Picking Through the Latest Edition of Hoop Dreams

Every year, the NBA draft gets younger, the teams more eager to wheel and deal and the situation more fluid. Welcome to the craziest yet.

The teams went into the final weekend wondering what Vancouver would do at No. 2, which center the Grizzlies would trade if they took Michael Olowokandi, and to whom and for what. The Clippers, Nuggets and Raptors were talking to them.

Then there was the wildest card of all, a 19-year-old, 6-foot-10 German wunderkind named Dirk Nowitzki, who trampled the top American preps at the Nike Hoop Summit in San Antonio this spring. Just off a tape of the game, one general manager says Nowitzki is “the best player in the whole draft.”

However, NBA teams have been unable to confirm their impressions. After entering the draft, Nowitzki suddenly discovered an obligation to the army that kept him home, unavailable to work out for anyone. Then his coach, Holger Geschwinder, told teams Dirk might play in Europe for another year or two.

If that wasn’t weird enough, Dallas’ Don Nelson was known to be interested. His son, Donnie, coached Nowitzki’s international team on its U.S. tour, making him the leading U.S. expert on the Dirkster.

Inevitably, other general managers began wondering out loud if Nellie Sr. had stashed the kid in Europe, promising to take him at No. 6 and asking him to lay low in the meantime.

This was followed by a report circulating among general managers that Maverick ownership, faced with a depressed, departing fan base, told Nelson he could only take his flyer if he could trade for another No. 1 pick, so they would have a live body to present to the press on draft day, rather than a videotape and a promise.

Everything should begin to fall in place next week, or so everyone hopes. “Friday is the day of confusion,” said one general manager. “Monday is the day of clarification.”

It’ll be some weekend, then. Here’s how Wednesday’s draft shapes up now:

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

MOCK NBA DRAFT

1. CLIPPERS--Mike Bibby, 6-1, 194 pounds, sophomore, Arizona.

Just turned 20 but a big-time point guard prospect. And when the labor deal kicks in, he can’t leave for five years! But they’re still considering Olowokandi.

2. VANCOVER--Michael Olowokandi, 6-11 3/4, 269, senior, Pacific.

Big, raw, athletic, probably just passing through for a minute or two.

3. DENVER--Vince Carter, 6-5 1/2, 219, junior, North Carolina.

Went up like a rocket late. At 219 pounds, he showed a 36-inch vertical leap and made 18 of 25 three-point attempts working out for the Nuggets.

4. TORONTO--Robert Traylor, 6-7 1/2, 288, junior, Michigan.

Then they trade him and Doug Christie for Olowokandi. Tractor wowed teams in workouts with his soft hands, all-around game and new, slimmer physique, though you have to wonder why he never bothered to lose the weight at Ann Arbor. As a general manager said, “He got in the best shape of his career after his career.”

5. GOLDEN STATE--Paul Pierce, 6-6, 229, junior, Kansas.

Machinations above drop him in Warriors’ lap. The Inglewood High grad is another candidate, with Nowitzki and Carter, for draft’s most talented player.

6. DALLAS--Larry Hughes, 6-4 1/2, 183, freshman, St. Louis.

Nellie bids his Dirk dream a sad farewell. He says he sees “greatness” here too. As usual, you never know if he means it or not.

7. SACRAMENTO--Antawn Jamison, 6-7 3/4, 229, junior, North Carolina.

He wasn’t 6-9 as advertised, but he still dominated. The Kings see an offensive version of Bo Outlaw.

8. PHILADELPHIA--Raef LaFrentz, 6-11 1/2, 235, senior, Kansas.

Larry Brown, in intense negotiations with Derrick Coleman, goes for size and a recommendation from fellow ex-Tar Heel Roy Williams.

9. MILWAUKEE--Michael Doleac, 6-10, 265, senior, Utah.

The Bucks need a center. He’s not the next Tim Duncan, but he’s well-schooled and can shoot.

10. BOSTON--Nazr Mohammed, 6-10, 221, junior, Kentucky.

Rick Pitino considers Nowitzki, but what if he doesn’t come for two years? Having fallen out of love with Travis Knight, Pervis Ellison and Andrew DeClercq, he settles for his old Kentucky project.

