2001 NBA Draft
by Steve Goldman, staff writer
June 29, 2001
1. Kwame Brown, PF, Washington Bullets- The first
initial overall selection to be chosen from the high school ranks, he comes
from Glynn Academy High School in Georgia. 6-11, 240. Can score from the inside
and outside, handle the ball and get up and down the floor. "We feel like
we have a quality kid and his potential is unbelievable," president of
operations Michael Jordan said. "We don't know what this kid is capable of
doing, that's the beauty of why we drafted him. We don't know. In a couple of
years he may be a star."
2. Tyson Chandler, PF, Chicago Bulls- Vancouver drafted Chandler and
then dealt him with F Brian Skinner for Elton Brand. Chandler is a 7-1,
225-pound athlete from Dominguez (CA) High School. Needs to bulk up, and may
move to small forward until he does. Has a nice jumper.
3. Pau Gasol, SF, Atlanta Hawks- The highest draft pick ever to come directly
from a foreign country. A 7-1 “small” forward who played for FC Barcelona,
Spain, where he averaged 18.5 points and 6 rebounds this year while shooting
almost 70 percent from the floor. 20 years old. Not particularly fast, but a
well-rounded player. When all is said and done, Gasol will end up with the
Grizzlies. The two teams agreed on a trade which will send him, G Brevin Knight
and C Lorenzen Wright in exchange for Shareef Abdur-Rahim. "He's played at
a high level of European basketball," Vancouver GM Billy Knight said.
"He has a lot of experience that a lot of 20-year-olds don't have. We
think he has the potential to be an outstanding player."
4. Eddy Curry, C, Chicago Bulls- The third high school player taken
among the top 4 picks. Comes from Thornwood (IL) High School. A fine physical specimen
but is a ways off from being a scoring threat. At 6-11, 285, is often compared
to Shaquille O¹Neal. Is fast like O¹Neal, but needs to work on his stamina. "Youth
is a concern," GM Jerry Krause said of Curry and Chandler. "But when we
got the opportunity to get two players who we had ranked in the top couple on
the board, it's hard to turn that down. Two young athletes like that don't come
along that often. This is not a denigration of anybody else
because I can't say enough good things about Elton. He's going to be an All-Star.
We just got a unique chance. . . . The last time we got two athletes in this
building as good as [Chandler and Curry] in one day was the day [Scottie]
Pippen and [Horace] Grant came here [in 1987]. I was pretty happy that
day."
5. Jason Richardson, Golden State Warriors- The first collegiate player taken.
The 6-6 small forward comes out after a short but impressive two years at
Michigan State, where he averaged 14.7 points per game this year. Incredible
athlete who can penetrate. Needs work on shooting and foul shooting. "I
can't wait to get out there," Richardson said. "I'm a student of the
game and watch other players. It's all about rebuilding, and I'm a player
who hates to lose. I fit in great with the Warriors. I fit in perfect if I'm a starter
or a role player."
6. Shane Battier, SF, Vancouver Grizzlies- National champion Duke¹s
leader. Averaged 19.9 points and 7.3 rebounds as a senior. All-around player;
one of the best defenders in the country. 6-8, 220. Chosen by many
organizations as the NCAA player of the year. "You like to add a guy with
charm, intelligence and good looks, but you also like to get a guy who is a
player, too," Knight said. "We got a guy who can help be the
foundation of this team."
7. Eddie Griffin, PF, Houston Rockets- Comes out after his freshman year
at Seton Hall. Great athlete who needs to work on his shooting. Also was expelled
from high school because of a fight, and later hit a collegiate teammate.
Averaged 17.8 ppg, 10.8 rpg and 4.4 blocks. Griffin was chosen by the Nets, who
then swapped him for the Rockets¹ three first-round choices. "No way in
the world did we think we would have the opportunity to get this guy,"
coach Rudy Tomjanovich said. "Three picks help you fill some big holes.
(But) we think we got someone special. How many times do you get a chance to
get a special player? Now we got this guy."
