THESE NBA ROOKIES ARE... AHEAD OF THE CLASS

Toronto Raptors rookie Vince Carter had just dunked over Atlanta’s three-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year Dikembe Mutombo, triggering laughter and stares of disbelief from his teammates on the bench.

“I’ve always dreamed of dunking on the big players, and now I’m getting to do it.” said Carter, the fifth overall pick in the 1998 draft.

Carter, averaging a team-leading and rookie-best 17.5 points a game, is one of several first-year players helping to carry the post-Michael Jordan National Basketball Association this season, proving wrong the scouts and executives who dismissed last year’s draft class before any of its members missed their first shot.

“Is it surprising that they’re doing these things? Yes,” said Ryan Blake, the NBA’s assistant director of scouting. “The main surprise is that they’re doing so well so quickly.”

Players in what was expected to be dud draft are proving that the talent pool last June was wide and deep. Not only are high picks such as Mike Bibby of Vancouver, Paul Pierce of Boston, and Jason Williams of Sacramento performing like high picks in a good draft, players taken later are proving their value on some of the league’s best teams.

The Houston Rockets start an all-rookie backcourt--No. 41 pick Cuttino Mobley out of the University of Rhode Island and No. 14 Michael Dickerson from the University of Arizona. They’re not fazed by playing with future Hall of Famers Charles Barkley, Hakeem Olajuwon and Scottie Pippen.

Sometimes, like Thursday night against Toronto, they even take over. Dickerson scored a career-high 28 points and Mobley tallied a career-best 26 in a win over the Raptors, who got a career-high 32 points from Carter.

“We needed them to produce, and they’re delivering,” Olajuwon said. “Our rookies, and I’m very surprised by this, have crossed over from college so nicely.”

In Orlando, No. 12 pick Michael Doleac of the University of Utah and No. 15 Matt Harpring of Georgia Tech have given the Magic one of the best benches in the league. It’s paid off with a 20-8 record, tying them with the Miami Heat for first place in the Atlantic Division. In Milwaukee, the Bucks are getting a solid performance from forward Robert Traylor of the University of Michigan, the 20th overall pick.

“Young guys are more confident nowadays,” said Dickerson, who worked out against NBA players during the lockout. “If you don’t come in and contribute right away, then you’re going to get left out.”

Not every team picked an immediate winner. Two high-profile disappointments are Michael Olowokandi, taken by the Los Angeles Clippers first overall out of the University of the Pacific, and Antawn Jamison of the University of North Carolina, chosen by Toronto at No. 4 and then traded to Golden State for his University of North Carolina teammate Carter.

Jamison is averaging 7.5 points for the Warriors and Olowokandi is averaging 8.6 for the 2-23 Clippers, the NBA’s worst team.

“Once your confidence goes you start to wonder,” Olowokandi said. “I thought I would have made a smoother transition.”

Confidence hasn’t been a problem for the Kings’ Williams, whose no-look passes and ball-handling skills have made him a regular on sports highlight shows and a cult figure among Sacramento basketball fans.

Williams said young players today don’t want to bide time on the bench and are willing to take more chances to get playing time.

“It’s just our mentality,” said Williams, who has been drawing comparisons to legendary point guards Pete Maravich, Magic Johnson and John Stockton during his 28-game NBA career. “Nowadays, you just have to go out and play ball, or you have to go home.”

Raptors coach Butch Carter said such confidence is why rookies--including his star Carter--are having so much success. While young players must respect veterans, they can’t be awe-struck.

“Young guys, when they come into the league, they’re not told it’s OK to be competitive and stand up for yourselves,” Carter said. “These guys seem to know it.”