Clipper Jackpot: No. 2 Draft Pick

If you thought the Clippers were young this past season, chances are they are going to be even younger next season after the team ended up with the No. 2 overall pick behind the Washington Wizards in Sunday’s NBA draft lottery.

“We’re going to get a great player and I don’t care if he’s 14 years old,” said Clipper Coach Alvin Gentry, who represented the franchise at the draft lottery held at the headquarters of NBA Entertainment at Secaucus, N.J.

Gentry, whose team finished with the eighth-worst record (31-51), may be exaggerating a bit. But after moving up six spots despite having only a 3.38% chance of doing so, the Clippers may end up with another player making the jump to the pros out of high school.

According to most NBA scouts, four of the top players eligible for the June 27 draft are high schoolers--Tyson Chandler, Eddy Curry, Kwame Brown and DeSagana Diop. With 7-foot-5 Chinese center Yao Ming and Duke point guard Jason Williams not entering the draft, the other top available players are considered to be Seton Hall freshman Eddie Griffin, Duke senior Shane Battier and Pau Gasol, who played professionally in Spain last season.

“If you are going to get a great player . . . you have to look at the potential from where they can be in a couple of years from now,” Gentry said. “Obviously, that is something we will have to consider. We also have to consider looking at other options like adding a veteran player [in a trade]. Just having the second pick gives us all the flexibility that we want.”

The Clippers raised a few eyebrows last year when they selected high schooler Darius Miles with the third overall pick. Because the franchise never had selected a prep player, many thought Elgin Baylor, vice president of basketball operations, would go with someone who was expected to have an immediate impact.

But the Clippers opted for Miles and all he did was become the first player drafted out of high school to earn first team all-rookie honors. That’s why Baylor is leaving that door open again this year.

“Who knows, you may get a player who can come in and play right away. . . . Look at Miles,” Baylor said. “Everyone expected [it would be] a couple of years down the line before he could make a contribution but we all agree, he made a contribution right away.”

But Baylor is not ruling out a trade.

“I expect teams to call because a lot of teams will want to move up in the draft,” he said. “But for us, it is not a case of moving somebody just to move somebody.”

The Wizards, who finished with the sixth-worst record at 19-63, ended up with the first pick, marking the 11th consecutive year in which the team with the worst record failed to end up with the No. 1 pick.

“Now we have the opportunity to exercise trades,” Washington assistant general manager Rod Higgins said. “There are players we can pinpoint but there is not a Patrick Ewing, not a Shaquille O’Neal. [Part-owner] Michael [Jordan] will make the final decision.”

The Chicago Bulls (15-67) and Golden State Warriors (17-65) had the worst records but they were bumped out by the Wizards, Clippers and Atlanta Hawks (25-57), who will pick third.

The lottery determined the top three picks with the 10 remaining non-playoff teams placed in inverse order of record. Drafting after Chicago and Golden State will be Vancouver (23-59), New Jersey (26-56), Cleveland (30-52), Detroit (32-50), Boston (36-46), Denver (40-42), Seattle (44-38) and Houston (45-37).

Vancouver, Detroit, Denver and Houston have the option to convey their picks to other teams to satisfy previous trade agreements.

The Clippers know all about having great odds to land a high lottery pick but ending up with a selection lower than expected. In the team’s 11 previous lottery appearances, five times it ended up drafting in a position lower than it would have without the lottery.

The Clippers will start to bring in players for private workouts this week, with Arizona center Loren Woods, USC big man Sam Clancy and Griffin already scheduled.

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NBA Draft Order

Draft to be held June 27 in New York.

FIRST ROUND

1. Washington

2. Clippers

3. Atlanta

4. Chicago

5. Golden State

6. Vancouver

7. New Jersey

8. Cleveland

9. Detroit

10. Boston

11. Denver

12. Seattle

13. Houston

14. Indiana

15. Orlando

16. Charlotte

17. Toronto

18. Houston (from New York through Phoenix and Orlando)

19. Portland

20. Cleveland (from Miami)

21. Denver (from Phoenix)

22. Houston (from Milwaukee)

23. Orlando (from Dallas)

24. Utah

25. Sacramento

26. Philadelphia

27. Vancouver (from Lakers through New York)

28. San Antonio

x-Minnesota (forfeited first-round pick)

SECOND ROUND

30. Chicago

31. Golden State

32. Orlando (from Washington)

33. Vancouver

34. Atlanta

35. New Jersey

36. Cleveland

37. Clippers

38. Detroit

39. New York (from Boston through Seattle)

40. Seattle (from Denver through Boston)

41. Indiana

42. Seattle (from Orlando)

43. New York (from Seattle)

44. Dallas (from Houston)

45. Charlotte

46. Minnesota

47. Denver (from Toronto)

48. Vancouver (from New York)

49. Miami

50. Portland

51. Phoenix

52. Milwaukee (from Chicago)

53. Utah

54. Dallas

55. Sacramento

56. San Antonio (from Lakers)

57. Philadelphia

58. San Antonio