NBA DRAFT 2000 - ESPN.com's pick-by-pick draft analysis

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ESPN.com's pick-by-pick draft analysis
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As the 2000 NBA draft unfolded, ESPN.com analyzed each first-round pick.

Here's our take on what happened in the first 29 selections:

TEAM	ANALYSIS
1. Nets	PF Kenyon Martin, 6-9, Sr., Cincinnati This was the guy the Nets just had to take. Without an athletic big man to block shots or score, New Jersey couldn't go with Darius Miles. Martin can score and defend. He will start right away at either power forward or center. He's not a 7-footer, but he will block shots like one. Maybe Keith Van Horn moves to small forward and the Jim McIlvaine/Jamie Feick center mess continues, maybe not. Either way, this is a no-brainer pick. No Michael Olowokandi here. Martin's a future star.

2. Grizzlies	PF Stromile Swift, 6-9, So., LSU The Grizzlies really are not that far away. Really. If you add Swift to the other four starters, all of whom started all 82 games last season, this team looks pretty good. Well, at least they should win more than 20 games. There still is no bench here at all. Swift might not have the offensive game of Martin, but he should be a dominant defender. The leaper can block shots, rebound, and is emerging offensively. Put him next to big-time scorer Shareef Abdur-Rahim at forward or put Big Country Reeves out of his misery at center. Again, Vancouver had no choice on this pick. Plus, they actually found someone willing to go to Vancouver.

3. Clippers	SF Darius Miles, 6-9, East St. Louis (Ill.) HS The wild card of the draft. Does he stay in Clipperland? It looks like it. The Magic really wanted the guy, but the Clips did the right thing. And Miles is sounding like he wants to stay in town, which we can only attribute to his youth. Anyway, this is a pure and raw athlete who probably doesn't contribute right away, like a Kobe Bryant. He has the size to play above the rim and needs more range on his shot. But he can run the floor very well. He's only 18, but in a few years we'll remember when he was drafted. Right now he's a small forward, but his now is probably later.

4. Bulls	PF Marcus Fizer, 6-8, Iowa State Wow. Now, here's the first shocker of the draft. Jerry Krause certainly didn't tip his hand on this selection. An unusual pick for the Bulls, Fizer is really a power forward. So is Elton Brand. The Bulls picked soon after and got their center in Chris Mihm, but they inexplicably dealt him away, so Fizer stays. Fizer is sort of a Brand clone, though he doesn't block shots at all nor rebound a ton. He does have decent range, but could be better from the perimeter. Remember, this is no 7-footer. He's only 6-8, but he's probably the strongest guy in the draft. It will be interesting to see how he and Brand play together, and who plays the middle.

5. Magic	SF Mike Miller, 6-8, Florida A great shooter who has range and can play inside with his size, Miller wasn't supposed to go with this pick either. But the Magic can definitely use him right away to play small forward. He's versatile and mature, and the Hawks are probably a bit shocked they didn't get him. Orlando didn't have much scoring coming from the forward spot, with Bo Outlaw and Ben Wallace just rebounding and blocking shots. Now the Magic have another scorer, and when the bevy of big-time free agents comes to central Florida to play here, Miller will be a nice compliment.

6. Hawks	SG DerMarr Johnson, 6-9, Cincinnati A Mike Miller clone, Johnson might not be as strong or as mature. Either Miller or Johnson would have been a good fit for the rebuilding Hawks, who didn't really have a solid, young player at the two or three spots. Johnson is more likely a shooting guard, though a tall one at 6-9. Jimmy Jackson is the only other Hawk who can score at Johnson's positions. Add this guy to Jason Terry in the backcourt, get a big forward to help Dikembe Mutombo on the boards and maybe Lon Kruger can turn this thing around quickly.

7. Bulls (traded to Cavs)	C Chris Mihm, 7-0, Texas Well, congratulations to the Cavaliers, who got the big man they wanted. For some reason that we just cannot figure out, the Bulls, who can't really play Brand at center and definitely can't use Fizer there, dealt away the guy they seemed to want. Mihm went to Cleveland for Jamal Crawford and cash. And yes, Will Perdue was already waived by Chicago, so he's not the answer. Anyway, Mihm is the best true center in this draft. He can block shots and rebound, he has an offensive game, and the Cavs can finally let Shawn Kemp play his natural four spot, and they don't have to worry about Zydrunas Ilgauskas and his brittle feet.

8. Cavs (traded to Bulls)	PG Jamal Crawford, 6-6, Michigan Originally when this pick was made, we're thinking, what, another point guard? So finally we got a trade, as Crawford is going to Chicago to run the point for the Bulls. Crawford becomes the first point guard taken, which is a surprise. He does have great size for the position, is fine defensively and has plenty of moves. The Bulls lose the center they just took, but they do have good up-front scoring in Brand and Fizer. Chicago had a huge need for a point who could actually score. Crawford can.

