June 8,
1980
They've
got the No. 1 pick, and no offseason story has so captivated the local basketball
public in the 34-year history of the Boston Celtics. Take it or trade it? Take
whom? And what about the second first-round pick, which is the 13th overall
selection? These questions have dominated all postseason conversation and have
created unprecedented interest in Tuesday's annual NBA cattle auction, a/k/a
the college draft.
Every fan
knows the basic story. The Celtics could either trade one or both of their
first-round picks for established players or they could bolster the team
(presumably) with young talent. There is outside interest in the first pick. "The
phone is ringing more and more," says coach Bill Fitch. "The closer
we get to the end, the farther away we are from the truth, because we are
presented with more and more options."
And what
are some of those options? Though absolutely none of this is verifiable, the
rumors include:
- Trading
the first pick for guard John Lucas and center Robert Parish of Golden State.
- Swapping
their first pick for Golden State's third, throwing in Rick Robey and winding
up with Lucas, Parish and Kevin McHale.
-
Something or other involving names such as Phil Ford and Artis Gilmore.
- The No.
13 for Marvin Webster.
One thing
does become clearer, however. The Celtics appear intent on drafting 7-foot Purdue
center Joe Barry Carroll if they do not make a trade. Their posture has been:
"There is a 7-footer out there who can play. Show us why we shouldn't take
him."
Some
people would say that Rick Robey is one reason they needn't bother, but Fitch has
made himself clear on the subject. "There is no doubt in my mind that he
(Robey) is not the guy to go 82 times a year as your center for the next five
years," he says. "But he surely isn't going to embarrass you at
either center or forward."
That is a
definitive statement, and the logical inference, therefore, is that the Celtics
are in the market for a center. Dave Cowens will be 32 on Oct. 25, and he is on
the final year of a contract. Moreover, he has seen his best days. Should the
Celtics keep the pick, the only question is whether they would select Carroll,
who has his detractors (largely on the basis of a less- than-enthusiastic
playing style) or McHale, the 6-11 banger from Minnesota.
The
Celtics respect Darrell Griffith, and they admit to needing guard help. But
they feel the guard crop is deep enough to give them a shot at a good prospect
at No. 13. The following names are almost certain to be among the first 16
players picked, in some order: Carroll, Griffith,
McHale,
Mike O'Koren, Kelvin Ransey, Mike Gminski, James Ray, Andrew Toney, Michael Brooks,
Kiki Vandeweghe, Larry Smith, Rickey Brown, Mike Woodson, Hawkeye Whitney, Don
Collins, Jeff Ruland and the saddest story of the draft, Iowa guard Ronnie
Lester. Before he injured his knee, Lester was being talked about as the No. 1
choice. Now? "He could play 10 minutes or 10 years," says one GM.
Even Fitch, who loved him as much as anyboby, isn't sure he'd take him at No.
13.
There is a
deadline of 8 p.m. EDT tomorrow for swapping draft picks, and the Celtics expect
to be hearing from people for the next two days. "We're keeping all our
options open," explains Fitch, "so there is at least a 50-50 chance
of a deal."
And if there
is no deal? "If we get Carroll and the No. 13, to go along with what we've
got, we'll still be a formidable ball club," Fitch contends.
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