''I won't say I'm disappointed with Marcus," Ainge maintains. ''Marcus has proven to be an NBA player. But I'd have to say his strength is in the open floor and exerting full-court defensive pressure. He has struggled in the half-court."

''They all say they want to win, but Delonte is one of the rare young players I have ever come across who actually plays to win," Ainge says. ''He does not care about stats. He moves the ball. He blocks out. He goes after loose balls. He truly does all the little things."

''He has really improved his ballhandling skills and he can shoot the ball," analyzes Ainge. ''He just has a knack for offensive basketball. If you run a pick-and-roll with him, he must be honored."

''Orien Greene caught my eye when he played an NCAA Tournament game for Louisiana-Lafayette against North Carolina State a year ago," Ainge says. ''He was a [6-foot-5-inch] point guard who made steals, blocked shots, and was all over the floor. He has interesting overall basketball skills. He's just a different look for us."

''He can play defense at that position, and he can score," Ainge declares. ''He is a playground legend in Chicago,"