8. DeSagana Diop, C, Cleveland Cavaliers-- Another prep star (Oak Hill Academy
in VA.) who has been compared to Shaq. 7-0, 300. A former soccer star in
Senegal who has only played basketball about 1 1/2 years. Imposing frame on
defense but needs time to develop his offensive skills. Suffered a stress
fracture in his foot in Feb. Good rebounder who can run. "I can score and
do a lot of good things," Diop said. "My defense is better than my
offensive skill and I think that is something normal. I've just got to try to
come and work and get better. I can shoot the ball pretty well for a big man. ³
9. Rodney White, PF, Detroit Pistons-- Played one year at Charlotte, averaging
18.7 ppg and 6.5 rpg. Good all-around player, but needs more experience. 6-9,
238. White was the man Detroit wanted. ³The way he plays, moves and shoots,
you¹d think he was Glenn (Robinson),² president Joe Dumars said.
10. Joe Johnson, SF, Boston Celtics-- 6-8, 225-pound sophomore from
Arkansas. Averaged 14.2 ppg and 6.4 rpg this year. Needs a lot of polish, but
is a good passer and ballhandler.6-8, 225.
11. Kedrick Brown, SF, Boston Celtics- Comes from Okaloosa-Walton Community
College, and thus does not have experience against top competition. Very
athletic with a lot of potential, but that¹s all it is right now. 6-7, 225. “I¹m
ecstatic about the 10th and 11th pick, Joe Johnson and Kedrick,” coach Jim
O¹Brien said. “I wrote down my wish list from a talent standpoint. I wanted
three-point shooters that are athletic and can handle the basketball. I think
people like that are exactly what we needed.”
12. Vladimir Radmanovic, Seattle Supersonics-- The second international player
chosen, he comes from Yugoslavia. Good shooter, defender and passer. A bit thin
at 6-9, 205. "We felt like we needed a big man," Coach Nate McMillan
said. "And the guys that were left for us, (Brendan) Haywood and (Stephen)
Hunter, there were some red flags that we had about those guys. And
(Radmanovic) was the guy we felt had the best ability."
13. Richard Jefferson, SF, New Jersey Nets-- Comes out after his junior
year at Arizona. 6-7, 225. Good shooter, defender and leader. Athletic.
Averaged 11.3 ppg in 2000-01. The Nets actually used their lone first-round
pick on Griffin, and dealt him for the three choices made by Houston in the
round. “We really like Richard Jefferson,” president Rod Thorn said. “We think
he is one of the best athletes in the draft. He plays two positions and is a tremendous
defender. We felt he would be there at 13, and that really triggered (the
trade).”
14. Troy Murphy, PF, Golden State Warriors-- Comes out after
averaging 21.8 ppg and 9.2 rpg as a junior at Notre Dame. Good shooter, but
needs work on his power game to become a capable power forward. A leader. 6-11.
"How can you argue about a guy who's a big man and can put up
numbers?" coach Dave Cowens said, "That's pretty nice -- we're
fortunate to get him. I'm very pleased, it makes me very happy when you can get
a big guy who can shoot. 'Bigs' win for you."
15. Steven Hunter, C, Orlando Magic-- Averaged 11.4 points as a soph at DePaul.
Needs to work on his shooting, and that includes at the line. Not ready to
contribute at the NBA level just yet. A bit skinny at 7-0,
215. "He is not a great player,” coach Doc Rivers said. “He's not even a
good player yet. But you look at his athletic ability, his size and what we believe
is his intent to improve, and he has a chance to be like one of the young guys
who went at the top of the draft."
16. Kirk Haston, Charlotte Hornets-- 6-10, 230. Comes out after
his junior campaign at Indiana, where he averaged 19.0 ppg and 8.7 rpg this year.
Good all-around player. 6-10, 230. "He is a big-play shooter,” GM Jeff Bower
said. “That registered very loudly. One of the comments I heard from two Big
Ten coaches is this is a player who is not afraid of end-of-game situations.
This is a player who wanted the ball."
17. Michael Bradley, PF, Toronto Raptors-- Averaged 21.1 ppg and 10.5
rpg in this, his junior year at Villanova, while leading the nation with a 69.2
percent field goal clip. At 6-10, 245, he played center there but will move to
power forward in the NBA. Has good all-around skills. "We felt Michael was
the best player available at that time," GM Glen Grunwald said. "And
we're hopeful that he will have some veteran big guys to work with and learn
from."
