ATLANTA -- The Atlanta Hawks didn't
waste any time drafting someone to replace
Mookie Blaylock.
The Hawks used the 10th pick in Wednesday's
NBA draft -- acquired just 24 hours earlier in a
trade that sent Blaylock to Golden State -- to
select Arizona guard Jason Terry.
The 6-foot-2, 172-pound Terry averaged 21.9
points per game last season and was named a
first-team All-American. He is the only player
in Arizona history with 1,000 points and 200
steals in his career.
"I had no idea," Terry said at Washington's MCI Center, where the draft
was held. "Being there is great for me. Atlanta, huh? Wow."
The Hawks went into the draft with four first-round picks and a chance to
rebuild an aging team that was swept by the New York Knicks in the
second round of the playoffs.
Until Tuesday, the highest of those picks was No. 17, making it unlikely
Atlanta would be able to land someone who could step into lineup. So the
Hawks worked out the deal with Golden State, sending Blaylock and their
21st pick to the Warriors for the 10th selection, guard Bimbo Coles and
forward Duane Ferrell.
With their other first-round picks, the Hawks selected Old Dominion forward Cal Bowdler (No. 17), Georgia Tech guard Dion Glover (20) and Georgia forward Jumaine Jones. They later traded Jones to the Philadelphia 76ers for a future first-rounder.
The draft was deep in point guards, but the Hawks never had a chance at
Maryland's Steve Francis and UCLA's Baron Davis, chosen with the
second and third picks by Vancouver and Charlotte, respectively.
It appeared that Utah's Andre Miller might slip to the Hawks, but he was
chosen by Cleveland at No. 8. A surprisingly large turnout of 1,800,
watching the draft from the atrium of CNN Center, let out a collective groan
when Miller's name was called by commissioner David Stern.
Two picks later, the groans turned to cheers when Stern revealed the
Hawks were taking Terry, a lightning-quick player who should add spark to
Atlanta's stagnant offense.
This past season, the Hawks ranked next-to-last in scoring (86.3 points per
game). More troublesome, they averaged less than 16 assists per game, by
far the lowest figure in the league.
Terry was a key reserve when Arizona won the 1997 national
championship, but he had to wait until his final season to move into the
Wildcats' starting lineup. His path was blocked by future NBA players Mike
Bibby, Michael Dickerson and Miles Simon.
"I had to wait my turn," Terry said. "I followed behind three great players.
They taught me everything I know."
Well, everything except his numerous superstitions. Terry's pre-game ritual
includes sleeping in his uniform the night before and buying chicken fingers
but not eating them. He also wears five pairs of socks on the court.
In Washington, Terry pulled up the legs of his pants to reveal that he wore
two pair of socks to the draft: a dark pair that covered his lucky white socks
with the word "Cats" written down the side.
"I slept in my suit," he joked.