Cedric Maxwell has never been afraid to speak his mind, which is exactly what he did after speaking to a group of young Basketball players at Al Pettway's Worcester City Hoops camp yesterday at Worcester Tech.
Maxwell, who helped the Celtics win two championships as a player before becoming a TV analyst, led campers through a series of shooting, passing and dribbling drills. He then took time to discuss Boston's recent roster moves. Along with the much-publicized signing of Rasheed Wallace, the Celtics acquired forward Shelden Williams, and reportedly are on the verge of signing guard Marquis Daniels.
Maxwell was most opinionated about the status of free agent Glen "Big Baby" Davis, who was expected to parlay his exceptional playoff performance into a big contract, although it has yet to happen.
"The money is starting to dry up," Maxwell said of Davis, who averaged 15.8 points in 14 postseason games last year. "This economy is killing him. The salary cap has shrank, but I think they would like to keep him."
Maxwell doesn't see Williams, a former Duke standout who averaged just 4.1 points for Minnesota and Sacramento last year, as a suitable replacement for Davis. A solid rebounder, Williams isn't much of an offensive threat.
"Shelden hasn't done half the things Big Baby's done," Maxwell said. "(Davis) proved last year that he was a good NBA player."
The Celtics' biggest move this offseason was their signing of Wallace, a four-time All-Star.
"I love him," Maxwell said. "He can play multiple roles. He'll elongate the floor. He brings outside shooting. He can give (Kevin Garnett) rest. He'll be like P.J. Brown was for them two years ago, but he brings more scoring (a 15-point career average). He also has great enthusiasm, which can be contagious."
Daniels, who played with Wallace in Detroit last year, is a good all-around player, according to Maxwell. Daniels most likely would back up Paul Pierce and Ray Allen - that is, if the Celtics can close the deal.
"Well, I would hope they would get him," Maxwell said. "He's not a bad shooter, not a bad defender. They can use him."
But in the end, Maxwell said, the success of any team comes down to keeping its best players on the floor. And the Celtics will need to do that if they are to compete in a difficult Eastern Conference with the likes of Cleveland, which signed Shaquille O'Neal to complement MVP LeBron James, and Orlando, which knocked Boston out of the playoffs last season.
"I like them when they're healthy," Maxwell said of the Celtics' chances to raise banner No. 18. "Last year, they played courageous ball. You had only six guys playing in 14 games, and they just ran out of gas."
As for the rest of the offseason, Maxwell doesn't anticipate any more big moves.
"They'll nitpick here and there, but I like the way it's constituted now," he said. "I think they've solidified the team. They have the guys they want to go to war with. When you bring in Rasheed to go along with (Rajon) Rondo, Ray, Pierce, and K.G., that means they're looking to win now, not two to three years down the road."
The Worcester City Hoops camp, in its fifth year, includes students from second to 10th grade.
Former guest speakers have included Ryan Gomes, Tony Allen and Dana Barros.
Pettway, the North High boys' Basketball coach, started the camp to allow kids to hone their skills during the summer.
"I saw kids hanging out at Basketball courts and said, `Why not start up a camp?'" he said.