18. Jason Collins, C, New Jersey Nets-- Comes from Stanford, where he
was a sophomore after being redshirted twice. The 6-11, 255-pounder has a well-rounded
game, but seems to injure easily. 14.6 ppg, 7.8 rpg this year. "He
basically plays the same position as Keith (Van Horne)," Thorn said. "There
was some speculation at the time we took (Griffin) that Keith better pack his
bags because how are we going to play three guys together. That has some merit.
We think Keith is going to have a big year for us."
19. Zach Randolph, PF, Portland Trailblazers-- Played one year at
Michigan State before deciding to turn pro. Will move to power forward from his
center position. Not a good shooter, inexperienced and is slow. May not be a good
fantasy player even if he does develop his game. Averaged 10.8 ppg and 6.8 rpg
in 19.8 minutes. 6-9, 275. "If he has a good summer and a good camp, I would
say he probably could play some minutes and get some rebounds," president
Bob Whitsitt said. "But there is a lot of his game, obviously, that isn't
going to be ready. We didn't take Zach with the idea that, 'Oh my goodness, he
has got to be this or that next season.' We're comfortable developing him.
Whenever he's ready, he's ready."
20. Brendan Haywood, C, Orlando Magic-- As North Carolina¹s center, he
showed a huge upside, but lacked consistency. When he is on his game, he can
score, rebound and play defense. 12.3 ppg and 7.3 rpg in 2000-01. Horrible foul
shooter. 7-0, 268. Cleveland drafted Haywood and then traded him to Orlando for
C Michael Doleac. Doleac was dealt in order to clear salary cap room. “I don¹t
know if you can ever have enough size,” GM John Gabriel said of Hunter and
Haywood. ³We wanted to give ourselves a chance to make improvement in the
frontcourt, and there are no guarantees with free agency. I thought we did that
tonight.”
21. Joseph Forte, SG, Boston Celtics-- Only the second guard
selected. 20.9 ppg, 6.1 rpg, 3.5 apg as a sophomore at North Carolina. A good
shooter who had good collegiate three-point ability. 6-4, 185. “We just felt
Joe Forte was the best player available by a wide margin,” director of player
personnel Leo Papile said. “If this draft was held last Oct. 15, he would have
gone [from Nos.] 4 to 7. You might say, `why did he slip?' The reason is
because of the real depth of this draft. We rated him the No. 2 shooting guard
in the draft.”
22. Jeryl Sasser, PG, Orlando Magic- The first point guard taken in the draft,
though he averaged just 4.1 apg to go with his 17-point average as a senior at
SMU. Needs to work on his shooting range and selection. 6-6, 200.
23. Brandon Armstrong, New Jersey Nets-- 6-4, 180. Played at Pepperdine,
and
came out after averaging 22.1 ppg as a second-year player. Good range and
excellent free throw shooter.
24. Raul Lopez, PG, Utah Jazz-- The second
player taken from Spain. A gamble, with his 5-11 height and the fact the Jazz
will have to wait for him. Plays for the Real Madrid club, with whom he is
under contract for four years. Utah thinks Lopez will be able to play for them
in two years. The buyout price will be $5 million, whenever it does happen.
Averaged 6.6 points and 2.3 assists, but showed long-range shooting ability. "In
building for the future, we feel he was the best point guard available to us,”
VP of operations Kevin O¹Connor said ³The big consideration we had was the
future."
25. Gerald Wallace, SF, Sacramento Kings-- A freshman from Alabama.
Tends to be too headstrong. Needs work on long-range and foul shooting, and
needs a lot of work overall. A project. 9.8 ppg. 6-7, 210. Started just twice
at Alabama, but Wallace says he was playing out of position. "He's a
world-class athlete," president Geoff Petrie said, "a special athlete
with size and strength and speed and quickness. His potential upside, if it
happens, could be something special."
26. Samuel Dalembert, C, Philadelphia 76ers-- Has been compared to a
young Theo Ratleff, but he has work to do to get to that level. Miles away from
being a solid pro. Doesn't have a shot anyway. Averaged 8.3 ppg as a soph at Seton
Hall. Born in Haiti, where he lived until he was 14. Needs to put some beef on
his 6-11, 230-pound frame.6-11, 230. The Sixers were all set to pick Wallace
when the Kings grabbed him, and had to settle for Dalembert. "He was the
best player there,” coach Larry Brown said. “He's the best athlete, I thought
he had the biggest upside.”
