Brett Szabo makes presence felt

January 19, 1997

Szabo makes presence felt

Brett Szabo appears to be in the right place at the right time.

The Celtics signed the 6-foot-11-inch Szabo to a second 10-day contract Friday, giving the forward/center a vote of confidence despite his 1.5-point scoring average.

Szabo, who played five scoreless minutes last night against the Washington Bullets at the FleetCenter, is considered a "big body," which is to say his forte is defense, a great asset for any player struggling to stay on an NBA roster.

"I actually fit better almost in a situation like this - 10th, 11th or 12th man on an NBA team," said Szabo. With Frank Brickowski and Alton Lister still hobbled by injuries, this is an excellent chance for Szabo.

"There is a need for big bodies and I know I can play effectively in short stints at any time during a game," said Szabo. "Sometimes in a guard-oriented league like the CBA, I don't always fit in. When I got released earlier by the Celtics, I knew I'd played my best in a basketball sense, and that I know there were business reasons for the decision."

It cost the Celtics $ 12,000 for this 10-day look at Szabo, but if he sticks this time, he will be eligible for the full rookie salary of $ 220,000. Whether they keep him depends upon the marketplace and available talent. Right now, Szabo looks like a bargain.

"He is explosive and can block shots," said assistant coach K.C. Jones. "And that's what we need. But he's got to work on reaction time and anticipation. He's got skills. It's a question of confidence."

Szabo has that. His reaction to being released was positive. He came back in a good frame of mind and has worked hard ever since. In nine minutes against Miami Thursday, he collected a team-high seven rebounds and scored 6 points.

"I knew there was a chance for me to be called back for 10 days by somebody," he said. "So I worked out on my own and approached every day like I would get my job back. Thankfully, I did. No hard feelings, nothing to interfere with me to continue to be a part of this team. Hopefully, they'll continue to show faith in me."

Bad news for Barros

Dana Barros (sore right knee) is still hurting and did not dress for last night's game. He practiced for only six minutes Friday and has no idea when the pain will go away.

"It just gets worse every day," said Barros. "I'm not thinking about surgery. I don't even want to have it."

Turnover turnaround

The Bullets made 23 turnovers, which the Celtics turned into 31 points. "Normally, you don't survive that," said Washington coach Jim Lynam. "Luckily, we went smaller and our bench came through." . . . The noise from the fans did not go unnoticed. "I applaud them tonight," said Celtics guard David Wesley. "They were definitely into the game and having fun. It's really nice to see them into a game. It motivated us and gave us that extra energy on the press. Fans definitely make a difference."