The draft class of 1993, finishing up its public display in the next week in the NCAA tournament, doesn’t match the 1992 class.
“This is my Bill Clinton draft,” joked Sacramento Kings player personnel director Jerry Reynolds. “We have the privilege of paying more and receiving less.”
That’s because there are no great big men, who usually separate a draft class.
But because there are few great seniors-and with the threat of a rookie salary cap coming in 1994-there is expected to be a mass exodus from the underclass.
So the No. 1 pick will be . . . Memphis State’s Anfernee Hardaway or Purdue’s Glenn Robinson.
“Hardaway is the real deal,” says Reynolds. “You can make a comparison with Magic (Johnson). He’s as close as he needs to be. It will be hard not to see him No. 1.”
That’s what the Dallas Mavericks reportedly think. If they get the top pick, they are leaning toward Hardaway.
But the Purdue sophomore also is drawing raves.
“We’d take him first if we got the chance,” said a general manager whose team may be in the lottery. “He’s going to be great. He’s (James) Worthy already and he hasn’t even scratched his potential.”
The pro scouts, at least now, see Michigan’s Chris Webber third.
The next echelon starts with Kentucky’s Jamal Mashburn and includes Indiana’s Calbert Cheaney, perhaps the only top senior, and Wake Forest’s Rodney Rogers.
Among others who could make it into the top 11 (lottery) are Tennessee’s Allan Houston, also a senior, Duke’s Bobby Hurley, UNLV’s J.R. Rider, North Carolina’s Eric Montross, who is said to be returning to school, freshman Jason Kidd and Kansas’ Rex Walters.
And Reynolds added that if 7-foot-6-inch Shawn Bradley decided to skip college after a Mormon mission, he could be the top pick.
“Where else are you going to get a 7-6 talented guy?” Reynolds asked. “It might take a couple of years, but he’d be worth the wait.”
Spurs stuck: So much for those John Lucas coach-of-the-year votes. If San Antonio had started the season just before the All-Star break, it would be 8-10, the coach would be looking for a point guard and doubting his team. Smiling yet, Tark?
“We’re not a good team now,”says Lucas. “It’s a combination of things. Not enough offensive rebounds, not blocking out. We’re making mental mistakes. There’s no one area we’re playing well. We’ll have to try some new people.”
Teams have been collapsing on David Robinson, who had 10 and nine-point games last week. So Lucas benched point guard Avery Johnson for a non-point guard backcourt of Sean Elliott and Willie Anderson and replaced Dale Ellis with Antoine Carr.
“We have to start pushing the ball,” said Robinson, noting the Spurs have been held to less than 100 points in eight of their last 18 games. “We’re not getting easy buckets and defensively we’re not thinking together.”
Mailman’s postage due: Also faltering have been the Utah Jazz, who have hovered around .500 even after benching Jeff Malone and Ty Corbin for David Benoit and Jay Humphries.
“Deep down, you kind of feel like they think you’re the reason they’re struggling,” Karl Malone said. “But I’ve stayed positive and they’re running a lot of things for me.”
Some have seen a dropoff in the “Mailman’s” play. They wonder if it has been less fatigue than Hakeem Olajuwon’s new deal.
“I thought `Oh my God’ and I thought I’d like something like that for myself,” admitted Malone, who signed a 10-year $32 million renegotiation two years ago. “Hopefully, something like that can be worked out for me, too. Every indication they’ve given me is I’ll play the rest of my career with the Jazz. They told me they’ll take care of me and I believe them. . . . If I build a house with a pool, I have to know whether to put `Utah Jazz’ on the bottom.”
Pacers off pace: Not worrying about knocking anyone were the Indiana Pacers, who came down on coach Bob Hill before their recent Western Conference road trip.
“Why do you have so many disgruntled on a team with so much talent?” wondered Pooh Richardson.
And there were lots of complaints about Hill’s imposition of a curfew.
“I think he gets away from what truly should be the focus of the season,” Vern Fleming said.
Not nearly as upset was center Rik Smits, who agreed to a $17.5 million, five-year contract extension.
“Other than the top six centers, he’s in a group right below that,” team President Donnie Walsh said.
But it’s geography the Pacers should be most upset with. They went to 10-2 against the Pacific Division last week after beating the Phoenix Suns and Seattle SuperSonics.
Ma-r-velous: We’ve been waiting all season to write it: “The streaking Mavericks.”
They defeated Orlando, Philadelphia and Washington, the latter two on the road, in an eight-day stretch with one thing in common. All three opponents fell apart in the fourth quarter in a new bit of pressure.
“If we can stay close,” says interim coach Gar Heard, “the pressure is not on us to win; it’s on the other team not to lose.”
Which prompted this bit of optimism from Heard: “We’re going to have more than (the record-low) nine victories. Who knows, this team is capable of winning some games. We might win 12.”
With Derek Harper out, Jim Jackson, is playing considerable point guard. He had 27 points, eight rebounds and seven assists against the Bullets. The Bullets had planned a “Guaranteed Victory” promotion for that game with free tickets to another game if they lost, but the front office was talked out of it by coach Wes Unseld.
Around the league: It’s not too late to plan those “appreciation” nights, like April 22 when the Pistons are in the Stadium. Bill Laimbeer says he might retire after this season even though he has one year remaining on his contract. “My health is a factor,” said Laimbeer, averaging a career-low nine points per game. “I’m not sure I want to play anymore with injuries. I’m used to the lifetstyle and being fatigued is a part of it. But right now I don’t know what I’m going to do.” . . . Mark Price had made 65 straight free throws, 13 short of Calvin Murphy’s all-time record, entering Friday’s game. And he’s 119-120 at home on the season. . . . Miami’s Glen Rice had a city skyline shaped into his haircut, which he calls “Ricetown.” Stay in school, kids. . . . William Bedford, working his way back to the NBA, recently was caught mooning guests at a Wisconsin hotel. . . . Denver guard Chris Jackson says he’s going on a pilgrimage to Mecca after the season and officially will have his name changed to Mahmoud Abdul Rauf. . . . Despite having just a league minimum eight players available last week, Don Nelson cut long-injured center Alton Lister, who has one year left at $1.3 million. The Warriors acquired him for the draft pick used to select Shawn Kemp. . . . Nick Anderson was feeling good after the Magic won the latest battle of Florida last week to remain just ahead of the Heat. “When we’re playing our game, we’re better than they are,” he said. . . . The Hawks are crediting a March 4 team meeting after a 136-111 loss to the Pacers for their nine victories in 10 games streak, a meeting in which players said Dominique Wilkins was too selfish. But they’re now 21-14 since Wilkins returned from a broken hand and Wilkins is averaging 31.7 and 7.1 rebounds in that period. . . . Adjusting to his role of league spokesman, Shaquille O’Neal now is coming to games in a stocking mask to hide from reporters. “It’s Shaq `Ninja’ O’Neal,” teammate Jeff Turner said.
