By Shira Springer, Globe Staff, 7/17/2000
''First looks and second chances'' seems to fit, considering the mix of
recent draft selections and CBA, IBL, and European journeymen who will play. The
competition and evaluation begin this afternoon at UMass-Boston with the Celtics
facing the Hawks at 3. The action continues throughout the week, allowing
rookies a pressure-free NBA adjustment period and providing more experienced
players the opportunity to impress league scouts.
''We're just looking to see if there's anybody who can rise out of this
thing,'' said Celtics general manager Chris Wallace. ''Last year, Adrian Griffin
came out of our team. Summer league, college, international, [you look for] all
the same thing. One, you hope they physically match up at a position in the NBA.
We're just looking for somebody who does at least one thing on an NBA level, be
it shot-blocking, shooting, rebounding. If you can do one thing on an NBA level
and you have some physical ability, then maybe some things can happen for you.''
The rosters of all 10 teams competing are filled with veterans of the CBA,
IBL, and international leagues. Players with brief NBA stints (10-day contracts,
a couple of uneventful years as a reserve, late draft picks who didn't quite
catch on) also fill out the rosters.
At 6 feet 10 inches, Celtics summer league player Mark Blount has the height
to play center in the NBA. After two seasons spent bouncing from the Sioux Falls
Skyforce of the CBA to the Baltimore Bay Runners of the IBL, he may have
developed enough to earn a spot in the NBA. Kris Clack, the Celtics' 1999
second-round pick, will be back in Boston to show the difference a year in the
IBL makes. Haywoode Workman, formerly of the Pacers, Wizards, Bucks, and
Raptors, wants to prove reconstructive knee surgery and age don't limit him.
''It's difficult from the standpoint that it becomes repetitive,'' said
Jerome Allen, a point guard selected by Minnesota in 1995, played briefly for
Denver, then spent time overseas. ''But when this is your way of seeking
employment you really don't have any other choice. It's the easiest job in the
world. I love to play. I would play basketball for free. From that standpoint,
it's not difficult. You just have to weather the storm and be patient.''
ALTHAM - With clever slogans the sporting rage, the 2000 Shaw's Pro
Summer League needs one of its own. Something that sums up the experience. A few
words that capture the spirit of the week-long Boston basketball festival.
This story ran on page D07 of the Boston Globe on 7/17/2000.
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2000 Globe Newspaper Company.
