Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, June 30, 1994 TAG: 9407010011
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: INDIANAPOLIS LENGTH: Medium
To nobody's surprise, he was the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft Wednesday night, and now he's expected to be both a superstar player and a Jordanesque personality.
``Everybody wants to be like Mike, but I'm not going to try to be like him,'' said Robinson, who takes his tremendous all-around game to the Milwaukee Bucks.
``I'm going to try to be myself. A lot of people say that the number one player is one of the best and I want to be considered one of the best.''
The 6-foot-8 forward from Purdue was unquestionably the best player in the nation last season, when he led NCAA Division I with a 30.3-point scoring average.
Just as the Bucks' selection of Robinson was expected, the next several picks also went according to form.
The Dallas Mavericks, drafting second, went with California point guard Jason Kidd and the Detroit Pistons took Duke's do-everything forward, Grant Hill.
The Minnesota Timberwolves then selected Connecticut forward Donyell Marshall, the Washington Bullets drafted Michigan forward Juwan Howard, the Philadelphia 76ers picked Clemson forward-center Sharone Wright and the Los Angeles Clippers chose Kidd's Cal teammate, forward Lamond Murray.
Hill was the only senior among the first seven players selected. Three other underclassmen also went in the first round; the total of nine tied the record set in 1982.
Much of the night's excitement was devoted to rumors of a big trade involving the best players on the Chicago Bulls and Seattle SuperSonics - Scottie Pippen and Shawn Kemp. The trade didn't materialize, however.
Florida State's Charlie Ward, the Heisman Trophy quarterback who was passed over in April's NFL draft, was chosen by the New York Knicks with the second-to-last pick of the first round. The 6-2 point guard is considered a superb floor leader.
But Kidd was unquestionably the best point guard available. Kidd, 6-4, led the nation in assists, holds California's record for steals and should start next to Jimmy Jackson in the Mavericks' backcourt.
The Mavericks will need to more than double last year's 13 wins to make the playoffs. Dallas has been the NBA's worst team two years running.
While Robinson is being called the most complete player to come out of college since Larry Bird and Magic Johnson in 1979, Kidd is most often compared to Johnson.
Like Johnson, Kidd left college after his sophomore season. Like Johnson, Kidd seems to have a sixth sense when it comes to finding teammates with no-look passes. And like Johnson, Kidd joins the NBA with a reputation as a poor outside shooter.
Detroit has gone quickly from championship contender to awful also-ran but hopes the 6-8 Hill can help continue its rebuilding process.
Marshall, 6-9, had expected to go to Minnesota all along and was looking forward to playing alongside Hill's former Duke teammate, Christian Laettner. Marshall averaged 25.1 points last season and holds Connecticut's record for career blocked shots.
Howard, 6-9, was considered the best low-post scorer available and should start next to Tom Gugliotta in the Bullets' frontcourt.
Wright played center at Clemson but the 6-11, 260-pounder is expected to play power forward between the 76ers' last two No. 1 draft picks, 7-6 Shawn Bradley and 6-7 Clarence Weatherspoon.
Murray, 6-7, averaged 24.3 points for Cal and is both a good outside shooter and an athletic inside player.
The second senior to be taken was Brian Grant, the 6-9 power forward out of Xavier, Ohio who improved his stock by starring in postseason workouts.
Seven-footer Eric Montross became Robert Parish's heir apparent when the Boston Celtics made him the ninth choice. Montross had helped North Carolina win the 1993 NCAA title but slipped as a senior.
Keywords:
BASKETBALL
by CNB