Did the C's Get the Best Player in the Draft?

June 11, 1980

Like many other areas of life, the NBA draft isn't exactly what it used to be.

Whereas it once was conducted quietly in a tiny team office, now the Celtics invite the public to a crowded eating room.

Whereas as recently as two years ago the entire affair was conducted in 2 1/2 hours, yesterday's first round consumed 55 minutes all by itself.

Whereas once the first-round choice would remain a mystery figure until training camps, even to the minicult that comprised the local basketball community, Celtic fans yesterday had a chance to (a) see the selection perform by the magic of videotape and (b) meet him and hear him talk only three hours after he was first introduced to the press in New York, thanks to the magic of air travel.

And there is one other nuance that was certainly not an issue for two decades: For the second consecutive year, the Celtics are convinced they have come up with the best player in the draft. Last year his name was Larry Bird, and this year his name is Kevin McHale.

What was an assumption on Monday night became a reality yesterday shortly after noon, when the Utah Jazz chose Louisville guard Darrell Griffith as the second choice in the draft, thus freeing the Celtics to take McHale, the man they really wanted. Jazz general manager Frank Layden had left his office Monday night saying he was "99 percent sure" he was taking Griffith as the No. 2 pick in round one, but until the Utah club actually made the choice, the Celtics really couldn't be assured of getting the 6-foot-11 kid from Minnesota.

The first round included just one total-surprise selection, that being Philadelphia's choice of Monti Davis, a 6-6 forward from Tennessee State, as the 21st pick. The first 13 names were the 13 players virtually every pundit expected to see taken, and the only other first-round choice that most people did not expect to see there was Notre Dame guard Bill Hanzlik, whom Seattle took at No. 20. But Hanzlik figured to go no lower than No. 30, anyway, and the choice makes sense for a talent-laden team such as the Sonics.

The Golden State Warriors initiated the draft by taking Purdue center Joe Barry Carroll with the No. 1 pick they had obtained from Boston the day before. Then came Griffith (but not before a long pause) and then McHale. Chicago, considered the key that would unlock the order of Nos. 4 through 13, followed by taking Ohio State guard Kelvin Ransey. However, that's not the player the Bulls wound up with.

In a strange maneuver, the Bulls secured vaunted Iowa guard Ronnie Lester. They did it when Portland, picking 10th, chose Lester, the splendid guard with the injured knee, and then traded him to Chicago for Ransey. The Blazers also tacked on a future draft pick that carries three options for the Bulls. Along with Lester, the Bulls will receive one of three things: Portland's first- round pick in 1981, Cleveland's 1981 first-round pick (currently the property of Portland) or Portland's first-round pick in 1982.

"They (Chicago) did a helluva thing," said Red Auerbach. "Lester, if he's healthy, is a better player than Ransey, anyway, which is not to take anything away from Ransey."

Stu Inman, Portland's director of player personnel, had a different view. "Ransey is without a doubt the best lead guard coming out of the draft this year, and maybe in the next two years," he said.

The Celtics disappointed those who expected them to bolster their backcourt via a second-round pick by taking Purdue forward Arnette Hallman, a 6-7 defensively oriented bruiser with a Don Chaney-Clarence Glover shooting touch. "Our owner," said Bill Fitch, "has taught Red and I a new word from another business, and that word is bullish.' If we corner the market on strong, big people, that's OK."

But then the Celtics turned around and led with their heart in the third round, taking Holy Cross hero Ronnie Perry as the 54th pick in the draft. Perry, a third-round baseball draft pick of the White Sox, is alleged to be a step slow for the pros. He may also be a thought ahead, however, and he certainly rates a training-camp look. They also went for a guard with their second third-round pick, taking Idaho sharpshooter Don Newman, a 6-3 All-Big Sky Conference selection who averaged 19 ppg.

If there were any negative surprises in the upper echelon of the draft, they would be the following: Alcorn State forward Larry Smith, expected to go as high as 10th, going 24th (Golden State); Syracuse center Roosevelt Bouie, expected to be a late first-rounder, hanging on until Dallas took him mid- second at No. 34; and Seattle 7-footer Jawaan Oldham, in the same boat as Bouie, lasting until No. 41 (Denver). In addition, the intriguing question as to just which team would be brave enough to fool with LSU head case DeWayne Scales was answered when the Knicks took him in the second round, at No. 36.

The other major development of the day was the announcement by the Celtics that Gerald Henderson, who was introduced to the media on last year's draft day, had been signed to a new four-year contract.

There wasn't much new the Celtics could say about McHale, who was praised for his aggressiveness, mobility and enthusiasm. The Celtics are simply in love with him, having rated him as the best forward, the second-best center and basically the best player in the draft.

The best description thus obtained of what he's all about actually comes from a neutral source, Phoenix general manager Jerry Colangelo. "He (McHale) has excellent hands and great timing," says Colangelo. "You can't say he's a great jumper, but he makes up for it with his timing, and he plays hard. Offensively, he has a variety of shots. He's just a great player."

That being the case, you can now understand the reason for the constant smiling and joking going on between Messrs. Fitch and Auerbach. But Fitch had said it the day before. "Red," said the coach, "has done it again."