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More Philly Coverage
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The Philadelphia Inquirer Sports
Sunday, June 22, 1997
Talent-hungry Sixers cannot diet at draft
Wednesday could be a day of surprises: Some on the team's want list now
don't want to be wanted.
[INLINE]
By Stephen A. Smith
INQUIRER STAFF WRITER
Three days from now, NBA commissioner David Stern will stride to a
podium inside the Charlotte Coliseum and announce that the San Antonio
Spurs have selected Tim Duncan with the first pick of the draft.
What comes next, with the Sixers holding the second pick, is when the
surprises might begin.
Eliminate Duncan, the all-American center from Wake Forest, and the
draft resembles an old episode of Let's Make a Deal: Select Curtain
No. 2 and pray that there isn't a case of canned squid behind it.
Early last week, Utah's Keith Van Horn, Kentucky's Ron Mercer and
Villanova's Tim Thomas seemed to be likely candidates for the Sixers.
But after the team brought in several players for workouts, and
especially after the trade on Friday that sent Clarence Weatherspoon
and Michael Cage to Boston for Dino Radja, that lineup has shifted.
The top three now?
Colorado point guard Chauncey Billups. Texas Tech power forward Tony
Battie. Utah forward Van Horn.
What's curious about the list Sixers coach Larry Brown revealed Friday
is that Billups and Van Horn have now made it clear they'd rather not
be in Philadelphia and that the trade for Radja -- who is 6-foot-11,
255 pounds, and is capable of averaging double figures in scoring and
rebounding -- seems to eliminate the need for a power forward like
Battie.
So do the Sixers grab the best available player, even if he is trying
to avoid them? Do they take someone they want, but don't need?
``Anything is possible,'' Brown said, ``especially in the waning
hours. That's why we'll keep our ears open and just be prepared.
``We need talent. Ballplayers. Instant contributors. And the more the
merrier. The key for us is this: Don't screw it up.''
Last year, after grabbing Allen Iverson with the overall first pick,
the Sixers misspent their three second-round selections, choosing
Washington State forward Mark Hendrickson, Oklahoma guard Ryan Minor,
and Michigan State forward Jamie Feick. Hendrickson got only spot
minutes, Minor quit the sport for baseball, and Feick barely made it
past summer-league camp.
This year, the Sixers again have another chance to ``add talent to
this team,'' Brown said, with three second-round selections -- their
own at No. 34, New Jersey's pick at No. 36 (from the Jayson Williams
trade in October 1992), and Toronto's slot at No. 37 (from the Sharone
Wright trade in February 1996).
But it's the No. 2 pick in which the Sixers can get a gem, someone who
can immediately contribute to improving the team.
Van Horn, the all-American forward, seems to be the surest choice.
Though 6-10, he is capable of beating people off the dribble and
creating matchup problems. He averaged 20.8 points in four years at
Utah, shooting 52.2 percent from the field, including 40.1 percent
from three-point range. He seems capable of giving the Sixers what
they need.
``A player,'' said former Celtics great and NBA Hall-of-Famer Nate
``Tiny'' Archibald, who coached in the NBA predraft camp in Chicago
this month. ``That kid can play. He's got all the tools. And I'll
guarantee you one thing: The Celtics are praying the Sixers won't take
him. They'll grab him in a heartbeat.''
At the predraft camp, both Van Horn and Billups had said they wouldn't
mind playing for the Sixers. Van Horn emphasized his ability to fit
into Brown's up-tempo system and provide a perimeter game the team
sorely lacked. Billups pointed to his ability to run a team, shoot the
ball, and defend bigger guards, all of which ``Iverson has difficulty
doing,'' he said.
Battie, the brother of former Temple forward Derrick Battie, averaged
8.8 points, 11.8 rebounds, and 2.5 blocks in his junior season. He
believes he is ready, and Philadelphia is where he says he wants to
play. Brown apparently feels the same way.
``He has a tremendous upside,'' Brown said. ``He has so many skills,
he's a tremendous shot-blocker, and he provides some athleticism. He
needs strength, but a lot of guys that come into this league do. I
like him.''
Surprisingly, Brown doesn't seem to like Mercer much.
The athletic, 6-3 shooting guard who played in two straight NCAA title
games at Kentucky, and who was called ``the best athlete I've ever
coached'' by former Kentucky coach and new Boston Celtics coach Rick
Pitino, certainly doesn't lack confidence.
``I think myself, Allen and Stack [ Jerry Stackhouse ] would make a
great trio,'' Mercer said. ``We'll get the job done and create some
excitement as well. I'm worth the No. 2 pick, and I think I'm the best
guard in the draft.
``Hopefully, the Sixers know that already. If not, they'll find out
soon enough like everyone else.''
In three days, the Sixers will have to make a choice, probably Van
Horn, Battie or Billups. Sixers fans just want players.
Will one be delivered on Wednesday?
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Philadelphia Online -- The Philadelphia Inquirer, Sports -- Copyright
Sunday, June 22, 1997