2002
NBA Draft Highlights
June 30, 2002
by Bob Radl, Staff Writer
The draft is the lifeline for all pro-sports teams. This is especially true in the NBA where one or two players can help to turn a team around. A great draft with a sudden impact player can provide a franchise with an immediate dividend. The "F" word was the buzz this year as forwards and foreign players dominated the draft. Teams must have soured on cage players as only one high school player was drafted this year. This years draft was considered to be fairly deep by NBA standards though. But time will tell if this draft was as rich as the 1984 draft that yielded four future Hall of Famers in the first round: Hakeem Olajuwon, Michael Jordan, John Stockton and Charles Barkley. Listed below are capsule profiles of some of the top picks from this year’s draft.
1. Yao Ming, 7' 5", C, (China), Houston. Ming has a nice touch out to 15 or 17 feet from the basket. He is very athletic and graceful for a man of his height. He will need to work on developing lower body strength in order to compete with stronger low post NBA players. He should be a defensive presence right from the word go with his ability to block shots. He will need to adapt to the speed of the NBA game to avoid constant foul trouble. When the U.S. played China in the 2000 Olympics, Kevin Garnett and Alonzo Mourning had no problem getting Yao into foul problems. Yao had 5 points and three rebounds before fouling out in 16 minutes in that game.
2. Jay Williams, 6' 2", PG, Chicago. Williams was a consensus All-American and the player of the year at Duke. Williams will be an immediate starter for the Bulls. He is very quick and explosive with a great feel for the basket. He already has NBA range on his shots, but needs to work on his free throws and reducing his turnovers. He has the potential to be the total package at PG.
3. Mike Dunleavy, 6' 9", SF, Memphis. Dunleavy was an early entry into the draft this year. He has the ability to play both forward positions as well as shooting guard. He has continued to grow and get stronger while at Duke. He has a big upside to his game and reads defenses well. He will need to continue to get stronger to defend the better small forwards in the league.
4. Drew Gooden, 6' 10", F, Golden State. Gooden was considered to be one of the more complete players in this years draft. He is very quick for his size and runs the floor well. He should be able to get minutes at both forward slots with the Grizzlies. He will be competing with Shane Battier, Paul Gasol and Stromile Swift in the mix at forward for Memphis.
5. Nikoloz Tskitishvili, 7' 0", (Italy), Denver. Tskitishvili is only 19 years old and stands 7' 0" with a nice soft touch from the outside. He can make the NBA three and has good ball handling skills for a player of his size. He has already been compared to Dirk Nowitzki and Paul Gasol, but remember that Tskitishvili is inexperienced for his age, as he did not see that much playing time in Europe. He will also need to get stronger to compete in the NBA. Still, great long term potential here.
6. Dajuan Wagner, 6' 3", PG, Cleveland. Wagner, who played only one year of high school ball, is physically mature for his age. He has NBA range, but must improve his shot selection. He can create his own shot, but questions remain about his ability to run the point or to play the off guard with the Cavs. If he were to team with Andre Miller on the court, the Cavs would have a small backcourt that is quite soft defensively. Some scouts see him more as a scorer than as a true point guard. This was a major reach by the Cavs at #6.
7. Maybyner "Nene" Hilario, 6' 11", (Brazil), Denver. Hilario is considered to be a presence already at his young age. He is very athletic and can block shots. He should make an immediate contribution on defense with the Nuggets. His offensive game is quite raw and needs to be developed. Nice upside choice for the Nuggets who acquired Hilario in a trade with the Knicks.
8. Chris Wilcox, 6' 10", PF, LA Clippers. Wilcox was another early entry whose stock took off during NCAA post season. Wilcox was considered one of the better athletes in this year’s draft. He improved a great deal during the year. He has an NBA type body and nice upside to his game. He needs to develop his offensive game and his shooting range.
9. Amare Stoudemire, 6' 10", PF, Phoenix. Stoudemire was the only high school player to be drafted in the first round this year. Stoudemire is very powerful and quick for his size, but needs to develop his range and game away from the basket. He has great potential and is said to be a hard worker. He will need a few years to develop. The Suns need help at PF, so Stoudemire could be the long-term answer.
10. Caron Butler, 6' 7", SF, Miami. Many draft scribes considered Butler to be the steal of the draft at #10. Remember Paul Pierce falling to #10 a few years ago? Butler should start from day one for the aging Miami Heat, a team badly in need of an infusion of youth. Butler was considered to be one of the more complete players in the draft. He could have an immediate impact in Miami as he can score and rebound well for a player of his size.
11. Jared Jeffries, 6' 11", F, Washington. Jeffries has a very nice game for a man of his size as he can score, rebound, block shots and pass well for a forward. He will need to improve his range and get stronger as he is quite thin. He should see instant minutes for the Wizards this year. How much he plays will depend on whether Michael Jordan returns for another season. Still, a nice long term pick.
12. Melvin Ely, 6' 10", PF, LA Clippers. The Clippers really loaded up on frontcourt players with the addition of Ely. They will almost be forced to make a deal as they have a bottleneck at PF with Ely, Wilcox and Elton Brand. He is considered to be a good rebounder and someone who can score in the paint.
13. Marcus Haislip, 6' 10", F, Milwaukee. The Bucks potentially addressed one of their weaker position with the addition of Haislip. He is a very active athletic player with a 40" vertical leap. The Bucks hope that he can grow into the power forward that they need to move to the next level.
14. Fred Jones, 6' 4", G, Indiana. He is a very strong guard with the build of a linebacker. Jones is also a great leaper, but needs to improve his ballhandling and shooting. The Pacers can take their time with him.
15. Bostjan Nachbar, 6' 9", Houston. Nachbar is a scorer who combines great athleticism with intelligence. He has a nice touch from the outside and reminds scouts of Peja Stojakovic. The Rockets liked him from the beginning. Must work on his defense to play consistent minutes. He should see some minutes as a rookie.
OTHER NOTABLE DRAFT CHOICES:
17. Juan Dixon, 6' 3", G, Washington. Dixon was a nice choice at the point in the draft. His ability to play defense combined with his competitive nature will insure him some minutes as rookie with the Wizards. Scouts are still trying to decide whether he is a true point guard or a combo guard.
21. Qyntel Woods, 6' 9", F, Portland. Woods was considered to be one of the more athletic players in this year’s draft. Many NBA scribes felt that he would go much earlier in the first round. Woods has already drawn comparisons to Tracy McGrady. Let's hope that the Blazers take more time to develop this talent than they did with Jermaine O'Neal.
28. Dan Dickau, 6'0", PG, Atlanta. Dickau is almost guaranteed to see minutes this year for the Hawks. The Hawks may pair him with Jason Terry on the court at the same time for more offense. Dickau is an outstanding shooter and a good playmaker, but needs to improve his defense.
30. Steve Logan, 5' 10" PG, Golden State. Logan received a long list of awards after his senior year at Cincinnati. He averaged 22 points per game as a senior and ranked second on the school's All-time scoring list behind Hall of Famer Oscar Robertson.
35. Carlos Boozer, 6' 9" F, Cleveland. Boozer comes from a fine college program and has a strong work ethic. Most NBA scribes felt that he had a good chance to be a late first round draft pick. He could see immediate playing time for the Cavs, a team sorely in need of a frontcourt defensive presence.
