Hawks also interested in Johnson

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Hawks evaluating talents raw and polished for draft
Michael Lee - Staff
Sunday, June 4, 2000


Cincinnati freshman DerMarr Johnson grinned slyly after Hawks scout Chris 
Grant bet him $10 that he couldn't touch the top of a 12 1/2 foot bar. 

Johnson, a 6-foot-9 shooting guard with a 40-inch vertical leap, took a 
running start and slapped the bar on his fourth attempt. Then he looked over 
at a smiling Grant. Easy money. 

"You want that in 10 ones?" Grant asked, and the two started laughing. 

But after completing a grueling two-hour workout with the Hawks on Saturday 
at the Philips Arena practice court, Johnson didn't get paid. 

"I'm not too worried about it," Johnson said. 

He's focused on a bigger payday --- June 28 --- when the NBA Draft will be 
held in Minneapolis. The Hawks hold the sixth pick, and general manager Pete 
Babcock and new coach Lon Kruger began the process of evaluating draft 
candidates in person this weekend. 

On Friday, they looked at Michigan State 6-6 senior Morris Peterson, the 
smooth-shooting left-hander who helped lead the Spartans to an NCAA 
championship in April. Johnson shot around for the Hawks later in the 
afternoon, then worked out with East St. Louis high-schooler Darius Miles the 
next day. 

Missouri silky sophomore point guard Keyon Dooling was expected to join 
Peterson on Friday but backed out because of a conflicting appointment with 
Detroit. Still, Babcock and Kruger were impressed by the players they did 
see. 

"All three are very athletic," Babcock said. "There is a big difference as 
far as development because Mo Peterson played for four years. He has a 
decided edge in terms of maturity. But. . . . Darius and D.J. are phenomenal 
athletes. There is a lot of potential because each is so young." 

Johnson is a native of Washington who just turned 20 last month. In high 
school, he considered going pro after his junior year --- "I wanted to be the 
first one," he said. --- but he eventually wound up at a prep school in 
Maine. There was little doubt he'd leave Cincinnati early --- especially 
after getting a tattoo on his left arm that reads "NBA, King of the Court" 
back in October. The Hawks were the first team he worked out with since 
declaring for the draft. His height, athleticism and shooting ability make 
him very appealing. 

Miles, 18, is a 6-8 forward who signed with St. John's but opted to go pro 
after hearing that he could possibly be a top-seven pick. The Hawks were the 
third team Miles has visited in as many days. He also worked out for the 
Magic and the Rockets, when he started developing some tendinitis in his 
right knee. It limited his explosiveness some during the exhausting 
"superman" drill, where Miles had to do drop-step dunks for one minute. 

He'll need some seasoning, but his play in transition, flashy ball-handling 
and ability to block shots --- he has an 87-inch wingspan --- have drawn 
comparisons to Kevin Garnett. And Kruger is well aware of what Miles can do. 
He once recruited him for Illinois. 

"Yeah, he attended our camp as a ninth-grader," Kruger said. "Now, I'm 
looking at him from a different light, for sure." 

Kruger also is familiar with Peterson, a former Big Ten foe whom Kruger 
wouldn't mind having on his side for once. Peterson has worked out with six 
other teams since graduating last month and said the whole experience has 
been tiring and awe-inspiring --- from eating lunch with Julius Erving in 
Orlando to the little things, like wearing NBA socks. 

"You see the logo," Peterson, 22, said. "Only guys in the NBA get to wear 
these. That's a good indication that I'm getting there. . . I've dreamed of 
being in the league since I was 5. But it seems like the closer it gets, the 
longer it seems." 

The next step for the Hawks is the NBA pre-draft camp this week in Chicago. 
Afterward, they expect to bring in about seven more players before making a 
final decision. 

"After visiting with them, watching them, you see who fits in best with the 
organization," Kruger said. "Then on the 28th, the process takes care of 
itself."