9. Rockets (traded to Bucks)	C Joel Przybilla, 7-1, Minnesota Forget the booing you heard from the Philly-like crowd in Minneapolis. The guy can rebound and block shots. George Karl apparently really wanted the guy, and he got him in a trade for No. 16 pick Jason Collier and a future first-rounder. The Bucks were desperate for a big man. Przybilla can play right away, and the Bucks can put Ervin Johnson on the bench, where he really belongs. Przybilla started to develop late in college, not finding his scoring game until his truncated sophomore season. Is he physical enough? Does he have enough moves? Maybe Karl will be patient with him.

10. Magic (traded to Clippers)	PG Keyon Dooling, 6-3, Missouri A point guard who doesn't pass? Sounds perfect for the Clippers, who get this guy in a deal from Orlando for basically nothing (L.A. got Dooling, Derek Strong, Corey Maggette and cash all for a future first-rounder). Dooling is really a shooter first, passer second. He is quick and has range, but his defense might be suspect and with his decision making in college, it's anyone's guess whether he can really run the point in the NBA. But he's a Clipper now, so it's likely nobody will notice.

11. Celtics	PF Jerome Moiso, 6-10, UCLA A lefty who can run the floor very well for a big man, Moiso is tall and thin. He does well off the offensive glass. The Celtics had to get bigger in the draft, and with this Frenchman they do. Moiso scored double figures both his seasons at UCLA, and with his long arms does block shots. The Celtic won't rely on him to score too much, but he should help right away.

12. Mavericks	PF Etan Thomas, 6-9, Syracuse This gives the Mavs another shot-blocker, but in a much different mold than Shawn Bradley. A mature guy who played all four years in orange, Thomas really developed in his senior season, though the stats might not show it. A consistent double-digit scorer and solid boardman, Thomas finished seventh on the NCAA list in blocks, but he can also score, which separates him from Big Shawn. Finally, Don Nelson doesn't make a strange pick. But the night is still young.

13. Magic (traded to Mavs)	SG Courtney Alexander, 6-5, Fresno State This guy can flat out light it up. He led the nation in scoring at better than 24 points a game, and he has what they call the total pro game. He led the WAC in scoring the last two years, but he really improved his draft stock his senior year. We thought Alexander would be gone maybe seven or eight picks ago, so the Magic got a steal. Actually, they got a steal for Nelson's Mavericks, who get this guy for a first-rounder next year and cash. So far, Nellie's looking good.

14. Pistons	PG Mateen Cleaves, 6-2, Michigan State With Crawford and Dooling already gone, and the Pistons having a need for a point guard, Cleaves does make sense. He's basically a hometown guy, and while there are questions about his game, there aren't any when it comes to his leadership ability. The two-time Big Ten player of the year is not a great shooter, plain and simple. He can handle the ball and find the right man, though, and is a character guy. The pick will be popular in Pistonland, which will be key if Grant Hill flies the coup.

15. Bucks (traded to Rockets)	C Jason Collier, 7-0, Georgia Tech Collier was traded to Houston after being picked, giving the Rockets another big man to go with Hakeem Olajuwon up front. Collier led the ACC in boards and is a good defender who shoots well, and doesn't try to do too much. He could use some work in the post, however. Collier did average 17 points per game in each of his seasons at Georgia Tech, but he also played two years with Bob Knight. Houston expects to be much better next season, and Collier, assuming he can handle those Steve Francis passes, should fit right in.

16. Kings	SF Hidayet Turkoglu, 6-8, Turkey Well, the guy can shoot, we know that. There might be no better shooter in Europe. But we stress the Europe part. Who knows, maybe he comes to the States soon. The Kings do have a need at small forward, with Corliss Williamson not likely to return, and Predrag Stojakovic probably not ready to start there because of defensive liabilities. Of course, Turkoglu might have the same problems.

17. Sonics	SF Desmond Mason, 6-5, Okla. State Solid choice for the Sonics, who get a good athlete who can shoot and defend. Mason came on strong in his senior season, averaging 18 points a game and hitting shots from all over the place. The Sonics started Ruben Patterson at the three, but he's more slasher than scorer. Restricted free agent Rashard Lewis is still here, but he is more of a scorer than rebounder. Mason can do both. So there's opportunity for him to step right in.

18. Clippers	SG Quentin Richardson, 6-6, DePaul He probably would have been selected higher had he left school a year earlier, so Richardson could be a steal here. What, Clippers, steal? Yes, we know. Anyway, with Derek Anderson leaving town the first chance he gets, don't be too surprised if Richardson gets a chance. A great offensive rebounder who finds a way to score, Richardson might be putting up numbers quickly.

