|
|
 |
|
|||||||||
| ESPN Network: ESPN.com | NBA.com | WNBA.com | ABCSports | FANTASY | INSIDER | ||||||||||
 | Clippers, Mavs the draft's big winners By Andy Katz ESPN.com MINNEAPOLIS -- The success of the 2000 NBA draft won't be known for at least three years because of the onslaught of underclassmen. A record 18 were taken in the first round, combined with a record low of 10 Division I seniors. So, how did each team do Wednesday night? Well, there were plenty of surprises, some safe bets and some questionable moves that we'll give the team's brain trust the benefit of the doubt -- for now. The big winners Los Angeles Clippers: No team had as much of a complete overhaul than the Clippers. The organization deemed the worst in sports by Sports Illustrated may have ended up with one of the best draft days in history.
The Orlando Magic entered the draft with three lottery picks, all of which could have been spent on high-profile players. They ended the day with one -- Florida sophomore forward Mike Miller -- and salary cap room to go after free agents. Orlando wanted Miles but couldn't work out the full trade with the Clippers. They still got one of their top choices in Miller. With six free agents on their current roster, the Magic should be able to sign at least two or three of the high-profile free agents available. Taking a big man to back up or replace Michael Doleac ended up not being a priority. Grabbing a point guard to replace or sub for free agent Chucky Atkins slid down the list of priorities as well. Miller should flourish playing for Doc Rivers. Miller responded to a younger, energetic coach in Billy Donovan and should have a chance to do the same with Rivers. Getting their man New Jersey: The Nets wanted Cincinnati's Kenyon Martin at No. 1 and didn't buckle under the pressure of making a trade at the top with the Magic. Martin fits the Nets' needs, giving them a power player inside and allowing Keith Van Horn to switch to his more natural small forward position. The Nets then got the true center they can develop with a steal in the second round, Cincinnati Stuff center Soumaila Samake. Vancouver: The Grizzlies were in love with LSU's Stromile Swift after his first workout. The only way they weren't going to get him was if the Nets made a trade or somehow took Swift or Miles. Now the Grizzlies have a starting lineup of Swift, Shareef Abdur-Rahim, Bryant Reeves or Othella Harrington, Mike Bibby and Michael Dickerson. This team is athletic, has shot blocking and rebounding skills and scoring punch in the backcourt. Seattle: The Sonics wanted a slasher and a rebounder. They got both. Seattle had Oklahoma State's Desmond Mason at the top of their list but didn't think he would last to No. 17. The consensus was that Nigerian rebounding forward Olumide Oyedeji would be gone in the first round. But he lasted all the way until No. 42. Boston: The Celtics thought they would be faced with a dilemma if they had to choose between Richardson and DeShawn Stevenson. But their top choice, UCLA forward Jerome Moiso, was on the board. They grabbed him and now have a defensive presence and developing offensive player inside. Cleveland: The Cavaliers traded Bob Sura but were still committed to seeing if Trajan Langdon could come back from a knee injury. Their top three players on their list were Texas center Chris Mihm, Minnesota center Joel Przybilla and Fresno State's Courtney Alexander. Cavs GM Jim Paxson said they weren't sure what the Bulls would do at No. 7 and kept the possibility open for a trade as soon as they drafted Michigan point guard Jamal Crawford at No. 8. Paxson said he made the trade immediately after they selected Crawford. Getting Mihm gives the Cavs the insurance they needed if Zydrunas Illgauskas isn't healthy next season. Atlanta: The Hawks picked up a few steals. They got one of the most athletic perimeter players and their top choice in Cincinnati guard DerMarr Johnson. They picked up Utah forward Hanno Möttölä at No. 40 in the second round after he had surprisingly fallen out of the first round. And, if they keep him, they grabbed Ohio State's Scoonie Penn as a backup to Jason Terry at the point. Lon Kruger has always had a skilled shooting forward in college and bringing in Möttölä gives him one in the NBA. Charlotte: The Hornets wanted another banger and grew to love Kentucky's Jamaal Magloire over the past month. He fell right into their lap at No. 19. Portland: The Blazers had to get a point guard in this draft and they found a gem in St. John's Erick Barkley. They still may swing a trade for Crawford but there is no definite need to do so right now. Los Angeles Lakers: They needed more rebounding with the release of A.C. Green. Stanford's Mark Madsen was No. 1 on the list. The No. 2 possibility was Indian Hills (Iowa) CC guard Cory Hightower. They picked Madsen in the first and landed Hightower in a trade with San Antonio for two future second-rounders. Denver: The Nuggets acquired Utah's No. 26 pick for the sole purpose of picking a big man. They got an agile, shot-blocking center in Auburn's Mamadou N'Diaye. He has more potential than Keon Clark and is more of a true center. Denver picked up a shooting center in Northern Arizona's Dan McClintock in the second round. He may not make the club but his shooting touch will keep him in camp. Detroit: The Pistons stayed true to their word. They wanted a point guard and were going to take one of three points -- either Keyon Dooling, Jamal Crawford or Mateen Cleaves. Dooling and Crawford were gone, leaving local product Cleaves from Michigan State to be their playmaker. Milwaukee: The Bucks wanted a big man, even after