"The Big 6 Draft Preview..." (June 2, 1998)

The NBA draft is weaker than wind through a sealed window. That's weak. Everyone is talking about the big 6. Each player is about the same in skill, more or less. None of them are dominant and none can be a superstar, but all can be contributors. So who are these players? In no particular order they are:

Paul Pierce, F-G (Kansas)
Raef Lafrenz, F (Kansas)
Antawn Jamison, F (UNC)
Vince Carter, G-F (UNC)
Mike Bibby, G (Arizona)
Michael Olowakandi, C (Pacific)

Each player has certain skills. None of these players are really similar, except the argument can be made about Carter and Pierce since they are both swing forwards. So who will go where and why? Let me just through out that I like Michael Doleac from Utah, and I want him to go the Raptors with their second pick in the first round, but I doubt that will happen. It just seems to me that he'll go earlier. Back to the plot. The L.A. Clippers have the first pick overall. The last time the Clippers had the first pick overall, who did they take? Give up? Danny Manning. So the Clippers aren't that inept. They do have a good track record for 1st overall picks. Is there a Danny Manning in this draft? No way, but then again there are a lot of Charles Smiths (who for your information was one the other first round picks the Clips got that year along with Gary Grant in a trade for some young hotshot shooter from Bradley, Hersey Hawkins). I think the Clips will do the right thing and draft Mike Bibby. It's a small mans world these days. You can't win without a point guard (unless you have Michael Jordan or Scottie Pippen who play point guard). Not only do you need a point guard, you need a point guard who can score as well as distribute. The mold was cast with Isiah Thomas as the shoot first, pass second point guard, players like Tim Hardaway, Kevin Johnson, Gary Payton, Rod Strickland, Damon Stoudamire, Kenny Anderson, etc., have continued the tradition. I think the Clips will do so for a couple of reasons. They have no real point guard. I'm a huge UCLA fan and with the addition of Tyus Edney and Cameron Dollar, the Clippers could have the past 10 years of point guards from UCLA. They already have Pooh Richardson (who has been in the league for 10 years) and Darrick Martin. Pooh, I'm sad to say, is over. He's burnt out. It's time to retire Jerome. Darrick Martin is a ball of energy but I don't think he has the talent to be a top flight NBA point guard. As long as the Clips keep him at their starter they aren't going anywhere. Bibby should fix that and Martin becomes an exception backup. On occasion a back court of Bibby and Martin would be exciting. As well, the Clips have enough invested in big men with Maurice Taylor, Rodney Rogers, Keith Closs and Lorenzen Wright. So I doubt the Clips will go with Lafrenz or Jamison or Olowakandi. Pierce and Carter are possibilities but with Lamond Murray, no need for a small forward. But no shooting guards, since Brent Barry was traded, so maybe. But I think the money is on Bibby.

The Grizzlies have the second pick and I think they'll take Vince Carter. Maybe Paul Pierce. Carter is a great athlete and good shooter. He can handle the rock and take it to the rack. Paul Pierce has more experience at small forward but could move over to shooting guard. He too is an excellent athlete. Carter is more in the mold of Jerry Stackhouse, while Paul Pierce is closer to Derrick McKey, as he is a rangy type player. The Grizzlies could trade out of this pick down a couple spots and still get quality. They don't need a center with Reeves and a small forward with Abdur-Rahim. I think they'll stick with Daniels and hopes he grows, so they're set at point guard. They need a power forward, unless the Grizzlies are happy with Michael Smith and they need a shooting guard because Doug West and Sam Mack are not the answers. A trade with the Raptors is not out of the question.

The Nuggets pick third. They are such losers that they came in third in the biggest loser contest. With the three pick, and relying on my previous guesses, the Nuggets will select Michael Olowakandi. You need a big man and he is big. He's a project with some potential but he's an athlete and scouts love him. I'm thinking, Adonal Foyle, but scouts says he's more like Hakeem Olajuwon is potential. The Nuggets need just about everything. Dean Garrett, Denver's last year free agent signing at center, will probably be moved, most likely back to Minnesota. This will free up Olowakandi for drafting. The Nuggets have some decent talent, albeit young talent. Eric Williams a steal from Boston, is a young talent at small forward. Tony Battie is a bigger bust than what Dolly Parton has on her chest but he'll get another chance to play. Danny Forston was good in the first half, but hit the wall hard in the second half of the season. Bobby Jackson showed some skill but he's a problem child and from what I've read, will likely be moved at the right price. I hear the Nuggets want Chauncey Billups from the Raptors and are willing to part with Bobby Jackson. If the Nuggets swapped picks with the Raptors (so Toronto could take Olowakandi) and traded Billups for Jackson and a sweetener (maybe a second round pick or some other enticer), the Raptors might make that move. But Toronto is not impressed with Jackson's attitude, but he does have talent. Lafonso Ellis is a good player, but he's not the star he once was and with the proper talent will make a good 6th man. If Williams and Bryan Stith come back from injury, don't look for a swing forward. Battie was such a bust that it might be possible for Lafrenz or Jamison to be picked here. Maybe but I doubt it. If Bibby is available then he'd be taken for sure, but then again, if the Clips didn't take Bibby, the Grizzlies would.

The Raptors need to get big. I don't mean drafting undersized power forwards like Raef Lafrenz or Antawn Jamison, I mean big as in, a brute force center. Olowakandi is that man. He may not be a 20 point scorer or a 10 board per game man, but he's big, strong, fast and can bang. He's what the Raptors need. He might not be there at the four pick. With two other picks in the first round and a couple of players who might get moved (ie. Chauncey Billups, Doug Christie, Marcus Camby) the Raptors have room to maneuver. If they can trade up, it's Olowakandi. If not, then who knows? They could unload Christie and draft Carter or Pierce or give more playing time to Tracy McGrady. They could unload Camby and draft Lafrenz or Jamison. I just don't know. If everything plays out according to my guess and there is no trade, the Raptors will take the best player on the board in Antawn Jamison. He can score. He can rebound. He can run. He's small at 6'9" 223 lbs., but if he puts on about 10 pounds in the off season, he should be able to play power forward in the NBA.

Golden State picks five. Does it matter what they pick? They need it all. If Jimmy Jackson is back with Golden State and Donyell Marshall plays like he did last year, then they don't really need a Paul Pierce at swing forward. They could use a big man in Lafrenz to play power forward to either spell Jason Caffey (or replace him) as well as play beside Clarence Weatherspoon.

Dallas would be stuck with Paul Pierce with the 6th pick. This isn't all that bad. There is a question whether or not Cedric Ceballos will be back with Dallas. He won't. With all the contending teams needing scoring help out there, look for Cedric to go to a contender who needs him like Atlanta or Houston. If he goes they'll need a small forward/shooting guard to play with budding superstar, Michael Finley.

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