THE NBA / MARK HEISLER : Don’t Mock These Draft Picks

As the finals demonstrated, this league could use some new stars, some new personalities.

Here come the candidates to be one or the other or both.

“In a league that lost Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson and Larry Bird, the question is who is going to replace them,” Indiana Pacer General Manager Donnie Walsh said.

“Shaq (O’Neal) has been pushed into the forefront, but I don’t know if he can handle it. These kids may be more of how the league wants to be represented.”

We’ll see, won’t we?

Here’s how it looks before Wednesday’s draft (heights are barefoot, and on that basis, Hakeem Olajuwon is really 6 feet 10 and Charles Barkley 6-4 1/2):

1. Milwaukee Bucks--Glenn Robinson, 6-7, 240, Purdue. Chicago Coach Phil Jackson says, “I don’t think he’s the greatest thing since sliced bread,” but admirers think the Big Dog is the closest thing we’ve seen to Bird since Bird. He’s a Big quiet Dog though. In school, he often didn’t talk after he’d had big games.

2. Dallas Mavericks--Jason Kidd, 6-3, 215, California. Admirers--such as Johnson--think he’s the best point guard prospect since Johnson. The Mavericks are sticking with him despite an arrest in a hit-and-run traffic case and word of a civil suit.

3. Detroit Pistons--Grant Hill, 6-8, 230, Duke. Duke Coach Mike Krzyzewski says anyone who passes on him will feel like Portland for passing on Jordan in ’84. Hill is a Scottie Pippen type who can play either guard or small forward but is bigger than Pippen and a better shooter than Pippen was at this stage. Wonderful young man with a glowing personality. David Stern must be burning incense under his picture.

4. Minnesota Timberwolves--Donyell Marshall, 6-8 1/2, 218, Connecticut. They like Juwan Howard, too, but they don’t think Christian Laettner can guard small forwards. They take this big-time prospect, even if he did have a shaky NCAA tournament.

5. Washington Bullets--Howard, 6-8 1/2, 253, Michigan. They’re delighted to take the Wolverine power forward, a true grinder who has already promised not to hold out, saying he needs to be in camp early, making him the general managers’ early candidate for the Nobel Peace Prize.

6. Philadelphia 76ers--Sharone Wright, 6-10, 279, Clemson. The 76ers get an athletic power forward to finish off their front line of 7-7 Shawn Bradley and burly Clarence Weatherspoon.

7. Clippers--Lamond Murray, 6-6 1/2, 236, Cal. They are reportedly offering this pick and Mark Jackson to Dallas for Jamal Mashburn, but if it doesn’t happen, they’ve always needed a shooter. He would also be insurance in case they don’t sign Dominique Wilkins, a growing possibility.

8. Sacramento Kings--Brian Grant, 6-8 1/2, 247, Xavier. He dialed his draft status up about 10 spots in postseason camps.

9. Boston Celtics--Eric Montross, 7-0 1/2, 275, North Carolina. They exhale after he gets past Sacramento and jump on him. NBA scout Marty Blake, whose chief job is to hype the draft, compared Montross to Greg Dreiling, but most people think he’s a lot better than that.

10. Lakers--Khalid Reeves, 6-1 1/2, 205, Arizona. Some people think he’s the next Joe Dumars, a heady, strong guard who can play both spots. Jerry West wisely forgets about need and grabs the best player. Maybe some day they can get a high pick and do it the easy way.

11. Seattle SuperSonics--Aaron McKie, 6-4 1/2, 216, Temple. With Bob Whitsitt gone, George Karl loath to get involved in personnel and Wally Walker newly arrived in the front office, they would rather trade the pick for a big man.

12. Miami Heat--Eric Mobley, 6-10 1/2, 259, Pittsburgh. Sophomore Yinka Dare was supposed to go in the lottery, looked bad in workouts, refused to visit here, thinking he was going higher, and keeps falling.

13. Denver Nuggets--Jalen Rose, 6-6, 231, Michigan. They want a point guard. He’s a weird player, but he can handle the ball and has a boss-type personality. He could hit big or miss completely.

14. New Jersey Nets--Eric Piatkowski, 6-6, 214, Nebraska. He wowed them at the Desert Classic in Phoenix. They’re still looking for a shooter to replace Drazen Petrovic.