27. Jamaal Tinsley, PG, Atlanta Hawks-- Averaged 14.3 points and 6.0
assists as senior at Iowa State. Still has a lot to learn, especially on
defense, and his free-throw accuracy is low for a guard. Tinsley was drafted by
Vancouver and then traded to Atlanta for a future pick.
28. Tony Parker, PG, San Antonio Spurs-- Played for Paris Basket Racing in
France. Can put up the numbers, but is not NBA caliber yet, and is a project.
6-2, 175. 19 years old. "We're thrilled," coach and GM Gregg Popovich
said. "Parker's a heck of a player. You don't fill needs with the 28th
player taken in the draft. You hope to get a guy who will fill a role for you
in a couple of years. With Parker, we hope we got more than that."
29. forfeited (Minnesota)
30. Trenton Hassell, SG, Chicago Bulls-- Some wonder why he slipped
so far, because he has demonstrated the ability to do everything you might ask.
Could be because Austin Peay isn¹t as big-name a school as some others. 6-5, 200.
Netted 21.7 ppg, 7.7 rpg and 4.4 apg as a senior while averaging more than
37 minutes.
31. Gilbert Arenas, SG, Golden State Warriors-- Good shooter, but his
6-3, 188-pound frame undoubtedly had something to do with his slippage. 16.2
ppg as a soph at Arizona this year, but needs work on his defense.
32. Omar Cook, PG, Denver Nuggets-- Drafted by Orlando and then traded
to the Nuggets. Showed the ability to run the point while averaging more than 38
minutes as a freshman at St. John¹s. Can shoot too, but has an on-court attitude
problem. 6-1, 190.
33. Will Solomon,PG, Vancouver Grizzlies-- A small (6-1, 185) shooting
guard at Clemson, and will have to switch to the point in the pros. A risky proposition,
especially since he isn¹t a great athlete. Came out as a junior after averaging
19.6 points.
34. Terence Morris, SF, Houston Rockets-- Chosen by Atlanta and then
dealt to Houston.Averaged 12.2 points and 7.7 boards as a senior at Maryland.
6-9, 205. Has a reputation as somewhat of a head case on the court.
35. Brian Scalabrine, PF, New Jersey Nets-- A player with great attitude
who has shown good all-around ability. Averaged 14.7 ppg as a senior at USC. 6-9,250.
36. Jeff Trepagnier, SG, Cleveland Cavaliers-- A great athlete who can
run and jump. Can put them in from the outside too. Needs work on his defense.
Good attitude. A 9.0-point average at USC this year. 6-4,195.
37. Damone Brown, SF, Philadelphia 76ers-- A smart player with good all-around
skills, but not a good outside shooter. 16.4 ppg and 8.8 rpg at Syracuse this
year, and did hit close to 80 percent of his foul shots. 6-9, 200.
38. Mehmet Okur, PF, Detroit Pistons-- Playing in the Suproleague in
Turkey, he averaged 7.3 ppg in 16.2 minutes. Played on multiple national teams.
Good outside shooter. 6-11, 249.
39. Michael Wright, PF, New York Knicks-- At 6-7, 238, might be too
small for power forward and not quick enough for small forward. Averaged 15.6
ppg and 7.8 rpg as a junior at Arizona, where he played inside the paint.
Not a good outside shooter but can hit his free throws.
40. Earl Watson, PG, Seattle Supersonics-- A very capable point guard
from UCLA, where he netted 5.2 apg this year. Averaged 14.7 ppg as a senior, helped
by a fine shooting touch. 6-1, 190.
41. Jamison Brewer, PG, Indiana Pacers-- Came out after his sophomore
season at Auburn, in which he averaged 8.4 ppg and 5.2 apg. Not a good outside
or free-throw shooter. 6-4, 180.
