insider draft news 6/19

[OzerskyJA <OzerskyJA@cmog.org>]

Hawks sweet on Kwame Brown 
Hawks GM Pete Babcock and coach Lon Kruger had pretty much made up their
minds. With plenty of young blood, including last year's lottery pick,
DerMarr Johnson
<http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?statsId=3405>, on their squad
they wanted to avoid adding another rookie to an already bulging roster. 
The Hawks were on record as loving Duke senior Shane Battier
<http://sports.espn.go.com/nbadraft/player?playerId=127>. His incredible
workout, when he broke the team's "Superman" record (a player jumps and
dunks until he drops), seemed to secure Battier's place at No. 3 in the
draft. 
That was, however, until high school forward Kwame Brown
<http://sports.espn.go.com/nbadraft/player?playerId=10001> worked out for
the Hawks. A league source told Insider that Brown put on such an incredible
display of athleticism and basketball fundamentals that Babcock walked away
from the workout swearing he would not pass on Brown if he is still
available when the Hawks draft. 
The source told Insider that Brown not only aced the workout, he aced the
Hawks' psychological test. "He's a very smart kid," an Eastern Conference GM
told Insider. "He may be the most NBA-ready high school player to come along
since Kevin Garnett
<http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?statsId=3007>. If I had the
No. 1 pick, I'd grab him." 
There hasn't been much buzz with the Wizards and Brown yet, but the same
source told Insider that the Clippers were leaning toward taking Brown over
high school center Eddy Curry
<http://sports.espn.go.com/nbadraft/player?playerId=10004>. The source told
Insider that Curry hasn't been especially impressive in workouts nor has he
done well on psychological tests. 
If the Clippers do grab Brown, then expect the Hawks to stick with Battier.
"Kwame is the only one giving them second thoughts about Shane," the league
source said. "No one else is really on the Hawks' radar screen at the
moment." 
Draft Talk 
Kwame Brown <http://sports.espn.go.com/nbadraft/player?playerId=10001>
wasn't the only player to have an impressive workout with the Hawks. Insider
has learned that DePaul's Steven Hunter
<http://sports.espn.go.com/nbadraft/player?playerId=1300> came in and
destroyed Eddy Curry
<http://sports.espn.go.com/nbadraft/player?playerId=10004> and Loren Woods
<http://sports.espn.go.com/nbadraft/player?playerId=2665> last week. . .
Senegal big man DeSagana Diop had his first workout with the Hawks this
week. Despite having been working out for only 3 and 1/2 weeks due to a
broken foot, Diop impressed the Hawks with his size and athleticism, Insider
learned. Diop shattered the Hawks' "Superman" record (previously broken by
Shane Battier <http://sports.espn.go.com/nbadraft/player?playerId=127> and
then Loren Woods) by doing an astounding 93 reps. . .Why are teams beginning
to shy away from Michigan State's Jason Richardson
<http://sports.espn.go.com/nbadraft/player?playerId=783>? Despite his
athleticism, several teams in the lottery refuse to deal with his agent, Dan
Fegan. Depending on how the top five picks shake out, Richardson could slip
all the way to Cleveland at No. 8. That can't be too much of a concern for
Richardson, but another Fegan client, Cincinnati's Kenny Satterfield
<http://sports.espn.go.com/nbadraft/player?playerId=1281> is really paying
the price. The Utah Jazz are high on Satterfield and would consider taking
him with their 24th pick, were it not for Fegan. The Jazz have already been
through two acrimonious negotiations with Fegan (Shandon Anderson and Howard
Eisley) and don't want to go through the process again. 
Draft Workouts 
Celtics: The Celtics worked out Indiana's Kirk Haston
<http://sports.espn.go.com/nbadraft/player?playerId=746> yesterday. However
most of the buzz still surrounded the high octane workouts of Arkansas' Joe
Johnson <http://sports.espn.go.com/nbadraft/player?playerId=4440>, Arizona's
Richard Jefferson <http://sports.espn.go.com/nbadraft/player?playerId=2678>,
as and USC's Jeff Trepagnier
<http://sports.espn.go.com/nbadraft/player?playerId=2759>. The Celtics bring
in Notre Dame's Troy Murphy
<http://sports.espn.go.com/nbadraft/player?playerId=405> and Syracuse's
Damone Brown <http://sports.espn.go.com/nbadraft/player?playerId=488>.
Stanford twins Jarron and Jason Collins
<http://sports.espn.go.com/nbadraft/player?playerId=2734>, DePaul's Steven
Hunter <http://sports.espn.go.com/nbadraft/player?playerId=1300> and
Yugoslav forward Ratko Varda are also due in this week. 
Pistons: Villanova's Michael Bradley
<http://sports.espn.go.com/nbadraft/player?playerId=503>, Notre Dame's Troy
Murphy, Michigan State's Andre Hutson
<http://sports.espn.go.com/nbadraft/player?playerId=786> and Yugoslavia's
Vladimir Radmanovic worked out for the Pistons yesterday. The Pistons also
plan to workout North Carolina's Brendan Haywood
<http://sports.espn.go.com/nbadraft/player?playerId=162> and Arizona's Loren
Woods <http://sports.espn.go.com/nbadraft/player?playerId=2665> on
Wednesday. This will be Haywood's second workout with the Pistons. 
Hornets: Charlotte worked out Michigan State's Zach Randolph
<http://sports.espn.go.com/nbadraft/player?playerId=4091> yesterday. He?s
going to be good," Hornets Coach Paul Silas said of Randolph. "He knows his
way around the basket and can shoot the basketball. He reminds of a small
Bob Lanier, with his feathery touch around the rim." They bring in NC
State's Damien Wilkens (who coach Silas has advised to go back to school)
and Maryland's Terrence Morris today.