15. Pacers--Tony Dumas, 6-4, 178, Missouri Kansas City. Little-known guy with big-time talent and question-mark head. You can just hear Larry Brown telling Walsh: “I can work with him!”

16. Golden State Warriors--Jim McIlvaine, 7-1, 244, Marquette. Don Nelson is telling people he’s no good, which suggests something. They really want to deal for a big player--Will Perdue and the Bulls’ pick?

17. Portland Trail Blazers--Wesley Person, 6-5 1/2, 192, Auburn. Chuck’s brother, quieter and, with a career 44% mark on three-pointers, the best shooter in the draft.

18. Bucks--Carlos Rogers, 6-10, 214, Tennessee State. Unpolished but athletic. Big haul for Mike Dunleavy.

19. Mavericks--Dare, 6-10 1/2, 271, George Washington. Incredible hulk but doesn’t react to the ball. In NBA terms, that’s like saying your pupils don’t dilate when they shine a light in your eye. With one solid pick in the bank, the Mavericks have a shot to take.

20. 76ers--Eddie Jones, 6-6, 190, Temple. A talented wing player who could have gone 10 picks higher.

21. Chicago Bulls--Greg Minor, 6-6, 228, Louisville. Averaged 13 a game as a senior but made all-star teams at Portsmouth and Phoenix draft camps.

22. San Antonio Spurs--Charlie Ward, 6-0 1/2, 184, Florida State. Texas’ B.J. Tyler is regarded as the second-best point guard in the draft, but he had a drinking problem and new owner Robert (Call Me General) McDermott likes them squeaky clean.

23. Phoenix Suns--Dickey Simpkins, 6-8 1/2, 245, Providence. Power forward who was all-tournament at Portsmouth and Phoenix.

24. New York Knicks--Monty Williams, 6-7 1/2, 227, Notre Dame. A Lafonso Ellis type, he would have been in the lottery except for a heart problem. Williams has been cleared by doctors, but that kind of thing scares pro teams. The Pacers considered him, but after he took a physical for them, they were so alarmed they scaled back their drills.

25. Clippers--Cliff Rozier, 6-10, 260, Louisville. On talent, he would have been in the lottery, but his work ethic isn’t up to snuff. Hard to pass up this far down the line, though, with one pick in hand.

26. Knicks--Dontonio Wingfield, 6-7 1/2, 246, Cincinnati. He’s either the second coming of George McGinnis . . . or Jesse James. After finishing high school in Albany, Ga., Wingfield tore up his mother’s kitchen (reportedly because she wouldn’t let him use the car) and she called the police. He pleaded guilty to two counts of obstructing justice and one count of criminal damage to property. He enrolled at Cincinnati but quit after his freshman year. Knick personnel chief Ernie Grunfeld notes that there was a lot of gossip about Shawn Kemp too, and the Knicks have a pick to waste. But this guy and Pat Riley? I don’t think so.

27. Orlando Magic--Tyler, 6-0, 173, Texas. The Magic wants to trade Scott Skiles and use his $1.7-million slot to pursue Horace Grant and will need a backup point guard.

THANKS FOR COMING, DOMINIQUE WILKINS

It was incredible six months ago when the Clippers sorted through all the packages they were being offered for Danny Manning and chose the 34-year-old Wilkins.

Wilkins came to town, charmed everyone, averaged 29 points his first month, drew a big crowd or two and even got the Clippers on a brief roll.

But when they failed to come up with the money he thought he was about to get--$21 million for three years--he went into a funk that engulfed the franchise.

The amazing thing is that both sides agree that the Clippers knew his asking price before the trade. Their first offer, however, was $8 million for two years.

Subsequently, they tacked on the extra year he wanted . . . but dropped the offer to $7.5 million plus annual $800,000 bonuses for making the playoffs.

A Clipper official insists they remain eager to sign Wilkins, but his agent, Steve Kauffman, is telling people privately they aren’t even trying.

Wilkins has few options. Kauffman says he might sit it out until a new labor agreement is signed, which could raise the salary cap--now at $16 million--above $20 million.

Another possibility is making the rounds: the Knicks. They need firepower. They might have Rolando Blackman’s $2-million slot. Wilkins might work for short money for a season to get out of here.

In case he does, farewell to yet another great Clipper.