11. DETROIT--Bonzi Wells, 6-5, 213, senior, Ball State.

Barrel-chested athlete who reminds some of Mitch Richmond (before Mitch had an outside shot). The Pistons also are considering trading down to save money for Tom Gugliotta.

12. ORLANDO--Jason Williams, 6-1, 190, junior, Florida.

The Gators ran this wild point guard off for the usual “violations,” but he was making 84% of free throws and 40% of three-point shots when he left. Says a general manager, “There aren’t five better athletes in this draft.”

13. ORLANDO--Dirk Nowitzki, 6-10, 237, DJK Wurzburg.

With three picks, the Magic can afford to gamble.

14. HOUSTON--Keon Clark, 6-10 1/2, 220, senior, Nevada Las Vegas.

Tall, athletic shot-blocking head case whom Rebels tossed off team. With Kevin Willis gone, the rest of the Rockets’ front line goes 6-10, 6-5 in size, 35, 35 in age.

15. ORLANDO--Jahidi White, 6-9, 293, senior, Georgetown.

Not a great player but a great big one. All that weight but little body fat (“sculpted,” says a general manager). Injured most of season but did well in the Desert Classic at Phoenix.

16. HOUSTON--Pat Garrity, 6-9, 237, senior, Notre Dame.

Power forward with small forward skills. Fine shooter.

17. MINNESOTA--Nasho Nesterovic, 6-11, 248, Virtus Kinder Bologna (Italy).

A Slovenian who played in Italy for Kevin McHale, who’d go to Mars for a center.

18. HOUSTON--Rashard Lewis, 6-8 1/2, 190, Alief (Texas) Elsik High.

Some love him, others don’t. “I don’t think he could get significant minutes at Duke,” says one general manager. “Shane Battier, Elton Brand and Chris Burgess are all better than he is.” But Lewis is a local and the Rockets have three first-round picks.

19. MILWAUKEE--Bryce Drew, 6-2, 187, senior, Valparaiso.

Admirers see a Jeff Hornacek, a late-blooming sharp-shooter who plays both spots. Terrell Brandon is going into his free-agent year, is on the outs with management and on the block.

20. ATLANTA--Matt Harpring, 6-6 1/2, 231, senior, Georgia Tech.

A local for Hawks, who need a small forward. Sawed-off three-point shooters who can’t swing to guard often struggle but he’s supposed to be a tough guy.

21. CHARLOTTE--Casey Shaw, 6-10, 260, senior, Toledo.

With Matt Geiger out-bound, Vlade Divac looking west and Anthony Mason wearing out his latest welcome, the Hornets have to take the best remaining big man, no matter how stiff.

22. CLIPPERS--Brad Miller, 6-11, 255, senior, Purdue.

Mechanical man whose stock deflated on pre-draft circuit but with Ike Austin leaning toward Utah, they’re down to former Bill Fitch protege Stojko Vrankovic and back to needing centers.

23. DENVER--Michael Dickerson, 6-4, 195, senior, Arizona.

Could have gone in teens. Bombed in two NCAA tournaments but won back his reputation on the pre-draft circuit.

24. SAN ANTONIO--Corey Benjamin, 6-5 1/2, 203, soph., Oregon State.

Dark horse who could hit big or miss entirely. Everyone thinks the Fontana High graduate left too early, but he showed flashes of brilliance.

25. INDIANA--Tirkad Murksan, 6-8, 236, Efes Pilsen, Turkey.

Shooter the Pacers think is ready to make the jump to U.S. hyper-hoop.

26. LAKERS--Tyronn Lue, 6-0, 178, junior, Nebraska.

Derek Fisher type (they hope) with more offense (in college, anyway). Averaged 21 last season, made 37% of three-point shots. Pick figures with Nick Van Exel being shopped.

27. SEATTLE--Ruben Patterson, 6-5, 224, senior, Cincinnati.

Paul Westphal, inheriting an open-court system, picks late comer whom one general manager called “a dominating athlete” and another “an animal.”

28. CHICAGO--Al Harrington, 6-8, 220, St. Patrick’s High, Elizabeth, N.J.

Jerry Krause has wanted to start rebuilding for years. Since they ran off Horace Grant, he has been looking for a power forward for years.

29. UTAH--Andrae Patterson, 6-8, 238, senior, Indiana.

Never lived up to prep billing under the IU-tollah but looked good on pre-draft circuit.