team was set up exactly how Jim
O'Brien wanted it has their head in the sand.