SIXR24.htm

[David A Wickerham <aw623@freenet.buffalo.edu> (by way of wickerhd@nyslgti.gen.ny.us (Dave Wickerham))]

                      The Philadelphia Inquirer Sports
                                      
                           Tuesday, June 24, 1997
                                      
                                      
                        Van Horn may be Sixers' pick
                                      
   
                            By Stephen A. Smith
                           INQUIRER STAFF WRITER
                                      
   After barely two months as the 76ers head coach, Larry Brown walks
   into tomorrow night's NBA draft in a position to snatch one of the
   nation's premier players with the No. 2 overall pick. And one of the
   players Brown likes the most is Utah's Keith Van Horn.
   
   The problem? ``He doesn't want to come here,'' Brown said.
   
   At 6-foot-10, and with a solid outside shot, Van Horn has been labeled
   the marquee small forward in the draft -- a position the Sixers
   desperately need to fill.
   
   He averaged 22 points, shot 52 percent from the field, 40 percent from
   three-point range, and finished his career a consensus first-team
   all-American. He can take a smaller player inside, a larger player
   outside, and will embarrass anyone in between.
   
   So a question begs answering: How can the Sixers pass him up?
   
   ``We've made our position clear,'' said Curtis Polk, president of Falk
   Associates Management Enterprises (FAME), which represents Van Horn.
   ``I'm not about to elaborate on Van Horn's situation. We've talked to
   Brown, [ Sixers president ] Pat Croce and everyone else there. They
   know our position, why Van Horn didn't work out for them, etc. There's
   really nothing else for us to say.''
   
   There's nothing FAME or Van Horn can do, either.
   
   As Polk admitted, the Sixers are the ones with the pick. They're the
   ones in position to draft Van Horn, who'll be committed to them for
   three years.
   
   And ``we will do whatever we want to do,'' Brown said. ``I really
   don't care what anyone says or feels. We'll take who we want.''
   
   With Van Horn, the Sixers would have the small forward they've lacked
   since the days of Bobby Jones; they'll have a replacement for Clarence
   Weatherspoon (traded to Boston last Friday); someone to take the
   offensive load off of Allen Iverson and Jerry Stackhouse, and a
   forward other than Derrick Coleman who could possibly put up big
   numbers.
   
   If nothing else, they'll also have trade maneuverability for a change.
   
   ``As long as we have talent on this roster, we'll have plenty of
   options,'' Brown said.
   
   With Van Horn, the Sixers have someone many seem to want. Boston, who
   has the third pick, and at least four other teams want him; though
   realistically, Boston seems to be the only team with a legitimate shot
   at Van Horn -- assuming the Sixers pass him up.
   
   ``People define my game by its versatility,'' Van Horn said. ``It
   seems to be why I'm liked so much. A lot of my game is predicated on
   my shooting ability. . . . I think that for my size I'm a very good
   shooter and I think it helps my game.
   
   ``I know I can play. I love to run and I want to play with a running
   team. With [ Rick ] Pitino in Boston, they'll be running. So will
   Philly.''
   
   ``We will grab the player that brings us the best package,'' Brown
   said. ``On the surface, take away [ Wake Forest center ] Tim Duncan,
   and Van Horn seems to be the most complete package right now. We can
   take him if we want to.''
   
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                           Tuesday, June 24, 1997