42. Bobby Simmons, SF, Seattle Supersonics-- A good offensive player who
can slash to the hoop as well as shoot, but lacking on defense. The DePaul junior
scored at 16.7 ppg this year, while pulling down 8.6 boards. 6-7,210
43. Eric Chenowith, C, New York Knicks-- A big (7-1, 270) pivot man
whose heart has often been questioned while at Kansas. Averaged only 9.5 ppg
and 7.6 rpg in just 22.7 minutes as a senior.
44. Kyle Hill, PG, Dallas Mavericks-- Has shown very good all-around ability,
but played for a small school (Eastern Illinois). Averaged 23.8 ppg and 4.0 apg
as a senior. 6-2, 180. Outstanding free throw shooter.
45. Sean Lampley, SF, Chicago Bulls-- Has good all-around offensive
skills, but might need to switch to shooting guard, which would be quite a
change in roles from the one he had at California, in which he was often a lot
closer to the hoop. Had 7.2 boards as senior, but will have trouble getting
many as a pro, in all likelihood.
46. Loren Woods, C, Minnesota Timberwolves-- Good skills for a big man.
Can run the floor. 7-1, 244. As a senior at Arizona, averaged 13.2 ppg but only
6.5 rpg. Did block 2.9 shots per contest. Had been expected by many to go much
higher.
47. Ousmane Cisse, PF, Denver Nuggets-- Had to be disappointed to be
drafted this low after foregoing college. At St. Jude (AL) High School, showed
that his defense is ahead of his offense. Can score in close, but needs at
least a medium-range shot. 6-8, 238.
48. Antonis Fotsis, SG, Vancouver Grizzlies-- Plays with Panathinaikos
in Greece. Very good offensive player who has some moves. Needs to work on defense.
Very skinny at 6-9, 210.
49. Ken Johnson, C, Miami Heat-- His forte is the blocked shot; he
averaged 4 per game as a fifth-year senior at Ohio State. Had 12.5 ppg, mostly
from close to the hoop. Defense is far better than his offense. 6-11, 235.
50. Ruben Boumtje-Boumtje, C, Portland Trail Blazers-- Comes from
Cameroon, but played at Georgetown. Averaged less than 10 ppg this year,
playing a little more than half the time. 7-0, 257.
51. Alton Ford,PF, Phoenix Suns-- Came out after one year at Houston.
The question is why. Didn¹t exactly set the world on fire with his 10.8 ppg average,
6-8, 271. Not a good outside shooter.
52. Andre Hutson, PF, Michigan State-- Averaged 13.8 ppg, 7.6 rpg as a senior
at Michigan State. Tough on the inside, but has some range on his jumper. Hit
62.5 percent of his shots this year. 6-8, 240.
53. Jarron Collins, PF, Utah Jazz-- Jason¹s twin. He must not have eaten
as many vegetables though, because he¹s an inch shorter at 6-10. 12.8 ppg, 6.7 rpg
as a senior at Stanford. Can score around the basket, but that¹s pretty much
the extent of it.
54.Kenny Satterfield, PG, Dallas Mavericks-- 14.4 ppg, 4.9 apg as a soph
at Cincinnati. Has skills, but needs to work on discipline and defense and develop
his jump shot. Coming out early didn¹t help him. 6-2, 185.
55. Maurice Jeffers, SG, Sacramento Kings-- At 6-4, 295, might be a bit
small to play shooting guard in the NBA. Averaged 16 ppg as a senior for St. Louis.
Demonstrated he can hit the three-pointer, although he was very selective about
that shot.
56. Robertas Javtokas,PF, San Antonio Spurs-- Played for Lietuvos Ritas
for 1 1/2 years after one semester at Arizona. Averaged 11.2 ppg and 8.4 rpg in
23.7 minutes over first 22 games this year. Great jumper but awful foul shooter.
Also a bit thin at 6-10, 200.
57. Alvin Jones, C, Philadelphia 76ers-- 13.4 ppg, 10.4 rpg and 3.3
blocks for Georgia Tech this year. Very good defensive player who gets most of
his points from close to the basket. Not a good fantasy prospect. 6-11,
265.
58. Bryan Bracey, SF, San Antonio Spurs-- 18.6 ppg and 7.1 rpg led his
Oregon squad this year. All-PAC 10 selection. Very good athlete, but needs work
on his ballhandling. 6-7, 210.
