From the Sporting News

[Mike Dynon <mdynon@ix.netcom.com>]

Their NBA beat writer confirms what we already know: see where Pierce is
listed.
--
Mike Dynon
North Kingstown, RI

Wed, 10 Feb 1999 06:12:51 -0700 (MST)
From: The Sporting News <sports-mail@sportsmail.sportingnews.com>

by DAVE D'ALESSANDRO  The Sporting News

Rookies are allowed to be mediocre in many respects, but if they want to
stick around awhile, it takes one outstanding skill to remain in the
league -- otherwise, they are doomed to find themselves in Belgium
within three years. It takes two major skills to make an NBA team's
rotation. It takes three to be a starter. It takes four or five to be
regarded as a special player. 

We haven't a clue as to whether the rookies discussed below have the
goods to
be special, because hardly any have had the chance to exhibit the
all-around
skills over time to be judged fairly -- not within a team context,
anyway. 

But they all can do at least one thing well -- shoot, shoot with range,
rebound,
defend, handle, and pass -- and it will be the ones who become
proficient in
many areas that will stand out by season's end. 

Here are our choices for the first, second, and time-will-tell rookie
teams: 

FIRST TEAM 

Paul Pierce, Boston: The most complete offensive package in the bunch,
with
parking lot range. A keeper. 

Vince Carter, Toronto: Again, when you look at rookies, you look at raw
talent and judge them on potential, but guys with his athletic ability
come along
once in a lifetime. We haven't see his kind of hops since . . . maybe
never. He
also has a better jumper than anyone thought he'd have by now. If he
learns how
to be a basketball player, the Raps may have a player for the ages. 

Jason Williams, Sacramento: You'd think the Kings would have learned
their
lesson, having gone with rookie point guards four times in the last six
years (the others being Bobby Hurley, Tyus Edney and Anthony Johnson)
with no
long-term benefits to show for it. Obviously, they think this kid is
special, and he probably will be at the offensive end, but he'll need an
up-tempo team to show
it. 

Michael Dickerson, Houston: The guy can slash and finish and defend, and
his jumper is surprisingly solid, so he has already made his impact felt
with the
Rockets. Down the road, he'll be the perfect running mate for Scottie
Pippen. 

Larry Hughes, Philadelphia: Big-time talent, great feel for the game,
and a
better fit than we originally thought. There are other things working in
his favor: He'll receive excellent coaching, a chance to grow up with
Allen Iverson, and he should get his share of shots on a team that
doesn't have many options. 

SECOND TEAM 

Matt Harpring, Orlando: He looks like a tough kid who won't back down.
We saw him the first night, and he did a credible job defensively on
Latrell
Sprewell, and though he may not show much offensively right now, he
looks as
though he'll work on it. Probably a good practice player. The next Jud
Buechler? That's OK -- every team could use one of those. 

Mike Bibby, Vancouver: Lee Mayberry won't be around for another three
weeks, and with DeJuan Wheat as the only other point on the roster,
Bibby will
have to sink or swim. We're betting on the latter: While most of the
point guard's development is between the ears, he has enough athleticism
to get by for at least a year. 

Predrag Stojakovic, Sacramento: He has already had three years against
strong competition (Greece), which explains why he's already a
legitimate
shooter for this level, and he has also shown that he can make plays.
But he's
also a European, which means he'll need a minimum of three years to
learn NBA
defense. 

Raef LaFrentz, Denver: We weren't expecting much, then we saw his
numbers from his second game: 17 points, nine boards, six personals
while
matched mostly against Luc Longley. Smart player, nice all-around
skills, and he
will probably hold up against the smaller centers out West. 

Felipe Lopez, Vancouver: Just a hunch: With only Sam Mack ahead of him,
he'll eventually earn some minutes and put up some numbers. They're
already
fairly certain that he can attack the rim and draw his share of
whistles. 

TIME-WILL-TELL TEAM 

Robert Traylor, Milwaukee: You've heard George Karl call him the best
rookie he has ever coached, but that's not saying much, since George's
previous
bests were stiffs such as Keith Lee, Tellis Frank and Rich King. But
Tractor has
impressive skills for his size, and with a coach who is a proven
motivator, he
should be able to keep the weight off. 

Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas: Amazing agility for someone 7-feet and 235
pounds,
but he'd be best served by a summer or two of weight training. He won't
be the
Rookie of the Year that Don Nelson predicts, but a few years from now,
he
may be regarded as the best from this class if he fills out. 

Michael Olowokandi, L.A. Clippers: Everyone knows that Kandi Man will
be one of the best centers of the next generation, but with 70 college
and
European games on his resume, it would be foolhardy to expect too much
too
soon. He's likely to look more embarrassed than dominant this year. 

Antawn Jamison, Golden State: We saw him get bounced around by Corliss
Williamson in preseason. But there's a nice balance of power and finesse
here,
and a willingness to learn, so he'll probably get the hang of the pro
game and a
new position (small forward) pretty soon. 

Michael Doleac, Orlando: He should be a serviceable backup, maybe a Will
Perdue type, if that floats your boat.

Copyright 1999 The Sporting News