THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, June 23, 1996 TAG: 9606230206
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C5 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY CLIFTON BROWN, THE NEW YORK TIMES
LENGTH: 101 lines
It would take clairvoyance to predict exactly what will happen Wednesday in the NBA draft. It appears that the Philadelphia 76ers will take Allen Iverson with the No. 1 pick, but even that is not certain.
Shareef Abdur-Rahim, the talented Cal forward, was in the draft, then out of the draft, is back in the draft. The Minnesota Timberwolves want to trade for a higher pick, hoping to draft Stephon Marbury.
And two high school stars, Kobe Bryant and Jermaine O'Neal, will tantalize teams with their future potential.
Those are some of the subplots that make this draft one of the most unpredictable in recent years.
What about Iverson, who flashed from Hampton's Bethel High into the national spotlight in his two years at Georgetown?
``I haven't made a final decision yet,'' said Brad Greenberg, Philadelphia's general manager. ``But to trade the pick . . . we'd have to feel that the deal was so attractive, so meaningful to this franchise, that it'd be a no-brainer.''
So look for Iverson to walk to the podium at Continental Airlines Arena in East Rutherford, N.J., grab a Sixers hat and smile as the No. 1 pick in the draft. The Sixers need a point guard, and they have a choice between Iverson and Marbury. But Iverson, the more offensive-minded and explosive of the two, is expected to get the nod.
``We have to take the guy who's going to have the strongest career, the guy who could be special,' said Greenberg. ``We're not looking for just one missing piece. We have to develop a talent base that can compete with the strong teams in the league.''
Iverson heads a draft dominated by underclassmen. At least the top seven picks are expected to be underclassmen. And two of the expected top five picks left college as freshmen: Abdur-Rahim and Marbury.
Abdur-Rahim's presence in the draft puts a new twist on the top five. After originally declaring for the draft, he held a news conference last month and said he had decided to remain at the University of California, saying he wanted to keep on ``being a kid.''
But the university has received a preliminary letter of inquiry from the NCAA, looking into possible rules violations. With California facing the chance of probation, Abdur-Rahim had another change of heart, and it was confirmed Friday that he had decided to turn pro.
A 6-foot-10-inch forward who can drive, handle the ball and shoot the jumper, Abdur-Rahim is so talented, he could be chosen as high as No. 2. That pick belongs to the Toronto Raptors, who had decided to take Marcus Camby, before Abdur-Rahim put himself back in the mix.
With Abdur-Rahim available, Raptors general manager Isiah Thomas admitted that he would consider drafting Abdur-Rahim.
``Yeah, I have to,'' said Thomas. ``And I'm getting some interesting phone calls, from people, trying to move up.''
Abdur-Rahim's decision is a blessing for the Vancouver Grizzlies, who have the No. 3 pick. Vancouver now looks certain to end up with a talented forward, either Camby or Abdur-Rahim. Meanwhile, Marbury, a talented point guard from Georgia Tech via Brooklyn, will not be passed over by the Milwaukee Bucks if he is still available.
Marbury wants to play for the Timberwolves, where he would join his good friend Kevin Garnett. Minnesota desperately needs a point guard, but Iverson and Marbury are likely to be gone before the Timberwolves pick at No. 5.
The Timberwolves would love to swap picks with Vancouver, and they have discussed various trades with the Grizzlies - deals that probably included either Isaiah Rider, Tom Gugliotta or Doug West. But unless the Timberwolves sweeten the deal, the Grizzlies are likely to keep their pick.
Stu Jackson, Vancouver's general manager, did not rule out the possibility of drafting Marbury, then trading him.
```At No. 3, I have to take the player who has the best asset value for this franchise,'' said Jackson. ``If I feel that player is Stephon Marbury, then that's who I'll choose. And if I were a betting man, I would say that it would not take very long for Stephon to fall in love with the city of Vancouver, and for our fans to fall in love with him. I would take my chances with that.''
Several teams are expected to take their chances with foreign big men in the first round. Projected to go between No. 14 and No. 29 are Zydrunas Ilgauskas, a 7-0 center from Lithuinia; Efthimis Retzias, a 6-11 center from Greece, and Vitaly Potapenko, 6-10 forward-center from Ukraine who played collegiately at Wright State in Dayton, Ohio.
This draft is deep at point guard and small forward, but thin at center and shooting guard. Asked to rate the draft, Jackson said, ``Good, not great. There is no franchise center like Shaquille O'Neal in the draft.''
There is also not a high school player as good as Garnett, whom Minnesota took at No. 5 last year. There have been rumors that Bryant, a 6-6 guard from Lower Merion, Pa., could go in the top 15, maybe even the top 10. But a team selecting Bryant that high would be taking a huge chance.
``Kobe is very skilled and he has a court presence and feel for the game, but there is no high school player who dominated the way Garnett did last year,'' said Greenberg. ``Kevin literally jumped out at you during the high school all-star games. To the well-trained eye, it wasn't difficult to see he was special. Kobe may not be able to contribute from Day 1, but in the near future, you're hoping he can mature into a player who can contribute.''
Until Wednesday's festivities conclude, phones will ring, deals will be discussed, and general managers will be on edge. This draft will be unpredictable. But it will be interesting to watch it unfold. ILLUSTRATION: Photo
Allen Iverson, until recently a Georgetown sophomore, heads a draft
dominated by college defectors. by CNB