Sherm Dealt for Todd Day

November 27, 1995

Sherm Dealt for Todd Day

The departure of Sherman Douglas leaves the Celtics with less of a crowd at point guard, but many of his former teammates will miss Douglas' contributions -- both on and off the court. "Sherman was the heart of this team," Dino Radja said. "I think Sherman got us to the playoffs last season -- it was not me, it was not Dee (Brown). He was leading us. We helped him a lot, but he was the leader.

"He might look ugly, but he has a big heart and he played with all of his heart every night. We are definitely going to miss him." Douglas was traded yesterday to Milwaukee for Todd Day and Alton Lister, leaving Dana Barros and David Wesley as the Celtic point guards. "One thing is obvious -- this is a business," Radja said. "Each of them deserved to play and you can't fit three of them in. It was unfair to them. One of them was going to suffer."

If Douglas represented the heart of the Celtics on the court, he provided much of the team's soul off the court. "He was a good person to have in the locker room, he always kept us laughing," Brown said. "I wish him all the luck in the world. He's a hell of a ballplayer. "I've been around him for four years and I really appreciate him as a person. Sherman is a character, a funny guy, and he really enjoyed playing. He was very competitive, and I hate to lose him. We have other guys like that, but he did a lot for this team."

Of the remaining point guards, Wesley seemed most affected by the claustrophobic conditions. "I hate to see Sherman go," Wesley said. "It's tough for him, but I'm glad to get the minutes. Obviously, with less guards it means more minutes. Everyone wants to play, and it's tough to do with three point guards."But it's part of the business and we knew something was going to happen -- it was a matter of time. Unfortunately for him, it was him. Fortunately for Dana and myself, it works out for us."

Barros, though, did not think three was a crowd at the point. "It seemed that there were too many guards," Barros said. "But the way things went, it seemed that that was the way it was going to be. After the first week, it left my mind. I was prepared to go through with my role, get used to it and make the best of it. "I will miss a lot of the things Sherman brought to the team -- leadership and direction on the floor. He picked things up when we lost our direction on the floor.

"We will have to get used to the new guys, get them involved as quickly as possible. It's a matter of making the best of the situation." Talking about Day, Barros said, "M.L. (Carr) kind of likes shooters, so he'll fit right in." Douglas has had image problems because of his unorthodox style and insistence on attempting to confront situations on his own terms. He is not an effective outside shooter, which makes his ability to attract defensive pressure and to penetrate even more amazing."I learned a lot from Sherman," Greg Minor said. "He would tell me the strengths of the players I would face night in and night out. And he would keep me humble, keeping me working. He made me play hard and he made everyone around him better."