Monday, July 1, 1996
Timberwolves lead pack, Trailblazers choke in their dust
Every year the self-proclaimed "draft experts" analyze the NBA
draft. This year is no different.
The Winners.
By virtue of their theft of point guard Stephon Marbury from the
Milwaukee Bucks, the Minnesota Timberwolves had the best draft
among the leagues’ 29 teams. Paired with Kevin Garnett, the
T’Wolves have a young and talented duo with unlimited potential.
All they need is one more star, and no, J.R. Rider is not it.
The Vancouver Grizzlies had an excellent draft by acquiring
California freshman Shareef Abdur-Rahim as well as Roy Rogers, a
steal with the 22nd pick. Along with Bryant Reeves, the Grizzlies
have their frontcourt set for the next 10 years. Now they just need
to work on their backcourt.
The Losers.
The Milwaukee Bucks improved their team tremendously by
selecting Marbury. But in what was the worst trade in the league
since the Los Angeles Clippers sent Antonio McDyess to the Denver
Nuggets, Minnesota gave him away to the Bucks.
Point guards are a rare commodity in the NBA and prospects like
Marbury do not come around often, so to trade him away for a
shooting guard and a draft pick two years from now is just plain
stupid.
The Portland Trailblazers had the worst pick in the draft with
their selection of Jermaine O’Neal with the 17th pick. At
6-feet-11-inches, 226 pounds, O’Neal is skinnier and less skilled
than Shawn Bradley. He resembles Dontonio Wingfield more than he
does Shawn Kemp.
The Golden State Warriors tried their best to beat out the
Blazers for the worst pick by selecting Todd Fuller at No. 11, an
obvious reach. Somehow, the Warriors managed to break up a winning
team in their ongoing quest for a big man  Chris Webber, Tom
Gugliotta, Donyell Marshall, Carlos Rogers, Cliff Rozier, and now
Todd Fuller. At least Fuller will take up space with his
6-foot-11-inch, 255-pound frame.
Solid Drafts
The Phoenix Suns got a nice point guard in Steve Nash at No. 15.
He’s not as flashy as Allen Iverson or Marbury, but he’s a heady
player who will get the job done, and a solid guy to build a team
around.
The Indiana Pacers strengthened their frontcourt with the
selection of Erick Dampier at No. 10. If either Dale or Antonio
Davis (no relation) leave via trade or free agency, Dampier gives
them insurance, and Rik Smits only plays about 30 minutes a game
anyway.
The Denver Nuggets selected a big center at No. 23, Efthimis
Retzias. Which gives them insurance in case Dikembe Mutombo
continues to overestimate his worth. The acquisition of Mark
Jackson finally gives them someone to distribute the ball, and at
No. 37, Jeff McInnis was a steal because he will improve the
Nuggets’ backcourt.
The Houston Rockets got the best of the second round, with
Othella Harrington at No. 30 and Randy Livingston at No. 42.
Harrington will bolster the Rockets’ thin front line of Chucky
Brown and Mark Bryant, and if Livingston can stay healthy, this
former high school phenom may become a star in this league.
Not Bad
The Philadelphia 76ers selected the best player in the draft,
Iverson, but they didn’t address their needs at shooting guard,
power forward, small forward, nor center with their three
second-round picks. In Iverson, they have an awesome prospect to
build around, but they still need to surround him with quality
talent.
The Toronto Raptors have two pieces of their puzzle in place,
with the addition of Marcus Camby at No. 2, teaming him with Damon
Stoudamire. They can get the third and final piece to their nucleus
next year when they are in the lottery.
The Boston Celtics got a talented athlete in Antoine Walker at
No. 6, but we really don’t know how good Walker is because of the
limited number of minutes he received at Kentucky.
The Dallas Mavericks didn’t hurt themselves by trading down with
the Celtics. The acquisition of Eric Montross gives them a true
7-footer who can stand upright and take up space, while Samaki
Walker at No. 9 gives them an active power forward who can do the
dirty work for the team.
The New York Knicks used their three first-round picks on John
Wallace, Walter McCarty and Dontae’ Jones. Wallace, a steal at No.
18, can help out at power forward, Jones can put the ball in the
hole at small forward, and McCarty can provide an active body at
both forward positions.
Pretty Good for Both Teams
Reportedly, the Charlotte Hornets have agreed to send the No. 13
pick, Kobe Bryant, to the Los Angeles Lakers straight-up for Vlade
Divac. The Lakers would get a player who may have been the No. 1
pick overall a year or two from now, and Divac’s departure would
free up salary cap space, increasing the Lakers’ chances of
acquiring a free agent or two in the off-season. The Hornets would
get a top-10 center in Divac, giving them immediate help in their
frontcourt.