August 3, 1988
Gerald Paddio blew into town, along with several other young prospects, hoping to make a good impression during the Celtics' four-day audition for free agents and rookies at Brandeis.
Paddio, the team's third-round draft choice, brought some impressive credentials as a shooter. His fancy for the three-point stripe saw him convert 118 of 282 trifectas in his senior season at Nevada-Las Vegas.
"Any time a guy gets drafted, a particular facet of his game always catches your eye," said Celtics coach Jimmy Rodgers. "There's something that he does that makes you take note, and, in Paddio's case, it was his shooting and range."
There was no denying his scoring ability. Paddio averaged 19.4 points per game with the Runnin' Rebels. Last season he tallied 34 points against Iowa (a UNLV single-game high), connecting on 8 of 19 three-pointers.
Soon after his selection, pundits began wondering about Paddio's skills on the defensive end. Questions lingered about the 6-foot-7-inch, 197-pound forward -- questions such as, "Can he play defense?"
Which was probably why the brass was anxious to see him at Brandeis, and why Paddio was so eager to attend the camp.
"I think I had to come here and prove that I can handle the ball," he said, "and to show that I can work within the team concept.
"I came here to give it everything I got, and I did," he added. "I felt like I played hard every day, on every play. And if there were people who didn't think I was playing hard, then they weren't watching the same game."
If there were any lingering questions about that, they were resolved after Paddio concluded his bid with a strong effort yesterday, the finale of the four-day camp.
"I think it's gone really well for Gerald," Rodgers said. "He's done just about everything we expected him to do from our scouting reports. He's had some good scrimmages. He's shot the ball well. He's shown good work habits. He even showed us some versatility with his defense, passing and ballhandling ability."
It seemed an invitation to the veteran camp was imminent when Rodgers added, "Overall, I'd say we'd have to give him high grades in camp."
Paddio, a 23-year-old native of Rayne, La., certainly won high marks from the crowds who attended the public practice sessions at sultry Shapiro Athletic Center.
"It was probably because I gave them what they wanted," he said. "They wanted to see hard play and hard work. They wanted to know that the ball's yours, no matter where it is on the court."
Now, it seems, the only question he'll have to answer is: "How'd it go?"
"It went OK," he mused. "I gave it my all. Did the best I could. Still, I'll be a little nervous when I go back home."
To Louisiana?
"No, back home to Vegas," he said. "I'll take a break, and then at the end of the week, I'll start working out again. By then, they said they would get back with the ones they'd like to see in camp."
Paddio paused, smiled and exhaled a sigh of relief.
"I hope I'll be one of the ones they get back with."
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