19. Hornets	PF Jamaal Magloire, 6-10, Kentucky A big man who might have trouble finding minutes in Charlotte, Magloire is still good insurance. You never know with Derrick Coleman and Anthony Mason. Magliore didn't do a whole lot until his senior season, when he produced 13.2 points and grabbed 9.1 rebounds. Originally applied for the draft a year earlier, but improved so much by coming back it was worth it. Still, might not be a great fit in Charlotte.

20. 76ers	PG Speedy Claxton, 5-11, Hofstra The Raptors were probably hoping Speedy would slip to them with the next pick, but Philly doesn't care. The Sixers were looking hard at Turkoglu, who was snapped up by the Kings. Claxton's not a big guy, but he performed very well in pre-draft camps and should be able to score. He's mature and easy to coach, and he hits his shots. With Eric Snow the current point guard, Philly can wait awhile for Speedy to develop, but he's probably about as developed as he'll get.

21. Raptors	SF Morris Peterson, 6-7, Michigan State Surprise! Everyone thought the Raptors would go point guard here, since they desperately need one, but look at the points who were already gone. You can't take Khalid El-Amin here. So, Mo' Pete becomes pretty nice insurance if Tracy McGrady leaves town. The Big Ten player of the year really doesn't have a major weakness. A scorer who plays the wing well and is smart, Peterson was a fifth-year senior and a great leader. The Raptors should love the guy.

22. Knicks (traded to Mavs)	SF Donnell Harvey, 6-8, Florida The Knicks selected Harvey and then sent him packing to the Mavericks, who by the way had a very nice night, for shooting guard Erick Strickland. We're not sure why. Harvey only played one year in college, and proved he could rebound the ball and work hard. Everyone was saying the Knicks wanted the guy. But now they have Strickland, who played four seasons in Dallas and just started to distinguish himself last year.

23. Jazz	SG DeShawn Stevenson, 6-5, Wash. Union (Calif.) HS Stevenson is a high school kid with a lot of ability. The Jazz have plenty of players under contract and can take their time with him. Stevenson is an athlete who can run and jump, but he's very raw. So, don't expect much right away. The Jazz don't take high school kids, but Stevenson was so impressive in a workout, they went against their history. We'll know in a few years how it works out.

24. Bulls	C Dalibor Bagaric, 7-0, Croatia Actually, we know a little about this chap. As his size might suggest, he blocks shots. Maybe Jerry Krause thinks he's as good as Mihm, whom he dealt away. Bagaric averaged 18.3 points and 10.4 rebounds his final year in Croatia, his first year of meaningful time there. Krause had some nice luck with another Croatian sensation (Toni Kukoc), so maybe he knows what he's doing.

25. Suns	C , Iakovos Tsakalidis, 7-0, Greece Now here's a guy who really slipped far. Obviously, his contractual status is the reason, because teams seemed to love the guy's ability. Cleveland was supposedly taking Big Jake at No. 8. Anyway, this guy is big, really big. From his post-selection interview, he seems to think he won't be playing again for his Greek team, which is good news for Scott Skiles. Luc Longley doesn't have the same game he once had (insert joke here) and the Suns need an inside presence. If you can bring Tsakalidis over, here's the presence.

26. Nuggets	C Mamadou N'Diaye, 7-0, Auburn It was thought that he might be going earlier to Seattle, but when you look at the stats he put up offensively, you can see why he slipped a bit. N'Diaye does play defense, though, and the Nuggets, well, they didn't. Agile and quick but not real physical, N'Diaye can still develop an offensive game, and the Nuggets can wait.

27. Pacers	C Primoz Brezec, Slovenia Brezec hasn't played much at all the last few years, but part of that could be because he was on such a good team. The Pacers could have a few openings on their team. Out goes Rik Smits, in comes Brezec? The book on him is that has a low-post game and does rebound, but since he hasn't done it at the NBA level -- nor really on the European level the last few years -- he's a risk.

28. Blazers	PG Erick Barkley, 6-1, St. John's This is a pretty good pick for this spot in the draft, but do the Blazers really need the guy, considering that Damon Stoudamire and Greg Anthony are still in town? Of course, that could change. If it does, then Barkley will get a chance to show off some good transition skills and questionable defense. But the guess here is that there's no room for him.

29. Lakers	PF, Mark Madsen, 6-9, Stanford With A.C. Green being released earlier in the day, maybe Madsen steps right in to the starting power forward spot! Maybe not. But Madsen does have nice bulk and makes his shots. Madsen is fundamentally sound and solid on the boards. The Lakers were thought to be interested in him, and it's likely he could take the small amount of minutes Travis Knight was getting.