their pickup of Jason Caffey and Billy Owens from the Golden State Warriors. Getting Houston to trade Joel Przybilla for Jason Collier was one of the draft's best steals. But the Bucks need to make sure Przybilla doesn't flake out on them like he did with Dan Monson and the Gophers last season. Sacramento: The Kings got two steals in this draft when they added Turkey's Hidayet Turkoglu at small forward (even if he doesn't play next season because of a potential contract issue) and LSU center Jabari Smith in the second round. Smith was a first-round player before the Phoenix draft camp. He didn't do well in Phoenix or Chicago but his individual workouts proved he'll end up being more than a serviceable backup to Vlade Divac. Still scratching our heads Chicago: Something still has to be up with the Bulls. Tim Floyd said Marcus Fizer can play small forward next season. Maybe, but it would make more sense to trade Fizer for a true center. Dalibor Bagaric, drafted at No. 24, isn't ready to contribute according to NBA scouts who witnessed his workout a week before the draft. Jamal Crawford was an exceptional choice in the Chris Mihm trade. He gives them the versatile point guard they wanted. Keeping him would make more sense. It's likely that one of Connecticut's Khalid El-Amin or Indiana's A.J. Guyton, both second-round picks, won't make the team. Taking the Huskies' Jake Voskuhl was a bit of a gamble but he could end up lasting as a deep bench player. Houston: Drafting Joel Przybilla from Minnesota made sense. Hakeem Olajuwon is retiring in a year or so. Trading for Georgia Tech's Jason Collier is a bit odd. He has potential with his ability to shoot from the perimeter and is more mature than Przybilla, but in this draft of players with upside, his future doesn't look as bright as Przybilla's. Philadelphia: The Sixers got burned when Turkoglu was taken ahead of them. They then drafted Hofstra's Speedy Claxton. He's one of the top four point guards in the draft but may not be the perfect fit for the Sixers unless someone is leaving. The Sixers then got a potential steal in the second round in Temple's Mark Karcher. He could be better than Turkoglu if he can defend small forwards. Toronto: The Raptors wanted a point but said if they couldn't get one they would go with the best athlete available. They grabbed Michigan State's Morris Peterson. He may have trouble getting minutes. But if Tracy McGrady is gone, he could get some time. Taking Las Vegas (IBL) forward DeeAndre Hulett was the surprise of the second round. He declared out of the College of Sequoias (Calif.) last year but didn't get a sniff. He's a shooting guard in a small forward body. He needs strength before he can contribute. Indiana: The Pacers need size and could use a future point guard. They added Primoz Brezec of Slovenia in the second round. Brezec is a rebounder but scouts question his scoring. He struggled to score in Chicago. The Pacers than selected Colorado point Jaquay Walls in the second round ahead of North Carolina's Ed Cota, Ohio State's Scoonie Penn, Weber State's Eddie Gill, Temple's Pepe Sanchez and Gonzaga's Matt Santangelo. All five of them looked better than Walls in various draft camps. Phoenix: If Iakovos Tsakalidis can get out of his Greek contract and stays in the U.S., then the Suns may have the steal of the draft. But if he hasn't then the Suns failed to improve. Utah: The usually conservative Jazz took two gambles in the first and second round when they drafted high school shooting guard DeShawn Stevenson and Idaho junior forward Kaniel Dickens in the second. Neither is expected to contribute next season. The Jazz have to get better through free agency or they won't move up in the standings next season. Washington: The Wizards couldn't have expected much with one pick in the second round, but getting Portsmouth MVP Mike Smith out of Louisiana-Monroe may turn out to be a steal. He can score with ease but needs more bulk to handle defensive assignments. Miami: Arizona State's Eddie House can score better than Anthony Carter but he can't run a team as well. House doesn't have a position and may struggle to stay on Pat Riley's squad. Ernest Brown could be a sleeper but he'll need a few years to develop in the post. Banging against Alonzo Mourning could make him tougher. San Antonio: The Spurs' only pick they kept was Duke's Chris Carrawell. If Carrawell can get over the shock of dropping to No. 41 then he could help them with his ability to get to the basket. Otherwise this draft will have been a waste. Golden State: One pick and it's Auburn's Chris Porter at No. 55. He has the potential to score but he needs to be in the fast break. He struggles in the halfcourt and the Warriors may need to give him time to develop before he's a regular. New York: Donnell Harvey seemed like the perfect rebounder for the Knicks. But then they traded him and John Wallace to Dallas for Erick Strickland and the rights to Cincinnati's Pete Mickeal. Mickeal may be the best one-on-one defender in the draft but he's not the rebounder Harvey is inside. Lavor Postell gives the Knicks another sleek athlete at small forward. Postell is a ferocious offensive rebounder and really raised his stock during the pre-draft camps. Minnesota: This was a tough draft for the Timberwolves. They weren't expecting much drafting at No. 51. They were still grieving the tragedy of losing Malik Sealy and Bill Musselman in the past two months. But they didn't help themselves next season with the addition of a raw foreign point guard in Igor Rakocevic. Andy Katz is a senior writer at ESPN.com.
|
|
Elgin Baylor is happy about the outcome of the Clippers' draft.