WASHINGTON -- A grab-bag of analysis and observation from the 1999 NBA draft:
High riser: Trajan Langdon. The Duke sharpshooter was picked ahead of fellow
Blue Devils Corey Maggette and William Avery even though he lacked
Maggette's explosiveness and Avery's ability to play the point. In a draft
of specialty players, Langdon's outside shooting was a top commodity in a
league that couldn't shoot straight last season.
Slip-sliding away: Maggette. Once bandied about as a potential No. 1 overall
to Chicago, the Duke freshman slipped to the last spot in the lottery -- No.
13 and Seattle -- before being shipped to Orlando in a five-player, two-draft-pick trade.
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St. John's forward Ron Artest stands with NBA commissioner David Stern after being selected 16th by Chicago in the first round of the NBA draft. |
Center doesn't hold: The first U.S. center wasn't picked until Jeff Foster
at No. 21. Foreigners Aleksandar Radojevic (No. 12 to Toronto) and Frederic
Weis (No. 15 to New York) are major projects, but apparently held more
potential than Northwestern's Evan Eschmeyer (No. 34 to New Jersey) or
Washington's Todd MacCulloch (No. 47 to Philadelphia), who is Canadian but
played at the University of Washington.
Best deal/worst-kept secret: Jonathan Bender to the Pacers for Antonio
Davis. Toronto coach Butch Carter all but made it official in a TNT interview, saying "we wanted
to send a message to our veterans that we want to win now, and Antonio does
that." Davis, who can play power forward or center if the Raptors want to go
small, certainly sends that message while allowing the Raptors to let
Charles Oakley exit via free agency. Expect this deal to include more than
just a straight-up swap.
Immediate impact: Wally Szczerbiak. When Minnesota lost Tom Gugliotta,
everyone in the Land 'o Lakes wondered who would play alongside Kevin
Garnett in the frontcourt. After a one-year experiment with Joe Smith, the
Timberwolves found their man in Szczerbiak.
Waiting game: Jumaine Jones. Projected as a lottery pick, the Georgia
sophomore was left as the only player in the Green Room when Tim James was
picked at No. 25. Jones didn't get to press the flesh with commissioner
David Stern until No. 27 with Atlanta's fourth pick of the round.
Random question: If Lamar Odom has a good year, is he eligible for comeback
player of the year?
Second-round steal: Eschmeyer. New Jersey needed some size up front and it
fell into the Nets' lap at No. 34. Eschmeyer isn't afraid to mix it up and
doesn't need a lot of shots to be effective. That's a good thing, seeing as
how the Nets barely have enough balls to go around with Stephon Marbury,
Keith Van Horn, Kerry Kittles and Kendall Gill.
Tough-luck case: Ron Artest. Falling out of the lottery, the New York native
could have been picked by the Knicks at No. 15. Instead New York opted for
size in French project Frederic Weis, and Artest went at No. 16 to Chicago.
Best haul: Tie -- Chicago and Minnesota. With four overall picks, the Bulls
got big in a hurry -- Elton Brand (6-8, 260 pounds), Michael Ruffin (6-8,
248) and Lari Ketner (6-10, 285) all like to bang, and even Artest, who
could play shooting guard, tips the scales at a robust 246. The Timberwolves got an outside shooter in Szczerbiak and a point guard of the future in Avery.
Least with most: Atlanta. The Hawks had a chance to remake their roster with
four first-round picks after bottoming out in the playoffs. Instead, only
Jason Terry looks ready to play right away. Cal Bowdler played at Old
Dominion and will have to adjust to big-time competition, Dion Glover blew
out his knee last October and just started working out again and Jumaine
Jones was traded to Philadelphia for a future first-round pick. They also
shipped their second-round pick, Roberto Bergersen, to Portland for cash
considerations.
Most with least: It was going to be Seattle, until the Sonics gutted their roster by shipping Maggette and three current players to Orlando for Horace Grant and two future second-rounders. With Vin Baker opting out of his contract, Seattle got a replacement power forward and cleared a ton of cap room. But passing on a potential superstar like Maggette, the player who
most resembles Vince Carter in this year's draft, could come back to haunt
Seattle.
Best dressed: Steve Francis. In an all-black ensemble, Francis' attire
matched his mood after being picked by Vancouver. Francis acted like he was
at a funeral instead of the NBA draft. Honorable mention: Terry, in a
cobalt-blue three-button long coat ... and his lucky game socks, which he wore throughout his career at Arizona.
Worst dressed: Baron Davis, although not by his design. A stylish cream
outfit could have helped him make a run at best dressed, but the teal
Hornets hat ruined the look. Honorable mention: Odom, who donned
a tan suit with light blue stripes, a light blue shirt and multicolored tie.
Build for tomorrow: Indiana. The Pacers, who saw their aging legs painfully
exposed during the Eastern Conference finals against the Knicks, will put
high-schooler Bender next to last year's first-round pick, prep
star Al Harrington, as soon as the swap with the Raptors becomes official.
Top quote: Artest on
his sleepless night before the draft: "I was up all night. I was
ironing clothes that didn't need to be ironed. I was ironing my
socks, underwear, dollar bills. I went to sleep at like 2 in the
morning and woke up at 7. I even ironed by brother's pants. I was
so nervous. Anybody need any clothes ironed? I'll iron anybody's
clothes."
Wait 'til next year: The pick-less Portland Trail Blazers, until they
swooped in and grabbed Bergersen from Atlanta just before Rod Thorn
announced the final pick.