Fernsten Cut

10/29/82

October 29, 1982

Fernsten Cut

The last preseason practice was over and the last preseason shower had been taken. Eric Fernsten walked down the long corridor, and stopped outside the coach's office to get some extra schedules. A team publicist furnished the material and the Big E started back down the corridor. As Fernsten reached the exit, Bill Fitch poked his head into the hallway and said, "Eric, you got a minute?"



Fernsten gulped, mumbled, "See ya, Celtics," and walked back toward the coach's office.

They talked for 20 minutes and when it was over, neither would say it was over. It wasn't official until the Celtics made an announcement at 4:45 yesterday afternoon, and the news didn't set in until the Celtics boarded their plane to Cleveland at 6:55 last night.

When Northwest Flight 49 took off without the Big E on board, everybody knew the Celtics had finally trimmed their roster to the 12-man limit.

When they come out to warm up for their 37th season opener tonight, the Celtics will have 10 of the 12 men who were on the roster for the conference final last May. Quinn Buckner and rookie Darren Tillis are the new guys. Chris Ford and Fernsten are the dearly departed.

"This is gonna hurt," Larry Bird noted yesterday. "Those two guys gave more than anybody."

Fitch added, "Trauma like this doesn't affect a lot of teams the way it does ours. I don't like that, but I'm kind of proud that our people care about each other."

It was ironic that Fernsten was cut hours before the Celtics flew to Cleveland. It was in Cleveland, under coach Bill Fitch, that he started his professional career in 1975.

After a couple of seasons in Italy, Fernsten re-joined Fitch when he came to the Celtics in 1979. In Boston, the popular Fernsten was heralded as a valuable practice player and serviceable backup center/forward. However, his playing time decreased each year, and when the Celtics picked up Tillis, a 6- foot-11 forward from Cleveland State in the first round of the draft last spring, Fernsten knew he'd be fighting the numbers game this fall.

Fernsten will be on waivers for 48 hours. If he is not claimed by any team in that time, he becomes a free agent. However, San Antonio has reportedly expressed interest in him.

Terry Duerod, who signed with Golden State yesterday, and Chris Ford were axed Monday and rookie John Schweitz got his walking papers Tuesday.

But the Celtics waited until the final hours before announcing the last cut. Red Auerbach was on the phone most of the day trying to work out a deal, but found teams hesitant to tradedraft picks for 11th- or 12th-man players who might have to be let go if the owners implement 10-man rosters next month.

Once the dirty work was finally done, Fitch and the Celtics turned their thoughts to the Cavaliers, basketball's worst franchise last year. "You don't like to open on the road and you don't like to play a team when they have everything to gain and nothing to lose," said Fitch.

Don't look for Boston College's John Bagley in the Cavaliers' starting lineup. New coach Tom Nissalke (Cleveland's fourth head coach since the start of last season), plans to go with Geoff Huston at point guard, Ron Brewer at the off guard, Scott Wedman at small forward, Cliff Robinson at power forward and moneybags James Edwards in the pivot. James Silas is on the injured reserve list as is Quinn Buckner's college teammate, Bobby Wilkerson.

Steve Hayes is the backup center and Phil Hubbard will fill in up front.

NBA history could be made tonight. The Cavs lost their last 19 games last season; a defeat tonight will tie the NBA low. Cleveland owner Ted Stepien, who lost $4 million last year, says he intends to make the Cavs a winner.

Fitch figures to go with his standard front line of Robert Parish, Larry Bird and Cedric Maxwell. Tiny Archibald will start in the backcourt with Danny Ainge or possibly Gerald Henderson.

"I expect the same things out of this year that I did the last three," said Bird. "I look for us to make the playoffs and take a shot at the title."