Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, June 29, 1995 TAG: 9506290056
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: TORONTO LENGTH: Medium
The first five selections Wednesday night were players younger than 21, including four who left school after their sophomore years and one straight out of high school.
The Golden State Warriors made Joe Smith, a 6-foot-10 forward from Maryland with silky inside moves, the first pick. The Los Angeles Clippers followed with another forward, Antonio McDyess, a player largely unnoticed during his two years at Alabama until his strong postseason.
Later, the Clippers traded the rights to McDyess along with Randy Woods to Denver for the 15th pick, Brent Barry of Oregon State, and forward Rodney Rogers.
San Antonio closed the first round by taking Cory Alexander of Virginia, the record 10th underclassman selected.
The 6-1 guard missed the 1993-94 season with a broken right ankle and was limited to 20 games last season as a junior when he broke the same ankle. He averaged 16.7 points last season, shooting 35 percent from 3-point range.
The Atlantic Coast Conference had 10 players drafted, including a record eight in the first round.
With NBA commissioner David Stern announcing the selections for the first NBA draft held outside the United States, Philadelphia used the third choice to take North Carolina's Jerry Stackhouse, a forward expected to play shooting guard.
The fourth selection belonged to Washington, which went for another sophomore Tar Heel - Rasheed Wallace, a 6-10 center-forward who shot 65 percent from the field.
Minnesota went fifth, producing the biggest question mark of the draft, Chicago high schooler Kevin Garnett. The rail-thin 6-10 forward is only the fourth high school player ever selected in the NBA draft.
``I've seen a lot in my 19 years,'' Garnett said. ``I do not think I'm the average 19-year-old. Given the chance, I'm going to prove to all of you that I am man enough to take what is given and mature enough to give it out.''
McDyess, Stackhouse and Wallace are 20, and Smith will be 20 next month. Despite their tantalizing talent, all come with questions about how soon they can make an impact.
Not until the expansion Vancouver Grizzlies took Bryant Reeves, the best true center, at No.6 was a four-year player selected.
The NBA's other new franchise, the Toronto Raptors, made Arizona point guard Damon Stoudamire a surprise seventh choice. The Raptors already had a point guard, former Chicago Bull B.J. Armstrong, from the expansion draft, but general manager Isiah Thomas said Armstrong would be traded.
The selection of Stoudamire drew a mixed reaction from the crowd of 21,268 fans in the SkyDome.
Smith became the third sophomore selected No. 1 overall, following Magic Johnson in 1979 and Chris Webber in 1993. Smith also was the first No. 1 pick from Maryland since John Lucas, selected by Houston in 1976.
``When I got to Maryland, no one expected me to have as successful a season as I had,'' said Smith, who was not heavily recruited out of high school. ``I came out and surprised everybody, even myself.''
In Oakland Coliseum Arena, about 2,000 fans cheered wildly when Smith's name was announced.
``You will love this guy,'' new Warriors general manager Dave Twardzik told the fans. ``He's a blue-collar worker, he's going to do a lot of dirty work for us.''
Last year with the Terrapins, Smith averaged 20.8 points, 10.6 rebounds and 2.9 blocks a game. For the Warriors, he fills a void up front left by the departure of Webber, top pick of the 1993 draft who was traded to Washington early last season after a dispute with former Golden State coach Don Nelson.
``He's a guy that has improved every year, we think there's still a tremendous amount of growth to him,'' Twardzik said. ``He brings us size and mobility, he can defend and he can score. He has a great presence on the floor.''
Stackhouse, who was projected as the second pick but didn't want to play for the hapless Clippers, was thrilled to slip to third.
``When I heard McDyess at No.2, I was as happy as if they had called my name.''
And McDyess was relieved to swap his Clippers cap for one with the Nuggets' name on it.
``It is a better program and situation for myself,'' he said. ``I will be able to learn a lot from [center] Dikembe Mutombo.''
Portland, which had traded with Detroit to get the eighth pick, took shooting guard Shawn Respert of Michigan State. The Trail Blazers traded his rights to Milwaukee for 11th selection Gary Trent of Ohio and a 1996 first-round pick.
The four-hour draft ended with Detroit's selection of Georgetown's Don Reid, the 58th pick.
Keywords:
BASKETBALL
by CNB